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Interview: 'Implant specialists in particular benefit from digital technology'

Patrick Thurm. (DTI/Photo Daniel Zimmermann)
Dental Tribune International

Dental Tribune International

Thu. 17 October 2013

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At EAO, Henry Schein is currently showcasing its new digital dental solution, ConnectDental, to dental professionals in Europe. In this short interview, the Vice-President of Technology at the company’s Global Prosthetics Solutions division, Patrick Thurm, explains the platform and its benefits for dental implant rehabilitation in particular.

Dental Tribune ONLINE: There is a wide range of systems for establishing a digital workflow between practices and laboratories available on the market. What advantages does ConnectDental offer dental professionals?
Patrick Thurm: At Henry Schein, we believe in the concept of an open system for digital dental solutions. With ConnectDental, we provide a digital platform and connect the leading manufacturers of digital dental impression and CAD/CAM products, as well as materials, to a customised solution for practices and dental laboratories.

The advantages for laboratories and dentists are that ConnectDental provides seamless integration of various market-leading technologies, as well as a service and support system, to facilitate the use of digital dentistry. Furthermore, ConnectDental supports the communication and workflow between practices and dental laboratories to increase efficiency and quality. Hence, an increasing number of dental professionals are able to experience the obvious benefits of digital dentistry.

Why are you exhibiting the platform here at the EAO congress in Dublin, and how can it enhance workflow for implant specialists in particular?
We established that implant specialists in particular benefit from digital technology through optimisation of the workflow of diagnostics and CAD/CAM-supported prosthetic planning for implant cases. This results in substantially better aesthetics for the patient and higher efficiency for implantologists.

ConnectDental offers us the ability to support implant specialists in optimising their workflow and building a tailor-made digital dental solution, also in collaboration with the laboratory. We received very positive feedback from participants at last year’s EAO. This encouraged us to extend the ConnectDental offering this year with the latest product launched at IDS.

According to you, the system is backed by specialists. Can you explain this to our readers, and why it is important?
Providing excellent service and support to dental professionals is of key importance to Henry Schein. In Europe, service and support for ConnectDental are provided by a group of 190 specially trained and experienced sales and integration specialists in digital dentistry and digital restorations, backed by 460 Henry Schein service technicians.

Our digital specialists support the dental professionals in finding the right solution. Special education and training programmes, as well as assistance with integration, complete the services offered in all aspects.

Henry Schein is the largest provider of dental products and solutions on the market. What role does a product like ConnectDental play in your portfolio?
Henry Schein’s primary focus is to form digital dentistry into a more patient-centric model and to support our customers, dental professionals, in running a more successful business. As the digitalisation of dentistry progresses in the market, so too will the role of ConnectDental continue to evolve in Henry Schein’s portfolio.

Is this system currently available to all dental professionals in Europe?
We already provide solutions for digital dentistry in the European markets in which Henry Schein operates. We will extend our offering under the ConnectDental brand.

Thank you for the interview.

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