Interview with Max Milz
Group Vice President, Connected Technology Solutions
You recently teased that the launch of Primescan 2 would open up a new era of digital patient care. Can you explain what this means for Dentsply Sirona and dental professionals?
Primescan 2 represents a huge leap forward on our journey to empower dentists and labs to deliver better patient care, leveraging digital technologies. Primescan 2 runs directly in our cloud platform DS Core,1 making it the first cloud-native intraoral scanning solution. The technology allows dental professionals to scan anytime, anywhere, from any internet-connected device—making the scanning workflow intuitive, comfortable, and versatile. Primescan 2 connects dental professionals to the ever-expanding benefits and possibilities of the DS Core universe, placing them at the center of a digital transformation that shows no signs of slowing down soon.
I believe that innovations such as DS Core and Primescan 2, along with other advancements such as AI, herald the dawn of a new era of modern dentistry, the era of Connected Dentistry—a transformative phase where technology, collaboration, and patient-centered care converge like never before.
Driven by technologies like cloud computing, this phase holds extraordinary promise. This is not only because of the technical capabilities it introduces but also because of the profound impact it will have on how dentistry is practiced and how patients experience care.
What else can you tell us about this new era of Connected Dentistry? How did it evolve, and what is there to be excited about?
If we look at the evolution of dentistry from the late 1800s to now, we have already seen a period of rapid technological transformation. In the first era—let’s call it Modern Dentistry the world saw the rise of university dental faculties, prevention and hygiene concepts, specializations like endodontics and orthodontics, and technologies such as analog X-rays and electric handpieces. The launch of CEREC in 1985 marked a shift to a new era, the era of digital dentistry. Digital dentistry was shaped by technologies such as intraoral scanning, digital radiography, clear aligners, and 3D printing. We are proud that Dentsply Sirona made significant contributions to both eras—and we also aim to shape the future of dentistry.
Now, with the convergence of cloud technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and more exciting developments, we believe we are entering the Connected Dentistry era. To me, this era is defined by how dental professionals can use these technologies to build integrated and efficient practices and deliver personalized, patient-centric care. Cloud technology will be at the heart of this transformation, going beyond simple data storage to create a fully integrated ecosystem where devices, software and practitioners are seamlessly connected. Practices and labs can collaborate on treatment planning and design from anywhere, with seamless data transfer and easy communication.
Meanwhile, AI, or “Assisted Intelligence” as I like to call it, can analyze great amounts of data to help dental professionals predict and optimize treatment outcomes. And dental MRI has the potential to enable better diagnostics and patient outcomes—without the risk of radiation. It will be exciting to observe the possibility of team play between the different imaging technologies – intraoral scanning, CBCT and MRI—connected through the cloud.
How can dental professionals embrace Connected Dentistry and make the most of the technologies available?
The evolution of dental care has always been facilitated by the emergence of new technologies. By remaining curious and open-minded about how to improve practice operations as technology is evolving, making time for lifetime learning and education, and continuously putting patients first, dental professionals can embrace all the possibilities of Connected Dentistry and advance with confidence into this new era of digital patient care. And of course, proven digital technologies such as CEREC offer the potential to improve practice profitability at the same time.
For instance, intraoral scanning has long been an excellent option for dental practices looking to “go digital” and integrate new digital dental technologies into their practice. In fact, 80% of patients feel more confident that they are getting excellent dental care when dentists choose digital technology such as an intraoral scanner.2
And in times of staff shortage, differentiating your practice with modern technologies can also act as a pull-factor for talents.
I look forward to officially welcoming everyone in this new era of dentistry in style at DS World 2024 in Las Vegas on September 26-28th.
Primescan 2 will be front and center at this event as we look to the future of connected dental care and all the potential it offers for practices, labs, and patients. I’m excited to join forces with the dental industry as we embark on this journey to shape the future of dentistry together.
REFERENCES
- Requires users to have a paid DS Core subscription.
- US Patient Survey, May 2020, N=254 US Adult Dental Patients.
