WITH DR. ALEXANDER VÖLCKER
Dr. Alexander Völcker, Group Vice President, CAD/CAM & Orthodontics Dentsply Sirona
Thirty years ago, did you think it would take this long to get digital impressions (DI) into the practice?
Well, in the early days, it certainly took a lot of courage to make that kind of investment. As a researchand innovation-oriented company, we anticipate things that will happen in the marketplace, so we were not surprised, but it may have taken a little bit longer than we had thought. But today, with the introduction of Primescan, we have a breakthrough product that enables the digital workflow to start with a DI device that is really easy to use, fast, and that can overcome the traditional impression.
Our research shows there will be 29,000 purchases of intraoral scanners in the U.S. this year. Does that surprise you?
It doesn’t surprise us too much. You always have these early adopters who jump on new technology and are excited about what it can do, although it’s not mature enough really for the broader audience. But I think we’re now at a point where we have something available that is really for everybody. It’s so easy to use, it can become a standard of care where every patient coming in is scanned. Regardless of whether they’ll be treated using CEREC, the scans can be used for monitoring what’s happening in the mouth over a period of time.
What are some of the advantages of Primescan?
You’re getting better results— faster, more accurate. And Primescan is not only the best entry point for CEREC; it’s the best entry point for all kinds of digital applications. You can work with a lab or an aligner producer, for example. When working with a lab, communication with the dental technician takes place simply, directly, and securely via the Connect Case Center Inbox.
Can you give us any hints about what’s ahead?
I think we will see a lot more activity on the software side, particularly with artificial intelligence. With the software we have today, we already use artificial intelligence or learning algorithms. We can see that going further. With every case that is done with CEREC, our system will learn to make things better, to make it faster, to make the proposals more accurate. I also think we’re going to see a lot of augmented reality tools, which link digital workflows with reality and with communication to the patient. And we’ll probably see more chairside applications than we have today, because systems like 3D printing will be easy to use, even in a dental office, and we’ll have materials that will support this.
