Over the last decade, clinicians have set out long-term plans to adopt digital tools into their everyday workflows, with hopes of reaping the benefits these technologies deliver. But the pandemic and associated precautions have spurred dentists to action. Digital adoption plans that once stretched years into the future are now immediate, with practitioners hoping to reduce cross-contamination and speed up the restorative process.

While the majority of practitioners do not currently use intraoral scanners, that is changing rapidly. Today, nearly one year after the nation was first impacted by COVID-19, over 10% of all incoming cases at Glidewell are from intraoral scanners — with the number of incoming digital cases increasing every month since the initial U.S. lockdowns in March 2020.

Still, many clinicians have not begun their digital journeys, with cost cited as the deciding factor. At Glidewell, we’re focusing on eliminating the barriers of entry into digital dentistry. Chief among these efforts is Glidewell Intelligent Manufacturing, which is a collection of technologies (proprietary micro-CT scanners, AI-informed software and computer-controlled mills) that enables the lab to create BruxZir^® Zirconia restorations in under four days. Simply send in a conventional impression and we’ll apply our latest digital technologies — with no changes to your workflow. The result is a BruxZir restoration that benefits from more accurate digital scanning and AI-powered design and quality control delivered to your office in less time.

We’re working hard to apply our accessible digital philosophy to as many workflows as possible, both in our laboratory and beyond.

If you haven’t looked into the advances made in intraoral scanners recently, I’d implore you to take another look. At Glidewell, we experience firsthand how that technology simplifies the routines of clinician and lab technician alike — especially in the wake of COVID-19. But, if your practice is not quite yet ready to adopt a scanner, you can rest assured that you’ll benefit from the innovations of digital dentistry as we at Glidewell continue to apply them to your favorite restorative services.