Cologne, Germany – March 15, 2013 – Today, two years after announcing their ground-breaking initiative to solve the problems of software incompatibility, 3M ESPE, Straumann and Dental Wings invited dental professionals and journalists to a Lunch & Learn Event and presented their solution: DWOS, the open-standard software platform from Dental Wings.
DWOS increases flexibility and simplifies processes for dental labs and practices. Being an open system, it provides a solution to the growing problem of incompatible systems that lock users into the technology of individual companies. The scope, quality and functionality of DWOS make it a solution of choice for communication, design and collaboration within dentistry. DWOS is commercially available as an open system and offers dental labs the flexibility of designing prosthetics using data from multiple-systems and sources, for instance CBCT/CT scans, in-lab model scans, chairside intra-oral scans and impression scans received directly from dental practices. Restorations can be manufactured in-house or outsourced to milling centers offering high precision and additional material options. The DWOS platform thus bridges clinicians, labs and manufacturers.
Naoum Araj, CEO of Dental Wings, described the DWOS platform as “a knowledge-based ecosystem that efficiently links clinical information to the manufacturing process through integrated ‘Apps’ for guided surgery, abutments, screw-retained bars and bridges, partial frameworks, full dentures and smile maker.”
When asked about his experiences with DOWS, Daxton Grubb, president of R-dent Dental Lab in Bartlett, Tennessee, said: “The main advantage of DWOS is the open software architecture, which allows me to remain at the forefront of technology and optimize my workflow. My team was excited about the new software and we are manufacturing consistently high quality products.”
Besides Straumann, 3M ESPE and Dental Wings, several other companies have joined the initiative and now partner with, and support, the DWOS open software platform. DWOS has opened the way for interesting collaborations constantly expanding the possibilities of digital dentistry.
With the launch of CARES 8.0, Straumann has completed the integration of its software into the DWOS platform and now offers customers the choice between Straumann validated solutions or other milling alternatives for the production of prosthetics. Sandro Matter, executive vice president business unit prosthetics, Straumann, presented the CARES 8.0 solution, which includes new design functionality and flexibility. The digital workflow is completed by a new collaboration with 3M ESPE and Innovation MediTech GmbH (A Dreve Company). Using Trusted Connection with 3M True Definition Scanner, dentists can send digital impressions directly to labs using CARES 8.0. The labs design and orders CARES prosthetics. Using the Dental Wings Virtual Model Builder software, they can order a corresponding high-precision model from Innovation MediTech, which is needed for finishing the prosthetic.
“Digitalization is moving fast and will become increasingly important in the future. The DWOS software platform is an easy-to-use tool, which allows dental labs to stay up to date. DWOS has brought consistency and higher quality to the workflow of our lab and we can easily work with different partners and outsource the milling process,” observed Dominik Mader from the Zahnmanufaktur in Bern, Switzerland, when he was asked to describe the impact of DWOS on his lab.
David Frazee, vice president and general manager, Digital Oral Care, 3M ESPE, explained how his company’s LAVA Design software was greatly enhanced by the DWOS open software platform collaboration. All the steps of the workflow are now powered by DWOS, which has increased the possibilities for dental labs. The open platform has made digital dentistry more affordable and generated trusted connections between the different players involved. In addition it has also opened the road to integration of new materials providing a broader product range to labs. The new 3M True Definition Scanner, which is also integrated into the DWOS platform, features the powerful “3D-in-Motion video” technology and allows the dentist to capture and view a true replica of the oral anatomy in extraordinary detail, moving digital dentistry into the practice and closer to the patients.
The initiative to form the DWOS open software platform has attracted additional partner and the global user base of DWOS has significantly increased. The open software architecture allows dental labs to integrate new technology into their current workflow and stay up-to-date in the rapidly evolving field of digital dentistry.
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For more information, contact Catherine Haberthur-Muller at Catherine.haberthuer@prschwegler.ch.