The progress is not nice. It just is not. Nor that it cares if we are ready for it or not. It doesn’t ask: “Dr. Awesome, are you ready for Vision Pro?”. So I thought to reverse this question and think from a different angle. Is dentistry ready for Vision Pro?
In short, we can all guess, NO. At least not right now. But we said the same thing about every new technology of the last 20 years. Google Search and SEO, Mobile, Crypto, and AI. As you are getting immersed into virtual reality, I couldn’t stop thinking about all the different applications this could be used for (If you haven’t tested it in action, I highly please book the time and go to the local store). So let’s brainstorm for a minute together:
From what I experienced and learned about the headset, we can see 3 possible scenarios of this technology being adopted in dentistry.
First, is education! Immersive experience is mind blowing. So I can totally see an implant course or an endo course being taught in VR, where you can see the actual procedure on one screen (or a main screen) and a speaker on the other, explaining each step. Dentistry is very hands on and it’s not going anywhere, but to prepare for a hands-on course using VR lecture, could be helpful or go back and replay a procedure you did during the course.
Second, guided or assisted dentistry. Imagine Tony Stark mode during implant procedure. Main view - your procedure, on the right CBCT Scan, and on the left your Instagram :) We are already far advanced in placing implants compared just to 10 years ago, but this could improve the success rate if you have all the important information in your sight. Again, it’s too bulky right now, and needs more apps and integration. But I can imagine a scenario in 5-7 years when all of your tech is integrated together. I would love to discuss this with clinicians, who see this or not.
Third, is patient experience. Perhaps before visiting an office, a patient can see Spatial Video of your practice and tap on specific technology, like Cerec or Laser, to learn more about it. I don’t see how it can improve office experience, just yet, but with development of apps this could be discussed later.
Last quick note on the buttons and terminology. It seems we can’t get away from crowns! Common, this can’t get any better! Main button or a “Home View” is called a digital crown 🙂
Please do a demo and let’s discuss this together?