20 March is International Day of Happiness. A day to be happy, and smile! And what better way to do so than by giving dentists the confidence they need to provide their patients with a great set of teeth.
With the growing awareness of the importance of oral care along with the digitization of dentistry, modern dental practices are investing in the best imaging equipment. 2D X-ray film and light boxes made room for high-tech dental impression systems and high-resolution display systems throughout the entire practice, from the reception desk to the treatment room.
Until today, the use of dental displays is not regulated in most countries. A missed opportunity, as dentists need to know that the images acquired by expensive high-tech dental equipment and the ones delivered to their desktop are of the same high quality. It means dentists need not just any monitor. They need a monitor that is quality controlled.
For exactly that reason, Germany introduced a new DIN standard (DIN 6868-157) to regulate the use of dental displays. DIN defines room categories for monitors on the basis of their intended use. These room categories (ranging from 1 to 6) set the maximum ambient light levels and minimum light output of medical displays, in relation to the work done in the room. As a result, the new guidelines make a clear distinction between diagnostic and reviewing quality.
So what does this mean? It means you can’t use just any display in the dental office. Everything depends on where it will be used, and what purpose it will serve. When used in a brightly lit environment, a display with high luminance specs will be recommended, if not to say, compulsory. And then we don’t even take into account several other aspects, such as the DICOM norm for accurate visualization of grayscales and certifications for near-patient use.
In response to this evolution, Barco has introduced a complete line of displays for the dental practice, one for every use case and environment. They can be used at the reception desk, in the treatment room, in the dental lab or diagnostic reading room. At the same time, we make sure that compliance with the DIN standard is automated and that safety and hygiene standards are met.
We realize that medical regulations are growing around the world, and that each country is adopting its own standards. We’ve seen this trend in radiology and mammography but now other healthcare segments, such as dentistry, are following. By automating compliance with these standards, we take away a lot of worries. So dentists and other medical professionals can focus on just one thing: making their patients smile again.