Edited by Dentaltown staff
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.—Glidewell Dental has announced an agreement with Align Technology to distribute the iTero Element intraoral scanning system in North America with the newly unveiled glidewell.io in-office solution, a chairside restorative ecosystem set to simplify the process of prescribing and delivering laboratory-quality dental restorations.
The glidewell.io solution will provide a streamlined workflow with Align’s iTero Element scanner and Glidewell’s fastdesign.io software, which serves to auto-design restorations for the clinician’s approval or communicate with the lab’s digital design experts as needed. Final designs can be used to prescribe a laboratory restoration or sent to the fastmill.io in-office unit for immediate chairside milling.
“The promise of convenience offered by chairside milling systems tends to be offset by the cost and complexity of adoption,” said Stephenie Goddard, vice president of business operations at Glidewell Dental. “In contrast, glidewell.io uses artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies to effectively streamline the restorative process, enabling clinicians to focus on the needs and comfort of their patients.”
“This agreement represents a win-win for dentists and their patients,” said Raphael Pascaud, Align Technology chief marketing, portfolio & business development officer and vice president iTero scanner and services. “The convenience and precision of intraoral scanning continues to replace conventional impression-taking techniques and enables an efficient digital start to the restorative treatment process. The natural extension of Glidewell’s digital production processes into a chairside form factor is a key driver for same-day dentistry and fits well with our strategy to transform the industry through digital products and solutions.”
The glidewell.io in-office solution featuring the iTero Element scanner was introduced and previewed to a select group of clinicians attending the inaugural Glidewell Dental Symposium in Dallas, Texas, on Nov. 17. The next hands-on opportunity will be for attendees of the 2017 Greater New York Dental Meeting. The solution is expected to be available to North American customers in Q1 of 2018.