Root Canal Treatment

Dr. Clarence Lee, a periodontist at Foundation Dental Specialists in Pasadena, California.

One local periodontist foresees a future where Artificial Intelligence and digital planning revolutionize dental care, offering patients more precise and less invasive treatments.

“There’s a lot of advancements in dentistry,” said Dr. Clarence Lee of Foundation Dental Specialists in Pasadena in a recent interview. “As technology advances, we move towards more minimally invasive techniques and procedures.”

One significant development is digital implant treatment planning. This technology allows dentists to plan implants using software before surgery, creating surgical guides that translate digital plans into real-world procedures.

“We’re able to digitally plan implants in softwaressoftware before actually going into surgery,” Lee explained. “We can actually have what we call surgical guides to kind of directly correlate what we plan on the software and translate that into surgery.”

Laser technology is another area seeing rapid growth in dentistry. While traditional periodontitis treatment involves mechanical cleaning, lasers offer a new approach to tackling bacteria.

“The laser allows us to use the laser light to kind of penetrate through the gum tissue to kill off some bacteria,” Lee said. “That’s beyond what we can remove with just our instruments.”

Lee also highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence and machine learning in dentistry. While still in early stages, he anticipates significant developments in the coming years.

“Not too much it’s is out yet, but I think that in the next couple years we’ll probably have a lot more to talk about with that respect,” he said.

These technological advancements aim to improve patient experiences and treatment outcomes. Lee emphasized that the goal is to make dental visits more pleasant and increase the success rate of procedures.

“Nobody likes to go to the dentist, and we try to make the patient experience a lot better,” Lee said. “Hopefully our advancements will also increase the success of everything that we do.”

Foundation Dental Specialists, where Lee practices, has been providing high-quality periodontal care since 1974. In 2022, the practice added an endodontist to offer cross-collaborative specialty care.

Lee specializes in periodontics, which encompasses prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of gum diseases. He holds a Doctor of Dental Surgery and a Master of Science degree, focusing on creating individualized treatment recommendations based on innovative practices and technologies.

Lee also discussed periodontitis, a tissue-destructive, chronic inflammatory condition affecting the supporting structures of teeth. He explained various tooth replacement options, including implants, bridges, and dentures, for patients experiencing tooth loss due to periodontitis or other causes.

As dental technology continues to evolve, patients can look forward to more efficient, comfortable, and successful treatments. The integration of AI and digital planning marks a new chapter in dental care.

For more information, call Foundation Dental Specialists. Phone (626) 796-5361. The office is at 747 Locust Street, Suite 200, in Pasadena. For more, click here.