interview | During this evolution, I also developed a relationship with the counterpart that was working with Ivoclar on the digital dentures, a company named 3Shape. 3Shape produces desktop and intra-oral scanners as well as dental design software for all types of den- tal restorations. As part of the collaborative Ivoclar– 3Shape team, I also helped develop scanning strat- egies for the TRIOS intra-oral scanners, so I’ve been able to see the journey of digital dentures all the way from conception through to more widespread use and to being a valued component in any dental facility that prides itself on employing the latest tech- nology in the field. Have these digital denture workows changed in the years since? One of the best features of digital dentures from a train- ing and implementation perspective is that when mov- ing from analogue to digital, the clinical workow can remain the same. While there are more efficient work- ows that allow for greater exibility, dental professionals who are providing removable prosthetic therapy do not need to change their current workow when they switch to digital dentures. The biggest change that comes with digital dentures is data acquisition, how the data captured clinically is rendered in the design software, the manufacturing methodology, and the process that supersedes it. However, for those who want to overcome the chal- lenges of conventional workows, there are various methods for the delivery of dentures in two appointments rather than the traditional three to five appointments that may be necessary with more conventional methods. To capture that efficiency, the biggest change we’ve seen is the process and workow for immediate den- tures. With an intra-oral scanner, dental professionals can scan the patient’s oral cavity, render a design and then deliver the dentures at the next appointment when the teeth are being extracted. This technology has been revolutionary both on the clinical side and on the lab side, because we can now digitally visualise where a patient’s natural teeth were and where the new teeth will be. This truly provides unparalleled results for the clinician and the patient. Another revolution of digital denture technology is the ability to deliver the final denture at the try-in stage. In the conventional analogue process, dental professionals have to perform a wax try-in, where all of the teeth are individually set in wax. This is a very labour-intensive and technique-sensitive process that requires extreme care and is prone to human error as well as material deficien- cies, which can result in extensive and expensive cor- rective measures. In contrast, with digital dentures, you can deliver that same quality—or even higher quality— dentures for a fraction of the cost to the clinic and in a fraction of the time at that try-in appointment. More- over, if the denture isn’t completely correct, mak- ing adjustments is efficient, effective and predictable by applying the changes via the software with a few keystrokes and mouse clicks. Today, at our Aspen Dental locations that offer digital dentures, there is an over 80% success rate at that denture delivery appointment. Just think: if you fit 100 dentures a month and 80% of the time you deliver those dentures successfully, you will have gained 80 appointments in your schedule that month. That means new and existing patients aren’t waiting as long resulting in an increase in more avail- able chair time that can be used to deliver high quality removable therapy to more patients. “For dental laboratory technicians, digital dentures offer consistency in the design process and greater customisation.” What benefits does the digitalisation of the denture process bring for the clinician, the dental laboratory technician and the patient? First and foremost, the most significant benefit for all three parties is the ability to electronically preserve the patient’s initial data acquisition, whether that is a scan of the teeth, dentures or edentulous oral cavity, as well as the preservation of the final design file of the restoration. For the patient, the electronic pres- ervation of that data means that, if a patient loses a denture, a replacement denture can be fabricated within 24–48 hours without having to take another im- pression or come in for any additional appointments. That’s simply not possible with conventional den- tures. In addition, digital dentures have greater reten- tion, stability and strength than dentures produced in the analogue manner. It’s important to note that digitally manufactured prostheses have a uniform thickness feature that provides the patient with true physiological comfort. For dental laboratory technicians, digital dentures offer consistency in the design process and greater customisation. For clinicians, the improved workow, efficiency and accuracy of digital dentures reduce CAD/CAM 2 2023 25