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Show Tribune United Kingdom Edition | 1/201518 Digital dentistry is an upcoming industry that has undergone rapid development in recent years. Intra-oral scanning, CAD/CAM and 3-D printing have fundamentally changedtheworkflowofdentistsanddental techniciansandhaveimprovedmanydental procedures. Dental Tribune had the oppor- tunity to discuss this topic with Avi Cohen, Director of Global Dental for 3-D printing manufacturer Stratasys recently at IDS. DentalTribune:MrCohen,whataretheadvan- tages of using 3-D printers and digital den- tistry technologies in a dental practice or lab- oratory,andwhyisdigitaldentistrybecoming increasingly important for dental profession- als? Avi Cohen: The dental industry is by its very nature fast paced and requires rapid turnaround.Whenpatientcareisdirectlyaf- fected by a technology, technicians will al- ways look for innovations that can reduce timewhileimprovingqualityandprecision. Dental technicians traditionally rely on steady hands and expert eyes to prepare crowns, bridges, frameworks, etc. The man- ual process is time-consuming and impre- cise and requires materials that do not typi- cally provide the best durability or aesthetic appearance. With a 3-D printer doing the hard work, dental laboratories eliminate the bottleneck of manual modelling. By com- bining oral scanning, CAD/CAM and 3-D printing, they can accurately and rapidly producecrowns,bridges,stonemodelsanda range of orthodontic appliances. Forward-thinking dental and orthodontic laboratories are continually seeking to im- prove their processes, reduce lengthy milling time and stay ahead of the competi- tion. Using Stratasys’s PolyJet 3-D printing technology,featuredinourDentalSeries3-D printers, laboratories can print in superfine 16 µ layers, dramatically increasing preci- sion and reducing production time in com- parison with traditional dental mould-mak- ing. This avoids the need for patients to re- turn to dental laboratories for corrective procedures, saving dentists both time and money and having a direct and positive im- pact on patient care. With the cost of laboratory work becom- ingamajorfactorindentalrestorationplan- ning and therapy, we are seeing an increase intheadoptionofdigitaldentistrybydental laboratories. This enables them to improve efficiency and provide a higher level of pa- tient care. For many dental professionals, this evolu- tion has been a long-awaited and welcome transition to a faster and labour-saving process that improves quality and precision while keeping businesses competitive. How have dentists responded to the trend of digitaldentistry?Doyouthinkthatthemajor- ity of practices and laboratories are already using or considering using digital technolo- gies such as 3-D printing? With any new technology, there is always theneedtoeducateanditisthesameinden- tistry. It could be argued that many dentists hold traditional plaster moulds in high re- gard,butnowtherearealternatives.Ibelieve that an increasing number of dentists, as well as newcomers entering the industry, will adopt newly available technologies that improve productivity, one of them being a move to digital dentistry. With an increased range of superior intra- oral scanners and associated software now availableonthemarket,moreandmoreden- tal laboratories of all sizes are exploring and installing the level of 3-D printing technol- ogy that suits their company’s size and budget. Mostnotablythisyear,wehaveseenanex- plosion of devices dedicated to digital imag- ing, impression taking and CAD/CAM fabri- cation of restorations—both chairside and inthelaboratory.Withtherolloutofnew3-D printing systems, materials and capabilities over the coming year, many believe that moredentistswillbegintoviewthetechnol- ogyasaviablealternativefortheirpractices. We might look back at this year as the mo- ment that dental laboratories passed the pointofnoreturnfromatraditionalmanual workflow towards an all-digital design and manufacturing process. In many respects, digitaldentistryisalreadyhere,withagrow- ing number of laboratory owners incorpo- rating it in some form into their strategic business models. What innovations in the field of digital den- tistryisStratasyspresentingatthisyear’sIDS? We are using IDS to exhibit new systems and materials. At this event, we are present- ingsomethingthemarkethasneverseenbe- fore:abreakthroughandthefuture.Forcen- turies, impressions formed the basis for crownsandbridges.Everythingwasmadeby hand. Then intra-oral scanners were in- vented,allowingfordigitalimpressionsand, finally, the printing of models. With Strata- sys’snewsystemsandmaterials,modelscan beprintedinfullcolourandindifferenttex- tures, thus creating an exact copy of the pa- tient’s mouth—the colour of the teeth and the gingivae perfectly attuned to the origi- nal. There are 900 different colours and tex- tures from which to select. This brings real- ism to the market. Now, there is no longer a need for stone models. We are no longer in the“Stone Age”; we have arrived in reality. Inaddition,our3-D-printedmodelshavea clear jaw to visualise the exact position of nerves,andthishelpsdentiststopreparefor the placement of implants. Moreover, with our 3-D printing solutions, it is possible for the first time to print gingival masks to see howandwheretoplaceanimplant—thishas been done entirely by hand until now. What kinds of dental solutions does Stratasys offer for different indications and customers? As a leading provider of digital dentistry, we offer a wide range of 3-D-printed dental solutions, including surgical guides pro- duced in a clear biocompatible material— theidealsolutionforimplantplacement.We also provide stone models for dental labora- tories, thereby offering an extremely accu- rate replacement of plaster modelling and a range of orthodontic models for various ap- plications. Astheindustrymovesclosertoacomplete digital workflow, dentists can now focus on more strategic tasks, while their 3-D printer accelerates the development of dental solu- tions, such as crowns, bridges, inlays, ve- neers and frameworks. What in general makes your products stand out from the rest? With our Dental Series, dedicated to ad- dressingtheneedsofdentistsandorthodon- ticlaboratories,weofferafullrangeofdental solutions, making us a key participant in digital dentistry. For example, our Objet Eden260VS Dental Advantage 3-D printer is engineered to meet the demanding produc- tion needs of mid-sized dental laboratories and medium to large orthodontic laborato- ries and provides new additional capabili- ties for improved productivity. With labour costs as the main expense for dentalandorthodonticlaboratories,theOb- jet Eden260VS Dental Advantage addresses this through a greater level of automation. Printing is done at the click of a button and, owing to the water-soluble support mode, cleaning of models is an automated process. A single laboratory technician can design, print and have all models cleaned automati- cally with no post-processing required. The reducedcostpermodelhasaknock-oneffect on the labour cost. In addition to our Dental Series 3-D print- ers, we offer a range of advanced dental materials, including the biocompatible VeroGlaze. This material is ideal for applica- tions requiring mucous membrane contact for up to 24 hours, enabling dental laborato- riestouseVeroGlazetocreateveneertry-ins in precise A2 tooth shading. Soluble support technology allows the easy cleaning of den- tal parts with fine features, such as small re- movable die inserts in dental models. Thank you very much for this interview. INTERVIEW “The dental industry is moving closer to a complete digital workflow” An interview with Stratasys Director of Global Dental for 3-D printing, Avi Cohen ByDentalTribune Avi Cohen talking about the recent developments in the field of dental 3-D printing. Avi Cohen in conversation with DTI. DTUK0115_18_Show-Interview 09.04.15 15:28 Seite 18 DTUK0115_18_Show-Interview 09.04.1515:28 Seite 18