Adoption and challenges of digital dentistry among dentists and dental technicians: A cross-sectional study

To evaluate the adoption of digital dentistry by examining (1) the prevalence of digital technology use among dentists and dental technicians, (2) their knowledge and perceptions of these technologies, and (3) the challenges hindering broader implementation.

A cross-sectional survey among 90 Jordanian dental professionals (50 technicians, 40 dentists) was conducted. Two validated questionnaires assessed demographics, technology utilization, perceptions, barriers, and educational exposure. Descriptive statistics, frequencies, and the Chi-square test were applied to assess statistical significance at p < 0.05.

Of the 90 respondents, 87% of technicians regularly used digital workflows, with significant adoption of liquid crystal display (LCD)-based 3D printers (78%; χ² = 25.36, p < 0.001) and Exo-CAD software (81%; χ² = 15.65, p < 0.001). Technicians primarily printed models (100%) and castable materials (90%; χ² = 13.48, p = 0.001), but reported significant barriers, including lack of training (62%) and material unavailability (52%) (χ² = 37.44, p < 0.001). Among dentists, 76% used digital tools (χ² = 10.00, p = 0.002), with high usage of intraoral scanners (90.3%; χ² = 25.60, p < 0.001) and design software (83.3%; χ² = 16.90, p < 0.001). Milling and 3D printing were underutilized due to cost (61.5%) and limited in-house expertise. Educational gaps were noted, with 43.3% receiving no predoctoral digital dentistry training. A significant disparity existed between sectors, as 73.3% of private clinics adopted digital dentistry versus 53.3% of public clinics reporting no adoption (χ² = 12.91, p < 0.001).

Digital dentistry is gaining greater traction, with dental technicians frequently using 3D printing and dentists mainly utilizing intraoral scanners while relying on labs for design and milling. However, broader adoption is hindered by high costs, limited training, and material availability.