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Professional Courtesy: The Future on Display by Thomas Giacobbi, DDS, FAGD

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by Thomas Giacobbi, DDS, FAGD, Editorial Director, Dentaltown Magazine

I'm writing this column on my way back from IDS 2015 in Cologne, Germany, the largest dental meeting in the world, a meeting that only happens once every two years. This year the show set new records for attendance with 138,500 visitors from 151 countries and a total of 2,201 exhibitors. In addition to the meeting's massive size, the new cutting-edge technologies on display gave me an idea of where the dental profession is heading and left me with a few lasting insights.

It's very difficult to visit our website or read a dental magazine without the mention of digital impressions, such as CAD/CAM dentistry. These broad terms are used for capturing a digital image of the mouth as well as designing and creating a final restoration. Here are some updates in the world of intraoral scanners:
  • 3Shape released a brand-new form factor to their popular camera named Trios 3.
  • Align Technology announced the iTero Element Intraoral Scanner, an elegant update to their existing hardware.
  • Dental Wings, which makes lab scanners, released its first chairside scanner.
Condor also released a new scanner and there is now a version of the Sirona Omnicam that connects to a laptop computer. I even saw an early-stage prototype of an intraoral scanner that uses ultrasound to capture the image. Why ultrasound? Because you wouldn't need to worry about tissue management, as sound waves can pass through tissue.

Needless to say, the digital-imaging category continues to explode with new players as well as innovations from existing companies. This technology comes at a cost but you can rest assured that if you are not capturing a digital impression of your prep, your lab is converting the impression with a lab scanner. The design and manufacturing of restorations has been done digitally for many years and the increase of chairside scanners will prompt the dental labs that have not made this transition to consider purchasing equipment or partnering with a milling center that has the technology to process chairside scans.

One of the most interesting demonstrations of new milling technology came from Dental Wings—they have developed a laser mill expected to reach the market sometime in 2016. The next major development in this category could be the move from milling to printing. Current technology allows model printing, surgical guides and even a number of different metals. Stratasys released the Objet260 Dental Selection which can print different colors and different densities concurrently. Renishaw can print metal with impressive precision for a number of different applications. Printing tooth-colored dental materials for permanent restorations will happen in the future.

There is a direct connection between digitization of clinical information and the explosion of the implant market. Planning and restoring cases has become significantly more efficient with the growth of digital technologies. The vast number of implant-related companies on display at IDS 2015 (460) speaks volumes to the size of this market worldwide. Some would argue that since there are so many players in the implant space, they are reaching commodity status and therefore prices will decrease. However, many of the major implant companies still maintain very unique design advantages and market penetration. There are still two levels in this category: premium and economy. The rapid growth of general dentists placing implants is likely to expand the economy brands since they will no longer be tied to the brands placed by their specialist partners.

The number of materials, gadgets and gizmos at the show is too large to mention here but I would simply say that innovation is alive and well in dentistry. If you are interested in adding this meeting to your dental bucket list, the next meeting dates are March 21-25, 2017. Please share your thoughts online at Dentaltown.com and follow me on Twitter @ddsTom..


Dentaltown Magazine
September 2025
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