During dental prosthetic rehabilitation, communication and conception are achieved using rigorous methodologies such as smile design protocols. The aim of the present pilot study was to compare two innovative strategies that used augmented reality for communication in dentistry. These strategies enable the user to instantly try a virtual smile proposition by taking a set of pictures from different points of view or by using the iPad as an enhanced mirror. Sixth-year dental students (n=18, women = 13, men = 5, mean age = 23.8) were included in this pilot study and were asked to answer a 5-question questionnaire studying the user experience using a visual analog scale (VAS). Answers were converted into a numerical result ranging from 0 to 100 for statistical analysis. Participants were not able to report a difference between the two strategies in terms of handling of the device (p=0.45), quality of the reconstruction (p=0.73), and fluidity of the software (p=0.67). Even if the participants’ experience with the enhanced mirror was more often reported as immersive and more likely to be integrated in a daily dental office practice, no significant increase was reported (p=0.15 and p=0.07). Further investigations are required to evaluate time and cost savings in daily practice. Software accuracy is also a major point to investigate in order to go further in clinical applications.

Objective: This scoping review aimed to present an overview of the literature on communication tools in esthetic dentistry. A variety of communication tools have been proposed to include patients in the shared decision-making (SDM) workflow. Only little is known about implementing communication tools in dentistry and their impact on patient communication and patient satisfaction. A systematic literature search was performed in Medline, Embase, Cochrane, and World of Science to identify if communication tools have an impact on patient satisfaction. Material and Methods: The search included studies from January 1, 2000 to March 3, 2020 published in English, focusing on patient communication tools and patient satisfaction in esthetic dentistry. Results: Out of 6678 records, 53 full-texts were examined. Ten studies were included. Data of the included studies were extracted systematically and subsequently analyzed. All studies found that patient communication utilizing specific communication tools positively impacted either patient satisfaction, patient-dentist relationship, information retention, treatment acceptance, quality of care or treatment outcome. Conclusions: Additional communication tools besides conventional verbal communication are able to enhance patient satisfaction, improve quality of care and establish a better patient-dentist relationship. It seems essential to further develop standardized communication tools for SDM in dental medicine, which will allow the comparison of research on this topic. Clinical significance: This scoping review shows the importance of patient involvement in the decision-making process for improved patient satisfaction with esthetic dental treatments. With an increased implementation of communication tools, patient satisfaction and SDM may further improve in the future.

Purpose of Review The aim of this case report was to illustrate the clinical procedure integrating augmented reality (AR) for complex patient cases requiring full mouth rehabilitation. Recent Findings The introduction of AR technology to the fields of medicine and dentistry has led to numerous applications in education, surgery, and esthetics. Recently, a new AR software was introduced in esthetic dentistry which allows for real-time smile projection and thus improves communication with patients and the dental laboratory. Summary The presented case shows a patient with multiple missing teeth, diastemata, and an impaired masticatory and phonetic ability. After reconstruction of the posterior zone, the AR software was used for the conception of the esthetic zone, integrating the patient into the decision-making process. The result was an esthetic rehabilitation applying palatal and buccal veneers which corresponded to the chosen AR design. The patient appreciated the opportunity to pre-visualize a possible final outcome in an interactive way which increased his confidence in the chosen treatment. Further studies are needed to assess the precision and reproducibility of the described protocol.