This was the very question that I asked myself as soon as I heard a colleague talking about how they had invested in a CompuDent and Single Tooth Anaesthesia System, also known by the much snappier title of a Dental Wand. It sounded like something out of a Disney movie, but I was intrigued. Why on earth would my colleague, who I know particularly for their skill with a needle and syringe, be needing something that sounded as basic as a Dental Wand to help them in their clinic?
It’s a simple fact of our profession that technology is often moving a lot quicker than we are. Medical technology is often accepted into areas such as hospitals far more quickly than they are to dental surgeries, and many dentists believe this is because patients do not like change – especially when it is a new (and therefore in their minds, untested) form of treatment. It is totally understandable why people get that much more anxious about having some new fangled and (in their minds) untried piece of technology in their mouths: beyond the fact that they cannot see what we are doing, it is very disconcerting to think that the part of our bodies that we use for feeding and communicating could be harmed!
Dental Wand (milestonescientific.com)
That is why many different dentists are avoiding using a Dental Wand, a piece of technology that could be making a really positive difference to the way that they could give procedures and treatment to their patients. If you are a dentist and you have heard of the Dentist Wand and decided against it, or if you have never heard of it before, this is the perfect time to reassess and consider whether actually this could be the new piece of technology that you should introduce next to your dental repertoire.
Put simply, the Dental Wand enables you to carefully, slowly, and measurably inject something into your patient in a very slow and steady manner. One of the biggest problems when it comes to injecting patients is that the injection is not able to be controlled, leading to a stinging sensation for the patient, and a sudden influx of the particular chemical into their body. This can lead to a fight or flight response in the patient, extending swelling and leading to a much longer recovery time. The Dental Wand, on the other hand, is able to introduce the foreign element much more slowly, and at a steady stream that is simply not possible to do with a human hand.
One of the other incredible benefits of the Dental wand is the way that it is designed – not only to aid the dentist that is using it, but also to put all of their patients at ease. The Dental Wand tool has been designed to look and feel like a pen, allowing greater dexterity when it is used, and for a minimal amount of training needing to be given to the person who wishes to use it for their patients. This unassuming appearance is also perfect for patients who get very nervous when they visit the dentist, especially those who have a deep rooted fear of needles, syringes, and/or injections. For these patients the Dental Wand is invaluable, because it allows them to completely relax. In fact, in many cases those patients do not even realise that that particular tool is anything to do with needles whatsoever!
Many dentists will be able to care for their patients without a Dental Wand, it is true, and the creators of this tool would never want to state that it is impossible for anyone to practise their dental care without one. However, just because a tool is not completely essential does not mean that it cannot bring real and tangible benefits to those who trust it. It is impossible to give the high quality injections manually by hand that the Dental Wand is able to give, and it enables the dental practitioner to completely relax and focus on the rest of the dental procedure, without worrying too much of their time on the injection itself.
So why should you be using a Dental Wand? Perhaps you work specifically with patients who have a fear of the dentist, and you are looking for new ways to reassure them, and to put them at their ease when they come and visit you. Perhaps you regularly perform overly complex procedures for your patients, and you are looking for a new way to lessen the complexity and ensure that your mind and time is spent on other areas of the procedure. Or perhaps you are just fascinated with new technologies, and enjoy being at the cutting edge of dental technology. Whichever of these three reasons it is – or perhaps another one entirely – the Dental Wand can certainly make a difference to the way that your patients’ experience, which is why I always recommend it. To experience a painless dental wand treatment, call (619) 359-6569 to make an appointment with Dr. Woods.
