The new standard of communication in implant dentistry

Dr. Kenneth Goldberg describes a new open platform dental implant registry

Wouldn’t it be great if we could quickly and easily identify all of our patients’ implants on a single open platform database? No need to call other offices, upload X-rays, and waste very valuable chair time. The good news is this platform exists and is ready for us to use every day. It is a free application that will change the way you manage your patients’ implant information and bring dentistry to the forefront of open portal communication. The website is Lumifi Dental and can be accessed at www.lumifidental.com.

As a full-time private practice oral surgeon, I have been constantly presented with implants that need treatment. Whether it’s for peri-implantitis, a loose or broken abutment screw, a fractured abutment, or a loose restoration, the recurring problem is not being able to identify the existing implant system.

When dealing with implants every day, this is a huge problem, which is only going to get worse. There are over 5 million implants placed every year in the U.S. alone, and each one will require treatment by a dentist or dental specialist.  With multiple implant manufacturers, each with different implant designs and sizes, the problem grows exponentially.

Compounding the problem is that patients infrequently remember who placed their implant, when it was done, and where. Even when they do remember, getting the information is time-consuming and often not successful. This is a significant inefficiency for us and inconvenient for the patients. The simple solution is for all implant providers to utilize the open platform dental implant registry. The appropriate dental implant data would be instantly accessible by any dental professional and able to be updated as treatment progresses. This portal concept of information sharing is already in use in medicine and in large hospital systems. It is time for dentistry to be part of the next generation of information sharing.

I have incorporated the use of the platform into my surgical practice over the last year, and it has streamlined my information systems and communication with my referrals. We log in to the site in the morning to the Doctor’s Home page (Figure 2), and my staff enters each patient at the time of surgery. Once the patient is entered onto the Patient Data window platform (Figure 3), the referring doctor receives an email with the patient’s implant information. Now I have paperless communication with my referrals, which also saves staff time and postage.

When the implant gets restored, the doctor enters the date the implant is restored and any pertinent information that any future treating dentist should know. If an abutment screw is changed, peri-implantitis occurs and is treated; or if an implant is removed, this information is entered into the patient record.  Now any practitioner will know the history of that implant and have instant and secure access.

The Features and Benefits of the platform are explained on the landing page (Figures 1 and 4). Only doctors can access the platform, which is verified in the registration. The platform becomes increasingly useful the more we all participate and expand the database. Previous patients can be entered into the platform at any time. Send your patient list, and it will be entered into the system for you. It is a win-win for doctors and patients. We save valuable chair time and have created a permanent and secure implant record, and the patient receives a value-added service at no cost.

The patients are also given access to their own implant data. When their implant is registered on the platform, the patients receive an email notification. They are given a temporary password to create an account. This is a separate patient portal that allows the patients accessibility to their personal data anytime and from anywhere. Patients responses have been overwhelmingly positive. Patients understand the open portal concept and appreciate the valuable service that we provided.

With active participation by surgeons and dentists, we can dramatically improve our method of communicating with each other and become more efficient. Chair time is our most valuable asset as dentists. To waste that commodity trying to match X-rays or calling other offices is not in our best interest or helpful to our patients. If we, as clinical practitioners, change the way we store, retrieve, share, and update our patients’ dental implant information, we will create the paradigm shift needed to bring implant dentistry to the next generation of open platform communication.

You can be part of the new standard of care at www.lumifidental.com. Registration and use of the database are free.