Introduction

As a general dentist, I see potential patients walk into my practice with all sorts of oral health issues every day. Most of them are not aware of all that is happening inside their mouths and generally come to see me for issues that are obvious to what they see in front of a mirror or when they are in discomfort and pain. We are traditionally trained to attend to the prospective patient’s chief complaint, and many clinicians have a hard time communicating other important findings. Usually, those findings stay between the clinician and assistant and are kept on paper or your practice management software for months, even years, without being addressed until the next emergency visit. Sometimes, the clinician feels uncomfortable adding other procedures to the treatment plan, fearing that he or she will be labeled as an individual trying to upsell treatment. Unfortunately, we have seen in the media cases of dental professionals taking advantage of people by overtreating them. While these are very few individuals, a bad reputation has impacted the dental guild worldwide. As a professional, I have learned to remove biases and assumptions about the person in the dental chair. I show all the evidence and offer comprehensive treatment plans based on the individual’s perceived needs to provide function and esthetics with long-term solutions, not just repair. To present evidence and deliver comprehensive education, I leverage the power of technology, specifically iTero™ scanners. These devices equip me with the tools to not only attract potential patients to my practice but also help me to create digital records for diagnosis, educate patients for informed decision-making,1 plan, design, treat, and monitor their progress throughout their journey (Figure 1). This emphasis on technology underscores the evolution of dental practice and its benefits for both professionals and patients. I