DS World 2024 Marks a New Era in Connected Dentistry

Dentsply Sirona World has long been a premier event, renowned for unveiling cutting-edge dental technologies, delivering world-class education, and fostering community through networking and celebrations. DS World 2024 upheld this tradition, with more than 4,000 attendees gathering at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas from Sept. 26-28 to experience the latest advancements in dental innovation and education.

This year, participants had the chance to earn up to 10 CE credits, taking part in more than 100 breakout sessions led by some of the brightest minds in dentistry, and a record-breaking 17 hands-on courses. In an exciting new initiative, an open speaker call brought fresh voices and innovative perspectives from those eager to push the boundaries of the profession.

While education remained at the core of DS World 2024, this year's event signified a profound shift. Themed “Unleash Your Future,” the experience heralded a new era in dentistry. For over 150 years, Dentsply Sirona has driven the evolution of modern dentistry, from creating the first electric handpieceto revolutionizing chairside CAD/CAM technology with CEREC. Now, they are leading the way into the age of “connected dentistry."

During the event’s opening session, CEO Simon Campion highlighted the transformative potential of this new era, emphasizing how connected dentistry can reshape practices and elevate patient care.

“I would ask for you to imagine a dental practice where you or your equipment isn't tied to a specific room or a specific computer. Imagine carrying a critical part of your workflow around your office as effortlessly as your cellphone. Imagine making every operatory a digital operatory. Imagine engaging with your patients and their data from anywhere, and storing an extensive patient data anywhere, anytime around the world. Imagine communicating with colleagues, with labs, and with your patients at the touch of a button. Imagine the possibilities that this would confer on each one of you and your practice,” he said. “Well, there is no need to continue to imagine, because Dentsply Sirona has done that imagining for you.”

Redefining Intraoral Scanning for the Connected Practice

At the forefront of this new era of connected dentistry is the newly launched Primescan 2, the first cloud-native intraoral scanner. Powered by the DS Core cloud platform, this wireless scanner enables seamless scanning on any internet-connected device, eliminating the need for dedicated computers. With automatic scan data processing and storage in DS Core, patient consultations, lab orders, and treatment planning can happen on any laptop, tablet, or other device.

Combining speed and highly accurate scan data, Primescan 2 is an excellent way to start a broad range of treatments and creates ideal conditions for patient communication and treatment acceptance, especially for more complex cases like implant treatment. Its integration with DS Core’s Communication Canvas also enhances patient communication by clearly presenting treatment plans alongside relevant files like scans and x-rays.

“It is more than just a next-generation intraoral scanner,” Campion said. “This technology catapults the Prime family into the next era. A juxtaposition of hardware and software capability, Primescan 2 is not about technology or about the cloud. It is about you, your practice, and how it's going to impact your efficiency, your workload, your communication, and your possibilities.”

Enhancing Efficiency and Empowering the Dental Team

The scanning workflow on DS Core is intuitive and simple to use, allowing for easy delegation within the practice team. The scanning device is only needed for the scan itself, so the device is immediately ready to be used on the next patient after the scan is complete.

Bruce Peatey, Group Vice President, Americas RCO, said that, in addition to the benefits of a cloud-native device, the intraoral scanner was designed with delegation and ease of use in mind and can be used, for example, to take a status scan—capturing the patient’s overall oral health situation—at the start of every appointment.

“You can delegate that responsibility to your team members, whether it's your hygiene team or an assistant,” he said. “So, it gives you that time back.” Max Milz, Group Vice President for Connected Technology Solutions, emphasized the scanner’s portability, making it easy to use across multiple operatories without being tethered to a specific computer.

“I think one of the pain points with scanners has been that they're not as portable as they could be. Typically, they also occupy the computer which they're attached to, because after the scan you might start designing or send it to a lab or do your aligner case. Now, we’re freeing that up, so that the scanner can be used as much as possible.”

He added that there is no need for users to worry about software updates, because DS Core’s cloud-based updates ensure the scanner always runs on the latest software.

Innovations in Endodontics and Restorative Dentistry

Of course, innovation is not limited to high technology, and DS World 2024 also highlighted new advancements in endodontics and restorative dentistry.

The X-Smart Pro+ endo motor, designed for Dentsply Sirona’s file systems, offers both continuous rotation and reciprocating modes, with enhanced power and an integrated apex locator that provides confidence for length determination while shaping. The U.S. debut of Reciproc Blue, a single-instrument solution for root canal preparation, also impressed attendees. Its nickel-titanium construction provides flexibility and fatigue resistance, enhancing clinical performance.

Peatey noted that both products previously debuted overseas to great results for specialists and general dentists alike.

On the restorative side, Prime&Bond Active features the new, patented Active-Guard Technology, providing well-balanced hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties to ensure complete coverage and penetration at varying moisture levels. So even if dentin is overly wet or dry, you get a reliable bond that actively guards against the leading causes of adhesive failure.

“We're always continuing to look for innovations on the restorative side,” said Jon Parenteau, Vice President, North American Field Sales. “Having a product like Prime&Bond Active allows us to continue to bring value to customers and enhance clinical outcomes.”