It seems like awards are given out every day for everything in every walk of life. There’s no end to the music, acting and entertainment trophies thrown at mega-selling artists. The worlds of art, design, food and yes even dental products are no different.
It seems like there’s always a new Top 50 or 100 list, and the icons from these awards are a ubiquitous part of the marketing campaigns introducing dentists to their numerous clinical options. The most recent of these awards to be announced were the recipients of the 2013 Pride Institute Best of Class Technology Awards.
With all these honors being bestowed on products by various groups for different reasons, it’s easy to think these types of awards don’t matter and to dismiss the multitudes of awards as nothing more than marketing noise. They most definitely are that to a degree. However, the sentiment behind why dental products are awarded is often far less hollow and crass than to just sell some ad pages in the trade publications and to move a few more units of the products themselves.
The Pride Awards do serve as a marketing tool for the winners, and they are a vehicle for sponsoring media outlets to sell special advertising packages, but the panel who chooses these awards approaches their task seriously and engages in a vigorous debate about what technology categories are improving the way dentists treat their patients and which specific products are leading the way.
This panel, which includes Dentalcompare Technology Editor Dr. Larry Emmott along with his counterparts at other dental publications, shut themselves away for a long night of debate to find a consensus on which technologies really stand out. They do their best to avoid conflicts of interest. (Whether or not they succeed at that is certainly up for debate and you can come to your own conclusion.) But in the end, the products they name as winners represent the leading edge of industry changing product categories as well as unique innovations forging new categories altogether.
Are these the best, the end all be all of dental products? Only you can make that decision, especially as it pertains to which products best fit your practice. Doing your research on new products is important. Using independent sources such as Dentalcompare to learn about products, talking with colleagues, sales reps and visiting tradeshows are all key parts of the process.
Still, it’s worth paying attention to the list of Pride Best of Class Technology Award winners, if only to get a sense of where the industry seems to be heading. The panel looks not only at the gadgets and machines filling up dental practices, but also considers material technologies and services that help practices succeed. With that in mind, here’s the list of 2013 winners along with my take on why the panel selected each one.
3Shape TRIOS Color – Digital dental impressions are quickly gaining ground, and adding full color scans to this already impressive intraoral scanner helps it stay ahead of the rapidly advancing technology in this category.
ActionRun – Dr. Emmott will be the first to tout the benefits of eServices that automate administrative and clerical functions. This service is designed to increase practice production with little work from the staff. That’s a benefit that’s tough to avoid.
Align Technology Smart Track – Align is the standout leader in clear aligner therapy and this new material designed to provide better results without any changes to the way dentists use the system is notable.
DEXIS imaging Suite and DEXIS go – Digital radiography is fast becoming the standard of care, and software allowing you to interact with and enhance digital x-rays is powerful for diagnostics and patient education.
Doxa Ceramir – Material technology is often overlooked in favor of gadgets, but this bioceramic permanent cement system caught the panel’s attention.
Gendex SRT Technology – Cone beam scans are amazing, but objects in the mouth can distort the image. This software for Gendex’s GXDP-700 system eliminates this hassle.
Glidewell Laboratories BruxZir Shaded – Glidewell Laboratories took full contour zirconia to new levels with this material, and the addition of pre-shaded zirconia makes it an even more esthetic option.
HealthFirst Tru-Align – Another seemingly simple device that does a whole lot to reduce radiation scatter and provide better digital x-rays with less impact on patients and clinicians.
Imaging Sciences Int'l i-CAT FLX – Cone beam scanning offers amazing treatment planning advantages, but radiation doses are a concern. This system can capture a 3D scan with less radiation than some 2D panoramic systems. That is certainly worth some attention.
Isolite IsoDry – The Isolite retraction and isolation system made obtaining a clear working area simpler than ever. This version actually features less technology as it provides the same advantages without intraoral lighting.
Kerr Dental SonicFill – Bulk fill composites are gaining steam and this innovative system can make them easier to place. Right now there’s no one else with anything quite like this on the market.
Lexicomp VisualDX Oral – Lexicomp puts medical information within reach of busy clinicians, and this visual database makes identifying oral lesions a simpler process.
Liptak Dental DDS Rescue – Once digital and paperless, dental practices generate a huge amount of data. This automated online backup services gives dentists peace of mind that their practice and patient information is safe and accessible in case of an emergency.
Orascoptic XV1 – Loupes seem somewhat basic compared with some of these technologies, but this system integrating a light and eliminating wires or battery packs certainly has the potential to eliminate a few hassles in the operatory.
SciCan STATIM G4 – Infection control is a vital part of running a practice and documenting these processes is a time consuming part of this. An internet connected autoclave makes that process a bit easier.
Sesame Communications Sesame 24-7 – Online dental marketing is an important part of running a modern dental practice and the panel must have liked Sesame’s integrated approach to practice websites, social media and other online activities.
Ultradent VALO – Curing lights are advancing rapidly, and the panel must really like this stylish workhorse of a LED light because it’s now been honored two consecutive years.
VELscope Vx – Oral cancer detection is another area of growth in the dental industry. This system makes it easier for clinicians to spot possibly deadly lesions, offering dental professionals another way to help safeguard their patients’ health.