When we unveiled the glidewell.io™ In-Office Solution at our inaugural symposium in 2017, our goal was to provide clinicians with an affordable, user-friendly digital workflow for same day results. The potential for better dentistry through technology was constrained by high costs, poor customer support and awkward workflows. We challenged ourselves to address these obstacles by designing and manufacturing a CAD/CAM system ourselves and setting a new industry standard for manufacturer-direct support without the middleman. Now, seven years later, I couldn’t be happier with the results.

In this special edition of Chairside^® magazine, we highlight the past, present, and future of glidewell.io through stories of users who are empowering their practices with a digital workflow, BruxZir^® NOW crowns, and, best of all, with no oven needed. Hear from our founder and president, Jim Glidewell, about the principles that guided his decision to pursue chairside milling — a decision seemingly at odds with the goals of a traditional lab.

Dr. David Galler also shares his reasons for scanning every patient that comes to his practice. The biggest obstacle modern practices face is a lack of trust from patients, and an intraoral scanner is a great way to promote active participation in their exam. The ability to highlight areas of concern and use visual aids to show treatment options in real time goes a long way to fostering a trusting environment and boosting treatment acceptance. 

Dr. Jonathan Vo also explains how he gained the confidence to take on a challenging anterior case thanks to the skills he learned in Dr. Justin Chi’s course. The impressive two-year case involving aligner therapy, implants, and various digital solutions is a testament not only to Dr. Vo’s clinical skills, but also to how well the digital workflow of glidewell.io can be tailored to a case’s unique demands.

While we often mention a doctor’s choice of materials in Chairside magazine case studies, we rarely compare them side by side. In this edition, we gathered five glidewell.io power users to share how they each use a particular milling material, and why those choices perfectly suit their clinical needs. These details will shed new light on the strengths and differences of a variety of chairside milling materials.

If you are just starting your journey toward a digital workflow, I hope these stories provide valuable insights into what you can expect with the glidewell.io In-Office Solution. If we are already part of your digital journey, I trust you will learn something new.

I look forward to your feedback.

Here’s to the future of digital dentistry!