DENTAL CARE: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
Dentistry has been slowly evolving to meet the demands of the modern world. While there have been countless innovations and improvements to the medical industry, the dental industry seems to be quietly moving along, doing its own thing. The advancements in the industry haven’t been as widely celebrated as advancements in other industries, and it’s evident in the way people continue to separate the dental and healthcare industries like they are different entities. The truth is that dentistry is a huge part of the health care system, it just seems to be a little more shy than its medical counterparts that get big praise and notoriety when even the smallest advancement is made toward research or discovery. But the face of the dental industry is changing, and if Dentacoin has anything to say about it, it will be happening much faster than most would expect.
Dentacoin is leading the way as a disruptive client-based feedback system using the Blockchain and smart contracts online. This digital currency system will provide patients with the opportunity to provide feedback for services rendered in a dental clinic that is part of the Dentacoin platform. Opting in won’t be so optional once the industry gets a hold of this transparent and verifiable information system, and it’s going to cause the dental industry to examine how its currently doing business. It’s no longer the future of dentistry, it’s about to become the present.
In the past, dentists were limited to their local geographic regions. Even small towns have at least one or two dentists that practiced and saw mostly everyone in the town. But as people became busier, more mothers were going off to work, and households became bogged down with technology, soccer practice, errands and the struggle to make ends meet, the interaction with the dental industry dropped off a bit. It’s a curious phenomenon, but dental visits started to become last on the list, and fell off some people’s to-do lists altogether. As the dental industry — namely, the toothpaste companies and the mouthwash companies — started to increase the amount of marketing they were doing, it seems that people thought all they had to do was brush their teeth twice a day and rinse before bed. With all of the information we have access to today, there is a lack of it related to the dental industry. Dentacoin wants to change that.
Connecting all market participants within the dental industry through various tools* and a common industry-specific cryptocurrency** is the goal of Dentacoin. The first Blockchain solution for dentistry can provide multiple opportunities to improve the dental industry from the inside out. Rather than trying to change the industry itself, Dentacoin will simply put a mirror in front of it and one by one, dentists will start to take notice of the feedback and improvements can be made to patient care, ongoing quality of care, feedback systems, insurance models, and payment methods. Thankfully, we are living in a time when most professionals are hellbent on self-improvement. Dentacoin is going to give dentists the space to find ways to bring in more clients, keep their practices running smoothly, and provide information to the public so they can make informed decisions about their dental care options.
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* Dentacoin Foundation has already developed the following web- and mobile apps with over 35K active users: Trusted Reviews – the first Blockchain-based platform for verified, detailed and rewarded feedback on dental services; DentaVox – market research platform gathering users’ opinions on dental health related topics; DentaCare – mobile app which helps users establish oral hygiene habits and rewards good results.
** The currency Dentacoin (DCN) is already implemented as a means of payment at dental clinics in 13 countries around the world (https://www.dentists.dentacoin.com/#partners).