Those who deal with the dental market will not be surprised by the comparatively small number of really new products. The Medical Devices Regulation (MDR) contributes to this. On the one hand, human resources are tied up in the companies for the certification procedures and, on the other hand, new products may only be placed on the market after successful MDR certification, but no longer under the "old" Medical Devices Directive (MDD). It is therefore not surprising that “further development of existing products” was presented. Some European companies are considering launching new developments on the US market first, because approvals for many products are now often faster, more predictable and cheaper there. If the innovations prove themselves there, it is worth getting certification for the EU as well.

Lack of resources is a big issue. Something that is so present and that occupies all market participants in a wide variety of ways is of course not far from the IDS. The visitors were looking for solutions. How to organize everyday work in such a way that human resources can be used optimally? From outsourcing to improving the digital process chain to the use of new technologies such as dental polishing machines - all optimization options offered by the dental industry were examined very closely.

The starting point that most came to the fore here was the progressive digitization in dental laboratories and production centers. In our article "Technological developments in the dental industry" we already talked about the Internet of Things (IoT). Maybe you remember - when the refrigerator creates its own shopping list. A development by Ivoclar works in a similar way. The intelligent storage system records and orders material independently, even the inventory works at the push of a button.

But not only digitization was of great importance for dental laboratories at the IDS. The paradigm shift is also progressing in dental practices. The intraoral scan pushes the classic impression taking further into the background. In the next two years, the majority of dental practices will probably have an intraoral scanner and use it to digitize impression taking. A big step towards a 360° digital workflow.

Digitization is therefore still one of the focus topics of the IDS. First and foremost to counteract the shortage of skilled workers, but also because it is with its help that the use of new materials is possible. There is a continuous movement from subtractive processes to additive manufacturing. In the sector of resins, better and better materials for provisionals are coming onto the market that have left the "teething troubles" of the first generation behind, as well as more and more permanent materials.

Progress can also be seen in the field of 3D printing of ceramics. At the IDS 2023 we were able to identify three companies which are developing materials approved for the oral use. But we are still in our infancy phase here, because the results are still a long way from the aesthetics you are used to from subtractive manufacturing processes.