Over the last two decades, you’ve likely heard me talk about the ongoing digital transformation in dentistry, where innovators have found ways to enhance nearly every part of our industry with computer-driven technologies. After so much progress, digital tools have become the norm. Many dental offices use intraoral scanners, most labs rely on computer-aided milling machines, and patients seek out same-day resto­rations. In fact, in 2023, more than half of all cases sent to Glidewell came via digital impressions

So much has changed over the last decade, but I’m certain that the advancements in the decade ahead will impact the everyday practice even more dramatically. The digital tools in development behind closed doors, here at Glidewell and elsewhere, will rely on artificial intelligence and make many of today’s routine tasks obsolete.

This streamlining in turn creates oppor­tunities. The next phase of digital transformation is all about empower­ing the practice to know and do more. Through new technologies like 3D print­ing, dentists will create oral appliances, dentures and orthodontic devices in-office. With intelligent diagnostic software becoming much more accu­rate and reliable, treatment-planning will be simplified even for difficult scenarios. That’s just barely scratch­ing the surface. There are a whole host of emerging innovations that will forever change your daily routine — including reimagined materials, vir­tual patient-presentation aids, and even biometric trackers that provide your patients a more complete view of their health when they’re not in your practice.

If you’ve already embraced digital trans­formation, I’m sure there’s little need for me to convince you that tomorrow’s technologies will make the future of dentistry even brighter. If you’ve been hesitant to adopt tools like intraoral scanners or in-office mills so far, I prom­ise you that it has never been easier than today — thanks in no small part to your early-adopter colleagues. The new baseline for today’s practice includes these tools, and the next phase of advancements right around the corner flows through them.