Dental clinicians worldwide see many types of patients, all with their own unique needs and conditions. Michael Moroni, DDS, a doctor who runs a private practice in Castle Rock, Colorado, is no different. He has been practicing general dentistry for the past 20 years and has recently expanded his offerings by performing implants and same-day restorations.
When Dr. Moroni first started practicing dentistry, it was during a time when there were only hard copy files and film x-rays. “I remember at that time we used an intraoral camera with a cart that we rolled from room to room, which was really bulky and cumbersome.”
In 2012, he embarked on a plan to modernize his practice. To improve efficiencies and patient care, Dr. Moroni started adopting digital radiography and using Planmeca equipment. He invested in Planmeca’s full CAD/CAM system and 3-D imaging unit. “I researched other manufacturers and there was only one system of this type that provided a seamless workflow,” he said. “I didn’t want to invest in other technology; I wanted to be fully integrated with both a CBCT unit and scanner.”
Video demonstration: Planmeca CALM
The full integration of the technology available has allowed Dr. Moroni to treat patients who are especially prone to extensive dental care. One of his patients, John, has Parkinson’s disease and as a result has a hard time taking proper care of his mouth, which causes decay and multiple abscesses in his teeth. Dr. Moroni knew he needed to treat John with something more substantial, which included upper and lower implant hybrid bridges.
The tremors associated with Parkinson’s disease can bring about challenges for capturing diagnostically acceptable scans. According to Dr. Moroni, anyone who slightly moves their head can cause the image to blur. Dr. Moroni used the Planmeca CAL technology to acquire a CBCT image and develop a treatment plan for John. Planmeca CALM corrects patient movement, which is the number one contributor to poor image quality. Planmeca CALM not only removes the effect of patient movement during scanning, it also reduces the need for retakes, which ultimately benefits both the patient and doctor. Patients are treated in less time with less radiation and doctors receive diagnostic-quality images, which allows them to treat their patients more efficiently.
Tremors such as the ones John experiences can affect the accuracy of the surgical guide and ultimately the surgery because any distortion of the data, or lack of accuracy, can lead to a compromised surgical outcome. Dr. Moroni says that taking John’s image would have been next to impossible with a regular CBCT unit, but when using the Planmeca’s CALM technology, he was able to filter out the motion. From there, he was able to fabricate the guides. “The guides were perfect, and the only way to achieve this is with a clear CBCT image. Without CALM technology, we wouldn’t have been able to do this,” he said.
Dr. Moroni has many patients who find it challenging to stay still during a CBCT scan. “Older patients may become too dizzy or not care for like abstract movement. Children who fidget and younger adults can also benefit from the CALM technology. There are varied levels to how motionless patients can be. Certain types of medications can cause lightheadedness and pose problems with staying still for more than a few seconds.”
Dr. Moroni believes the Planmeca CALM technology has aided in treatment planning many patients’ cases and that it all goes back to accuracy. “If you have a clear image, you can treatment plan anything.”
Even though Planmeca’s equipment has the capability to fully integrate with other Planmeca technology, Dr. Moroni says one feature that stands out about Planmeca is the fact that their equipment plays nicely with everybody. “You can integrate Planmeca equipment and software with other dental equipment. It’s an open architecture, and the company’s solutions can communicate with any system."
Dr. Moroni combines Planmeca equipment and software regularly. “I utilize the technology almost daily due to its many applications, but my primary use is for implants. We combine the Planmeca Emerald intraoral scanner files and the Planmeca ProMax 3D Mid CBCT files together to treatment plan my cases. It’s much better to employ both pieces of technology, so you have all of the information available to you. With the CBCT data, I can use PlanmecaRomexis Implant Guide Design software to develop an implant guide. Clinicians can extend their service offering by using all of the tools in the Romexis software platform.”
Dr. Moroni believes that with the integration of the many types of technology available, clinicians have much more information at their disposal. “This abundant amount of information is advantageous to both my patients and me. I’m able to discover things at an earlier stage and create treatment plans that can solve problems more quickly.
“Planmeca continues to bring me new innovations that provide easier and more efficient ways to treat patients and improve my practice. I’ve become a better practitioner, and frankly, a better business owner because of the features and continuous advancements,” Dr. Moroni concludes.
Dr. Moroni is planning to use the Planmeca technology to make clear aligners—creating an additional offering for his patients and a new revenue stream for his practice.
