Tuesday, August 22, 2017
With a mix of exciting new innovations, repeat winners that remain ahead of the curve and emerging technologies with huge potential, the 2017 Cellerant “Best of Class” Technology Awards represent the promise that cutting edge technology can bring to the industry.
The awards are chosen by an unbiased panel of dental technology experts and presented annually by Cellerant Consulting Group. Now a top industry accolade, the “BOC” awards shine a spotlight on where the industry is today, and highlight the path new technologies are poised to lead the industry in the future.
This year’s winners are a wide ranging mix of products and services that offer clinical and practice management advantages. Some are extremely high tech, while other represent seemingly simple upgrades that offer major benefits. All of them are worth noting, as they either stand out in their product category or create an entirely new category for themselves.
Here’s a look at each of these exciting, award winning innovations:
First Time Winners
Gemini 810 & 980 Diode Laser from Ultradent
Among the most versatile operatory technologies, dental diode lasers are a mainstay for a wide range of soft tissue procedures in many practices. However, no diode is capable of doing what Ultradent’s Gemini can. With its unique dual wavelength laser technology and up to 20 watts of power, the Gemini makes any soft tissue procedure smooth and efficient. The stylish design is sure to get noticed, as its transparent electroluminescent display helps it stand out on any operatory counter.
Tornado Highspeed Handpiece from Bien Air
The highspeed handpiece remains the most iconic and among the most used pieces of dental equipment. But all handpieces are not the same, and Bien Air’s Tornado is built to provide unparalleled power of 30 watts without producing loud noise that can scare off patients. In fact, the Tornado provides top-level power while performing as quietly as any handpiece in the industry. Numerous other subtle design features packed into this handpiece make it the cutting edge in this critical product category.
OmniOptic Dental Loupes from Orascoptic
Being able to see is critical to being able to treat and this makes dental loupes one of the most critical technologies in a practice. Loupes help clinicians practice with proper ergonomics, and they magnify the working area, but with different cases calling for different magnifications, multiple pairs were needed. Enter Orascoptic’s OmniOptic loupes with their interchangeable lenses. It seems so simple, but the ability to make one pair of loupes into a set with another magnification is a major step up, and an innovation to note.
Ease-In-Shields Laser Eye Protection from Orascoptic
Dental technologies take many forms, and sometimes it’s the simple and elegant solutions that make the biggest impact. This is the case with Ease-In-Shields, which simply slide in and sit behind just about any pair of loupes or glasses to provide laser or curing light eye protection. The filters are easy to place, easy to remove and fit just about any face and any eyewear.
Form 2 3D Printer from FormLabs
Few technologies have the potential to change the dental industry the way 3D printing does. New printers and new materials are making it possible to take digital scans and use them to print models, waxups, appliances, dentures and more. At the cutting edge of this booming tech sector is the Form 2 FormLabs as it brings simplicity and accessibility to the category. Fast and accurate, the Form 2 stands apart by being easy to use and incredibly cost effective. Designed for printing models, splints and surgical guides, it’s an affordable, scalable way to bring additive manufacturing to any dental practice or lab.
Sonicare DiamondClean Smart Connect Toothbrush from Philips Sonicare
Philips Sonicare has long been ahead of the pack when it comes to electric toothbrushes, but their latest development transforms the brush from home care instrument to home care coach. The Sonicare DiamondClean Smart brush connects to an app via Bluetooth in order to track brushing habits and provide reminders and visual cues on how to brush more effectively. The brush can detect the type of head on the base and automatically turns on that setting. Even better, it tracks use and brushing effectiveness over time to help patients see their progress and take the best possible care of their teeth.
LOCATOR F-Tx Attachment from Zest Dental
A new approach to attaching fixed full-arch restorations, the Zest LOCATOR F-Tx simplifies placement and secures the restoration in place without the need for screws or cement. The unique snap-fit system works similarly to a ball and socket, which allows the denture attachment housing to pivot into place after snapping into place. This can also eliminate the need for angled abutments to correct implant angulations. The LOCATOR F-Tx locks restorations in so they are fixed for the patient, but easily removable in by a clinician using a special hydraulic displacement system.
Repeat Winners
3Shape TRIOS Digital Impression Systems from 3Shape
A 5 Time Winner of the Best of Class award, a steady flow of innovations and updates continue to make the 3Shape TRIOS the technology frontrunner among digital impression solutions. The system is fast, highly accurate and compatible with just about any other digital dentistry technology as well as capable of handling the impressioning needs of any clinical situation. A choice of handgrip styles, and cart or laptop connected options make the scanner easy to implement in practice, and powerful features such as an integrated intraoral camera and automatic shade matching. A recently launched wireless version continues 3Shape’s habit of breaking new ground in the digital impression category.
CariVu Caries Detection System from Dexis
Repeat winners of the Best of Class award are always technologies that are both simple and ahead of the curve. The CariVu caries detection system from Dexis—a four time winner—stands apart because it makes detecting and diagnosing caries easier than ever before with a safe and simple to use technology. Its specialized transillumination technology can help spot occlusal, interproximal, and recurrent carious lesions. Images read similar to x-rays, making it an easy technology to adopt, and they can be saved and archived to monitor progress.
VELscope Vx Oral Lesion Detection System from LED Dental
When it comes to detecting oral lesions and screening patients for oral cancer, LED Dental’s VELscope Vx is and has been the gold standard. Now a 7 time Best of Class winner, the scanner uses a blue light fluorescence to scan a patient in real time. This safe and efficient technology is an adjunct to the standard head and neck exam most practices perform, and because it can help spot lesions not yet visible to the naked eye, it’s truly a dental technology that can save a life.
MMG Fusion Dental Practice Marketing Software from MMG Fusion
Running a successful dental practice requires more than just operatory expertise, and marketing is necessary part of staying competitive and busy. Now a two time Best of Class winner, MMG Fusion helps practices manage their marketing with a single dashboard that links everything from your online reputation and patient communications back into the practice management software that is the heart of your operation. The software service tracks everything you do to help you monitor the performance of your marketing efforts and works to keep you in touch with your patients via appointment reminders, social media, reviews, email marketing and more.
Spark Cordless Headlight from Orascoptic
Simple is once again the headline when it comes to two time Best of Class winner the Spark cordless headlight from Orascoptic. Adding a light to your loupes makes sure you always have enough light on the magnified area you’re looking at. However, most lights have a battery pack and thus a cord to get in the way. Spark not only eliminates the cord by integrating the battery into the light while it sits comfortably across the bridge of the nose of just about any frames. It’s lightweight and provides a precise beam of light. Capacitive touch controls and USB charging add to the simplicity and convenience that help this light get noticed.
EyeSpecial C-II Dental Camera from Shofu
Capturing digital images to document your work, promote your practice and educate your patients is a simple way to enhance your practice. This is even better when you’re able to capture great images that really show off the clinical situations and the great work you do. Now a 3 time Best of Class winner, the EyeSpecial C-II camera from Shofu makes it simple and convenient to grab those images. The camera is designed to work like a point-and-shoot camera, but with lighting and capture modes that are specifically suited to dental photography. This makes it both simple to use, and terrific at its job.
WEO Media Practice Marketing and Web Development Services from WEO Media
When it comes to getting your practice noticed and bringing in new patients, your online presence is one of the most powerful forces. Two time Best of Class winner WEO Media excels at helping dental practices stand out, get noticed and connect with patients online via a full slate of cutting edge digital marketing services. From the development of cutting edge websites that stay on top of industry best practices, to review and social media management, WEO Media is ready to help any practice look great on computers and mobile devices to engage with current and new patients.
VALO Curing Lights from Ultradent
A 5 time winner of the Best of Class award, Ultradent’s family of VALO curing lights continues to stand out from the crowded field of LED lights designed to polymerize dental materials. With the original corded version, a colorful collection of cordless lights, and the new VALO Grand with its larger head, there is a light from this collection that can fit in any operatory. With a high-quality and durable build, a powerful and focused light beam, and a comfortable, easy-to-use design, the VALO continues to be the standard for dental curing lights.
Emerging Technology Winners
Many products honored by the Best of Class awards are the standouts among time-tested product categories and set the standards for products of today. However, the five products honored as Emerging Technologies represent a mix of the present and the future. All five of these innovations build on things already commonplace in the industry, and use the latest technologies to take them to a new level.
Simplifeye Practice Communications Platform from simplifeye
Consistent and coordinated communication is critical to working as a team to treat patients efficiently. This means knowing who is in which operatory, why they are there, who has seen them already and what’s next in the schedule. Simplifeye is a secure, real-time software application that integrates with practice management applications and makes key information available at a glance. Designed to work with Apple and Android smartwatches, phones and tablets, this system provides notes, updates, access to the schedule and much more. By making key practice and patient information easily accessible by everyone on the team, Simplifeye helps improve production, efficiency, and profitability. It’s a simple, elegant and stylish way to keep everyone in the practice on the same page.
Q-Optics Custom Loupes Platform from Q-Optics
Finding a pair of loupes that feel perfect on your face is a nice bonus, seeing as you’ll be wearing them for most of your work, and Q-Optics offers a design system to create loupes fit exactly to you. Their stylish loupes are built from carbon fiber and titanium for durability, but their standout—and award winning—feature is the True-Fit digital measurement system that captures more facial features so each pair of loupes is designed to fit the exact facial features of the wearer. Customized working distances add to the specialization of these loupes, so each pair is a unique magnification system perfectly tuned to the clinician for which it was created.
Smile Lite MDP Smartphone Camera Adapter from SmileLine USA
One way to innovate when it comes to dental technology is to find a simple way to make another technology more powerful, and that’s why the Smile Lite MDP from SmileLine USA stands out. With a universal adapter, this handy camera housing can turn almost any smartphone into a specialized dental camera. External lighting and the proper diffusers for macro photography make it easy to take the camera in your pocket and put it to work for your practice. It’s an economical solution and an innovative way to improve your practice’s documentation and communication.
Fusion Twinhead Curing Light from DentLight
As a core piece of equipment, the dental curing light is a pretty standard design from one light to another, or at least that was the case before DentLight introduced the Fusion Twinhead curing light. Built on the company’s powerful Fusion 5 curing light platform, the Twinhead adds a second light to mix, and this allows simultaneous curing of the lingual and buccal sides of a restoration. Two lights means faster, more efficient, and more even curing, and this in turn can mean better curing around all the margins and more efficient restorative appointments.
Blue Sky Plan Implant Treatment Planning Software from Blue Sky Bio
Dental implants are among the fastest growing areas of dentistry, and guided surgery is one of the innovations behind this growth. Blue Sky Bio is looking to shake up the treatment planning and surgical guide markets with their free Blue Sky Plan software. The application imports DICOM and STL files to digitally plan the implant treatment, and design a surgical guide. The guides can be sent to a certified lab or exported for in-house 3D printing for a small per-case fee. This software model makes it easier for clinicians to learn to plan implant treatments and then makes production of the surgical guides quick and economical.
The 2017 Cellerant Best of Class Technology Award winning products will be on display during the upcoming American Dental Association Annual Meeting in Atlanta this October. Located in the Exhibit Hall, the Cellerant Technology Expo will showcase Best of Class products and educational presentations throughout the event.