A semantic network analysis of technological innovation in dentistry: a case of CAD/CAM

Abstract

Diffusion of innovations in dentistry has rarely been studied. This study tracked the usage ofcomputer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing or machining (CAD/CAM) in generalpublic’s search query patterns and academic journal articles to find the terminology’sdiffusion in society and dentistry. Data were retrieved from Google Trends and Web ofScience database, and the authors reorganised the search results and examined structuralpattern of them. Results show that CAD/CAM technology is influenced by and interactingwith relevant technologies and social arrangements. The emergence of CAD/CAM indentistry was delayed than that of general public’s perception, but the terminologyestablished itself as a fundamental condition and simultaneously an outcome of dentalmaterials development, medical/dental science, clinical techniques, and social trends.