Cottom (2019) stated that “technology is changing our institutions,…how technology can and cannot transform learning opportunities for various groups of students has been limited in its scope and in its ambition” (para. 2). This quote got me thinking about how technology continues to bring about rapid changes to the dental field in order to increase efficiency, effectiveness and production. There always seems to be a new technology or tool on the market promising to make things easier and faster in the dental office. In some situations, there are limitations to access, scope and security which I believe should be discussed with the individuals who will directly use it vs. those who hold the purchasing power but lack the understanding of how it will be used in a clinical setting.
As the technology continues to evolve, dental personnel are constantly undergoing training to keep up or having to familiarize themselves with the technology. Speaking from my own personal experience, I can say that I miss the simplicity of the simple paper chart vs the various digital charting programs that now exist in many dental offices. At least with a paper chart, dental personnel could view multiple documents for a client at once vs. being limited to one monitor to view the same multiple documents or having to find the document in the software program.
Temping in dental offices can be very stressful to begin with but adding on the quick 5-10 minute “crash course” in unfamiliar technologies can add another layer of stress while temping. As well, consider that if the technology is not used correctly or dental personnel are not able to use the tool; it impacts the dental office’s production. I have experienced days where the whole system goes down and unfortunately, because of the reliance on the technology there is no backup system in place. However, on the flip side, the ability to be familiar and knowledgeable with the different technologies can be advantageous and be seen as an asset for the dental provider.
Cottom (2019) states, “the sociology of edtech has encouraged us to emerge from our areas of specialization and work together as a community of practice to reconsider the context of edtech” (para. 27). I thought about how I was researching podcasts in higher education and the evidence to support its use. Jham et al. (2018) described how an inquiry from a dental student brought about change to make lectures electronically available. In order to implement this change, it required collaboration from all levels: students, staff, faculty and IT. It needed all stakeholders to step out of the silos to begin the work to make the necessary changes to make podcasts available in this dental program. I think this illustrates how edtech can be successfully incorporated into the dental field and demonstrates the importance of working together.
References
Cottom, T. M. (2019). Rethinking the context of edtech. Educause Review, 54(3).
Jham, B. C., Duraes, G. V., Strassler, H. E., & Sensi, L. G. (2008). Joining the podcast revolution. Journal of Dental Education, 72(3), 278-281.