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Directions in Digital Dentistry

Excerpt from "STATE OF THE INDUSTRY 2010, PART II - Directions in Digital Dentistry." Laboratory Management Today March 2010: 14-24

Mark Jackson gives his opinion on digital dentistry

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY 2010, PART II

Directions in Digital Dentistry

We dreamed about it in the 70s.
Talked about it in the 80s.
Got a taste of it in the 90s.
And, in the new millennium, we're transitioning to digital technologies at breakneck speed.

At the end of the 1990s, Nobel Biocare's Procera System was the only player in the U.S. market; today, there are about 40 manufacturers that offer either digital scanning, milling or rapid prototyping equipment and materials. And that number is even bigger on a global scale: at last year's IDS in Cologne, Germany, a reported 170 CAD/CAM companies were on hand. Because of this technological explosion, what's happening to CAD/CAM users is much like what happened when the world moved away from mainframe computers to PCs. It seemed like every time we invested in a new computer, hard drives capacities improved, software was upgraded and our new piece of equipment became outdated overnight. Keeping up with every upgrade and new introduction is expensive and at times, overwhelming, especially for smaller laboratories.

Despite these challenges, many owners are embracing digital technology because its enhancing their productivity and profitability; increasing their material options; improving internal operations; changing their business models; and impacting how they work with clients, manufacturers and other laboratories. And it's also having a positive effect on the mindset of owners, managers and technicians alike, who appreciate the new way of working and are discovering a new zest for their jobs.

"Our staff is energized by the potential of this technology and the fact that our tools have changed from a Bunsen burner and carver to a mouse and keyboard," says Mark Jackson, RDT, owner Precision Ceramics, Montclair, California. "The lack of interest from the younger generation may have been cured with these exciting developments."

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