Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Over the years many innovative dental products have made their debut in the exhibition hall of the CDA Presents event in Anaheim, and the 2013 edition of the show is primed to continue that legacy.
New and enhanced technologies, materials and instruments will all be on display at the Anaheim Convention Center this weekend. The new product appeal of the 2013 Anaheim event is buoyed by the recent International Dental Show, as a number of new dental innovations that were showcased last month in Cologne, Germany will be on display in the United States for the first time this weekend.
There’s a lengthy list of products to check out, but the new CS Solutions CAD/CAM system from Carestream Dental has to be at the top of the list. While the digital dentistry arena is growing rapidly, CS Solutions will be just the third complete chairside CAD/CAM system available once it goes on sale later this year.
An innovative, open-architecture system designed to provide a number of ways for dental practices to integrate CAD/CAM restorations to their workflows, CS Solutions is available as a complete system with scanning, design and milling, and each of the CS Solutions components also is available as a standalone option.
Carestream Dental Chief Marketing Officer and Director of Business Development Dr. Ed Shellard said in a recent interview with Dentalcompare that the company created the entire system in house, capitalizing on the company’s vast experience in imaging technologies and software design.
“We wanted people to be able to be extremely flexible in what they want to do,” he said.
With that in mind, the system includes two scanning modalities. The CS 3500 scanner for intraoral digital impressions connects to a computer via USB, doesn’t require powder and features an integrated heater in the tip. Alternatively, physical impressions can be digitally scanned using the company’s CS 9300 or CS 9000 cone beam systems, which only need to be fit with a scanning platform and the appropriate software.
“We have a lot of installed CBCT machines globally, and having the ability to offer those customers a new way to leverage their purchase of the equipment and give them a new modality adds to its value,” Dr. Shellard said.
The CS Restore software and CS 3000 milling machine were also created entirely by Carestream’s R&D team. Initially the system will launch with crowns, inlays and onlays as the restorative options, but according to Dr. Shellard, Carestream is already working on adding future indications. Veneers, bridges and implant cases are all likely to be future additions to the system.
“We’ve thought through the next progressions already and the path to upgrade with this system will not force you add new hardware,” Dr. Shellard said.
While the CS Solutions might be making the biggest technological splash in Anaheim, it’s not the only new technology that will be on display.
BIOLASE will be showcasing the NewTom VG3 digital imaging system which can provide a practice with panoramic, cephalometric and 3D CBCT scanning from one unit.
Another new product combining multiple technologies into one device is the SoproCare from ACTEON. This intraoral camera also provides caries detection and perio monitoring with all the imaging modes capable of being used for powerful, customized patient education.
Even something as seemingly basic as an instrument washer will be going high tech as SciCan debuts the new HYDRIM C61 w G4 Instrument Washer. The unit is touchscreen controlled and Internet ready to provide a practice with easy infection control reporting from anywhere.
The new innovations don’t just come from products with power cords and batteries, as numerous new instruments and materials also will be on display.
3M ESPE will be announcing the latest addition to its Sof-Lex polishing system as the show kicks off. Also J. Morita will be debuting its newest handpiece, the TwinPower Turbine Basic. Anyone stopping by the J. Morita booth to test drive the new highspeed handpiece will receive a $5 coffee gift card.
Another innovation worth checking out is the latest from Philips Sonicare, the FlexCare Platinum. This new sonic toothbrush is designed to provide better cleaning between teeth, and it will go on sale through dental practices prior to hitting store shelves.
These products are all worth a visit to the manufacturer’s booth, but there are numerous other innovations likely to be showing up for the first time in Anaheim. Dentalcompare will be on hand to share news of additional discoveries from the exhibit hall, so keep an eye out for more breaking news Thursday through Saturday.