Dentsply Sirona Celebrates a New Era of Patient Care

When Simon Campion, President and CEO of Dentsply Sirona, uses the word “breakthrough,” it cannot be taken lightly. After all, this is the company known for bringing dentistry quite a few firsts—dental x-rays, electrical dental drills, in-office dental restorations, and ultrasonic scaling. But, standing in New York City’s Times Square on Monday, speaking with Dental Product Shopper after ringing the Nasdaq closing bell, Campion framed the moment for what it was.

“As you know, we have a history of breakthroughs within dentistry, and we think this can be classified as another breakthrough,” he said.

Campion was referring, of course, to Primescan 2, which was unveiled just days earlier and—as the first cloud-native intraoral scanning solution—upholds Dentsply Sirona’s tradition of blazing new trails in the field. Powered by the company’s DS Core cloud platform, the wireless scanner allows users to scan any patient, anytime, anywhere, whether in an examination room or on visits to hospitals, partner practices, or labs. The scan data is automatically processed and stored on DS Core, meaning that patient consultations, lab ordering, and treatment planning can take place independently on any internet-connected device available.

Company officials celebrated the product’s launch and marked more than a century of innovation with the ceremonious bellringing on Monday, proudly capturing the moment on the Nasdaq Tower video screen along with messaging about healthier smiles and fast and comfortable dental appointments.

Transforming Workflow Efficiency and Patient Care

Campion said Primescan 2 opens a new chapter in cloud-based digital patient care and workflow efficiency for practices around the world.

“It improves workflow efficiency because it’s wireless and cloud native, and that means it can be transported around the office like your cellphone can be transported around your home,” he said. “But also, when a dentist is out of the office and one of their staff takes an intraoral scan of someone, they can see that on their laptop, on their iPad, or on their cell phone, and give comments such as, ‘Well, here's what I would suggest.’”

Primescan 2 also creates excellent conditions for patient communication and treatment acceptance, especially for more complex cases like implant treatments. DS Core's Communication Canvas allows the oral situation and treatment proposal to be clearly displayed side-by-side and explained using all necessary files (scan, x-ray, intraoral images).

“It’s going to enable more patient throughput and have patients more inclusively involved in their treatment protocols,” Campion said. “We know that including a patient in their medical journey increases the likelihood that the patient will engage in and authorize that journey.”

Sleek Design and Speed Among Standout Features

Primescan 2 features a sleek and well-balanced design, with a narrower tip that allows for easier access to molars or distal surfaces. It’s also fast, combining the speed, accuracy, and ease of use of the original Primescan. A full-arch scan can be taken in less than 1 minute while delivering excellent accuracy.

The new intraoral scanner is an excellent way to start a broad range of treatments, including clear aligner treatment with SureSmile. With the use of the SureSmile Simulator, dentists can preview the potential new smile of a patient in just minutes to visually demonstrate the scope of treatment, fostering confident treatment decisions. Primescan 2 can also be an excellent starting point for in-house fabrication using the CEREC workflow or with a 3D printer such as Primeprint Solution.

A Scalable Solution for Expanding Digital Dentistry

More and more dentists are using intraoral scanners in their practices. In fact, the 2023 Dental Technology Census, conducted on behalf of Dental Product Shopper, showed the adoption rate in the U.S. had risen to 57%, up from 26% five years earlier.

Can a product like Primescan 2 help to broaden the use of intraoral scanners?

“We do feel that it's going to increase the adoption rate of digital scanners,” Campion said. “This is so easy to use. It doesn't need any computer attached to it—all the data is stored in the cloud. The accessibility and the transportability have been improved. The fact that the dentist isn't tied to a particular workstation is going to really, really help.”

He also noted the product’s scalability. “While it's a standalone intraoral scanner, it can be linked to Primemill, to Primeprint, and to all of our imaging technology,” he said. “So, this is a door opener. Anyone who wants to expand their digital offering can expand it seamlessly with Primescan 2 and DS Core.”