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Dental TribuneAsia Pacific Edition | 11/201504 OPINION As I think back to my younger days, Iusedtolovetotakethingsapartand try to put them back together. That progressedintoahobbyasabikeme- chanic. Cable replacement, greasing the bearings, wheel truing…I loved it all. I had minimal tools, but I had the know-how of how to get the job done. When I got my dream job as a shop mechanic, I was amazed that there was actually a proper tool for every job.The wrenches and ratchets wereliterallythetoolsofthetrade. It occurred to me, the mechanic needed to understand what the toolswerefor,howtousethemand especiallyhowtocareforthem.Ire- alised and appreciated the impor- tance of the tools, but did not want them to be the limiting factor. Dentistry is experiencing a truly remarkable period with many ‘tools’of digital dentistry available to the clinician and technician. These tools are not only providing increased accuracy and improved efficiency, but are also improving the experience for the patient, cli- nician and technician. Communication has also been expanded with digital dentistry, allowing for easier translation of information to the patient, the insurance company, colleagues and the laboratory. With an open- source approach, the technologies havetheopportunitytobemerged and shared. Add in the advances in mobile technology, the portability and the utilisation of technology becomes even more appealing. From an academic and research perspective, I can attest that I am truly a tech junkie. I love gadgets. Technology seems to improve every aspect of my day. I find the technologicalsolutiontoaproblem a unique driving force that har- nesses limitless passion. It appears to be an exciting time! The spectrum of digital dentis- try has become quite overwhelm- ing. There are technologies that provide numerous approaches for image acquisition, easy-to-use design packages, milling/printing solutions,implantstabilityassess- ment and even real-time guided implant surgery. The technologies seem to represent every aspect of diagnoses, treatment planning and treatment delivery. It appears to be a very exciting time! But let’s not let the excitement overwhelmus.Indentistry,wehave the privilege of improving the oral health of our patients. There can be little comparison to a bike me- chanic,asthehumanbodypresents a unique set of complex systems. However, the technologies in digital dentistry represent tools. These tools have a purpose and we must be able to understand what the tools are for and how to use them. The tools cannot act as sub- stitutestofundamentalprincipals. As clinicians and technicians, we must rely on our knowledge, skills and evidence-based experi- ence to act as our guide. From the subjective aspect of patient in- formed consent, to the rigorous protocolsofimplantsurgery,letus exercise what our comprehensive training has taught us. The tools aremerelytheretoassistusonour mission. As we, clinicians, technicians, educators and researchers, look to advance dentistry in a modern technological world, let’s keep the digital dentistry toolbox open to more tools. Let’s always pose the question ‘why’ and try to find a solution to ongoing problems. Let us keep the aspect of accessibility in mind, with the development of open-source and affordable tech- nologies. Lastly, let us merge our knowledge, skills and experience withthetoolsofdigitaldentistryto propel our profession as leaders in healthcare simulation. Dr Les Kalman is an assistant professor at the Division of Re- storative Den- tistry and chair of the Dental Outreach and CommunitySer- viceprogramme at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at Western University in London, Canada. He can be contacted at lkalman@uwo.ca. Visit: www.promedica.de for detailed information regarding our upcoming exhibitions Visit www.promedica.de to see all our products Dental Material GmbH 24537 Neumünster / Germany Tel. +49 43 21 / 5 41 73 Fax +49 43 21 / 5 19 08 eMail info@promedica.de Internet www.promedica.de Glass ionomer filling cement perfect packable consistency excellent durable aesthetics also available as application capsules Light-curing nano-ceram composite highly esthetic and biocompatible universal for all cavity classes comfortable handling, easy modellation also available as flowable version Temporary crown & bridge material less than 5 min. processing time strong functional load perfect long-term aesthetics excellent biocompatibility AD Tools of the trade By Dr Les Kalman,Canada DTAP1115_04_Opinion 20.11.15 14:32 Seite 1 Tel. +494321 / 54173 Fax +494321 / 51908 DTAP1115_04_Opinion 20.11.1514:32 Seite 1