The future is digital with Henry Schein

Based on previous, smaller CEREC Forums, the meeting saw over 280 participants come together with Henry Schein partners and affiliates for two days of networking and education. In addition to the latest technology on display at an industry exhibition supported by key market competitors, it featured a number of clinician-focused presentations by internationally prominent experts in the field, including US dentist Dr Daniel Vasquez and dental technician Frankie Acosta, who in the opening lecture showed how the integration of dental CAD/CAM has changed the way they have run their business in recent years. Subjects like intra-oral scanning, implant planning, smile design and practice marketing were also discussed. UK digital dentistry pioneer and expert Dr Julian Caplan from Aviva Dentistry in St Albans hosted the programme.

“The rapid growth and popularity of digital dentistry is arguably the one thing that is most dramatically changing the dynamic of the relationship between dentists and technicians,” commented Mackenzie Richter, General Manager of ConnectDental in the UK, on the purpose of the meeting. “With an increasing number of dentists now using CBCT for diagnostics and implant planning and intra-oral scanners replacing traditional impression taking, there has never been a more important time for dentists to develop a fully integrated digital workflow relationship between themselves and their laboratory. Henry Schein’s ConnectDental offers practices and laboratories a fully integrated digital solution combining workflow optimisation, education, expert advice, service and support, all delivered by one provider.”

Schein has invested a great deal in its digital business model since the launch of ConnectDental in 2013. According to Chief Marketing Officer at Henry Schein and industry veteran Robert Gottlander, who also attended the meeting in London, the company now maintains a service team that is almost unchallenged by any other competitor in the market. For ConnectDental alone, customers have a network of over 45 field and high-tech engineers, as well as a team of digital support specialists and post-sales online resources, at their disposal. Aimed at dental technicians in particular, a new training facility has recently been opened in Cardiff in Wales.

Another major focus is education, which the company plans to facilitate not only with the new forum but also through the introduction of the ConnectDental Campus. Now available in English, this free e-learning platform provides high-quality evidence-based content on digital workflows in the form of on-demand webinars, live webinars and tutorial videos online.

“Providing technology is one thing, but we also need to show our customers ways how to integrate it efficiently into their workflow and overall business model,” Gottlander said. “We are working very hard to be the best partner our customers can go to in this respect.”

A key component in this development will be improved connectivity through practice management software, such as EXACT from Software of Excellence, a company Henry Schein acquired in 2007. Over 50 per cent of dental practices in the UK already use the software.

“In the future, software like this will work as the main hub for the entire digital workflow,” concluded Gottlander.

More information about the symposium and Henry Schein’s digital portfolio and services is available online at www.hsd-digitalsymposium.co.uk and www.henryschein.co.uk.