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Nobel Biocare Global Symposium 6 science & research by Dental Tribune International n DentalTribuneInternational:Sooner or later digital technologies will pre- vail in all areas of dentistry. How has this trend transformed the dental in- dustry and how will it continue to do so? Dr. Pascal Kunz: Digital technolo- gies are changing the way we do we things in many fields and in our daily lives. A great example of how such technology has successfully in- troduced new behaviors is GPS-based navigation. In the past, getting from A to an unknown B was time-consum- ing and involved a great deal of prepa- ration. One had to buy a map and con- stantly refer to it to find one’s way to a new destination, ask for directions, etc. Today, with seamless built-in GPS tech- nology in cars or smartphones, one can focus on driving and find one’s destina- tion with much less hassle and more efficiently. One is still in control and one reaches the same destination, but far more simply and more effectively. In dentistry, we are striving for the same thing. Digital technology is already improving treatment workflows and outcomes and will continue to improve processes. Our Nobel- Guide treatment concept, for instance, allows the dentist to digitize and combine patient information with the click of a button. What’s more, the dental technician can be involved from the very start of the procedure—and this is, of course, essential when beautiful and long-lasting prostheses are the goal. Planning with the outcome in mind and all of the relevant information available in one place is definitively helping us to iden- tify pitfalls upfront and treat patients better, more predictably and more efficiently. The kind of automation we see as useful should enable clinicians and their teams to work together for their patients in a very effec- tive way and according to the latest stan- dards. In view of the global dental landscape and the increasing importance of implant den- tistry, how will digital technologies continue to bring about greater predictability and quality to both the dentist and the patient? To return to the initial travel analogy, when it comes to predictability, it is crucial that both parties—the clinician as the driver and the patient as the passenger—have the same expectations of the destination they will reach once the journey is over. Digital technologies help visualize the procedure, the positive impact the treatment will have on the patient’s quality of life and the final outcome, and—even more important for the patient—help minimize treat- ment time. In this respect, we at Nobel Biocare believe that it is our job to provide proven tech- nology and make it part of protocols that can be safely replicated and taught to others. In your opinion, what characterizes the state-of-the-art digital workflow in dental practice today? A true digital workflow is straightfor- ward and as close as possible to the natural way of treating a patient. Ideally, it is closely connected to the clinician’s diagnostic tools. With SmartFusion technology, for example, he or she is able to take any CBCT or in- tra-oral scan and combine these in a fast and easy way to obtain a fully automatic diagnos- tic setup of the missing teeth, which he or she can send to the laboratory and use to order the surgical template from Nobel Biocare. In short, the digital workflow al- lows the clinician to use the same technology for diagnostics and com- munication with the dental techni- cian, reducing the number of visits and therefore the time to teeth. The goal with this technology is to achieve quality treatment accord- ing to a three-visit approach—diag- nosis, surgery (including provision- alization) and restoration—and this ensures that the time spent with the patient is used as efficiently as pos- sible. It is not about counting the seconds when the patient is in the chair; it is about making every sec- ond count. How does Nobel Biocare encourage dental professionals to adopt digi- tal technologies? The Nobel Biocare Global Sym- posium is one of our most important endeavors in this respect. Every three years, all of our greatest lec- turers and thought leaders gather at the event to jointly review and discuss cur- rent products and to help us introduce new solutions to our customers and provide train- ing. After such a landmark event, through our expert salesforce at Nobel Biocare, who have been a key part of the digital evolution in implantology, we then continue to train and educate dental professionals all over the globe on the advantages of digital technolo- gies at a more local level. Our focus is to bring our innovations to those who want to make a difference and share our philosophy that the best treatment can only be delivered through a combination of the skills of the profession and the most up-to-date technologies. This includes digital natives, who understand the technology more naturally, but is certainly not limited to younger professionals. We have seen that the main drivers of change are therefore the customers themselves. At the 2013 Nobel Biocare Global Sympo- sium, your company announced a new fully integrated digital workflow, connecting NobelProcera technicians and NobelClinician users digitally. How has the system been received? Since the introduction of SmartFusion three years ago at the last Nobel Biocare Global Symposium, we have seen a tremen- dous uptake in North America, as dentists increasingly started to team up with their dental technicians once they understood the impact and benefits for all parties involved, including the prevention of costly mistakes in the implant planning, placement and res- toration process. On a global basis, we have seen a large and continually increasing up- take. Of course, the adoption of new technol- ogies takes time, but today we already have over 11,500 registered NobelClinician instal- lations. We can see that the profession really understands the advantages of integrated solutions, namely predictability, productiv- ity and profitability—not only in a commer- cial sense, but also in terms of reducing the time and cost of treatment and restorations, and most importantly, increasing patient sat- isfaction. What position will Nobel Biocare hold in the global digital dentistry market, and what are the main challenges in the near future? We are confident that Nobel Biocare will have a very strong position. Within the Danaher group, dentistry is an important fo- cus area, and within that dental platform, the Nobel Biocare team has a major role to play in advancing the global digital dentistry of- fering and becoming a leader in the field. Our focus is firmly on continuing to provide value to our customers, who stand to benefit from our synergies with the other brands in Danaher’s dental platform. The future looks extremely bright for Nobel Biocare and our new colleagues at Danaher, for our custom- ers and for their patients. We have some great ideas in the works. 7 Dr. Pascal Kunz ”With SmartFusion technology, for example, he or she is able to take any CBCT or intra-oral scan and combine these in a fast and easy way.” About Dr. Pascal Kunz received his medical and dental degrees from the University of Basel in Switzerland. He has worked clinically in surgical departments and as a dentist in both private practice and the department of reconstructive dentistry at the University of Basel. In 2007, Kunz joined Nobel Biocare, where he is now responsible for the Digital Dentistry Product Management team for Danaher’s dental platform. “It is not about counting the seconds... it is about making every second count” An interview with Dr. Pascal Kunz, Vice President of Product Management for Digital Dentistry at Nobel Biocare