NEW YORK, N.Y., USA: At the Henry Schein Digital Dentistry Forum, held during the recent Greater New York Dental Meeting, Henry Schein Chairman and CEO Stanley Bergman confirmed the company’s commitment to playing a central role in the complete — and inevitable — digitization of the dental practice. The forum was held at the Rubin Museum of Art in Manhattan, in the museum’s theater and reception facilities.
Five main speakers representing core sectors of the dental industry spoke about the benefits they were seeing through recent advancements in digital dentistry, reinforcing Bergman’s projections.
Bergman told the group that Henry Schein was on a path to be the leading provider of digital imagery solutions to dental practices in the United States and, ultimately, worldwide. He said the company had already proven itself in the practice management arena and was drawing closer to merging that with “the digital highway for prosthetics.”
Dr. Robert Gottlander, Henry Schein vice president, global prosthetic solutions, said the growth in digitalization with scanning and milling was already rapidly advancing. But in the end, he said, the materials being used for restorations — and what materials to use for specific needs — would be a central component.
Dr. Marcus Abboud, director of continuing education at the Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine, spoke about advancements in the customization of materials and processes for the individual patient — all made possible through digital technology. He said today’s dental students demand digital technology in the classroom, which prompted the school to create one of the country’s first digital dentistry programs.
David Lampert, vice president of Town & Country Dental Studios in Freeport, N.Y., spoke about the dramatic changes the 52-year-old company has experienced in the past 10 years as it has kept pace with digital advancements. He said it was basic fact that digital information was more accurate than any analog impression and that monolithic impressions milled from digital scans were faster, less expensive and produced better margins for restorations.
Dr. William Busch, who has a multispecialty family practice in Kansas City, Mo., and is the chairman of the customer advisory panel for Dentrix, spoke in detail about his high-tech office, taking attendees on a two-minute tour of a typical patient arrival, procedure and follow-up, with digital technology seamlessly linking nearly every step.
Throughout all of the presentations, the speakers followed a common theme of putting the patient first. Bergman’s “It’s all about the patient” was stressed by every speaker in various constructions, with digital dentistry heralded as a way to provide patients with better, quicker, longer-lasting and more comfortable care.
Following the presentations, attendees were invited to try out E4D NEVO scanners connected to NEVO Design Center laptops at a number of stations.