In this issue:
From Impressions to Innovation: My Digital Dentistry Journey
Author
When I took over an existing practice in January of 2017, digital dentistry wasn’t at the top of my to-do list. My priority revolved around strengthening patient relationships, learning the rhythm of practice ownership, and ensuring continuity of care.
That priority changed abruptly, thanks to my husband, who is not a dentist. As my very first clear aligner patient, he hated my goopy impression material. One day, while visiting the office, he happened upon a sales representative demonstrating an intraoral scanner. After watching the technology, he turned to me and said with surprising certainty, “You’re buying it.”
“But I don’t even know how much it costs!” I answered.
“It doesn’t matter,” he insisted. “You’re getting it. The goop experience was unpleasant. This technology will elevate your patient experience.”
And that’s how my digital dental journey officially began.
BABY STEPS
Initially, I used the scanner almost exclusively for clear aligners. When I joined Glidewell’s Guiding Leaders program, I was encouraged to start using an iTero® scanner for restorative scans, but my first few cases didn’t go well. Initially, I thought it was the lab’s fault, but eventually, I realized it was my scanning technique.
Once I learned that the prep scan needed to be completed in under eight seconds, everything changed. The restorations started fitting beautifully, and I no longer needed adjustments at delivery. That’s when it clicked for me: digital dentistry wasn’t just convenient, it was more precise, efficient, and a better experience for my patients. I knew then that this was the future, and I needed to fully embrace digital workflows.
COMMITTING TO THE DIGITAL DIRECTION
In September 2024, I made one of many great investments in my practice by introducing the Glidewell fastmill.io™ In-Office Mill and pairing it with my fastscan.io™ Scanning Solution featuring Medit® i700® scanner.
The Glidewell implementation team arrived, installed the fastmill.io mill, ran through the initial calibrations and trained my team in two days with hardly any downtime. I can sum up the installation and training process in one word: seamless.
Just a few months after installation, I took my entire team on the all-expenses-paid trip to the Glidewell campus in Irvine, California, to attend the glidewell.io hands-on training course. The energy, collaboration, and confidence it built among my staff was invaluable. We also attended the Glidewell Holiday Gala, putting a fitting end to a perfect two-day mix of education and celebration.
Guiding Leaders is an immersive professional development program from Glidewell that empowers dentists to elevate their leadership, communication, and business acumen. Through collaborative learning and real-world mentorship, participants strengthen essential nonclinical skills — from financial management and team dynamics to storytelling, branding, and strategic growth — to reach their full potential as confident, influential dental professionals.
MEETING PATIENT EXPECTATIONS — AND EXCEEDING THEM
My practice is in an affluent area of Tustin, California, and many of my patients are frequent travelers. They often require a new crown, a replacement restoration, or a cosmetic touch-up before leaving town.
Prior to integrating a chairside mill into my digital workflow, that meant rushing cases through the lab or scheduling follow-ups after their trips. Now, those same patients can come in, relax, and enjoy a same-day solution. Instead of waiting two weeks for another appointment, they wait about 45 minutes while the crown is being milled.
The convenience has been a complete game changer. Patients love it, and they talk about it. Referrals from specialists and colleagues have increased because people know we’re equipped with the latest technology and can deliver quality fast.
BUILDING TRUST AND COMMUNITY THROUGH TECHNOLOGY
There’s something powerful about being “the practice that’s up to date.” Patients notice when you’re investing in their comfort and your precision. It’s not just about having cool gadgets; it’s about showing commitment to excellence.
We’ve seen an increase in new patients from people who were referred specifically for our same-day crown capabilities as well as first-time, walk-in patients who are impressed with the technology and say, “Wow, no one else around here is doing this.” That level of differentiation matters and has positively impacted my practice´s bottom line.
REDUCING COSTS, ENHANCING CARE
From a financial standpoint, the fastmill.io. In-Office Mill has significantly reduced my lab expenses, especially for single-unit cases. Most of our chairside work involves posterior crowns, and the ability to design and mill them in-house has improved efficiency and turnaround time. I still send my anterior esthetic cases to the lab, but even so, the savings have been substantial.
I use Camouflage® NOW Milling Blocks for inlays and onlays, but the materials I use the most are BruxZir® NOW for molar crowns and BruxZir Esthetic NOW for premolar crowns.
PATIENT-CENTERED DENTISTRY IN REAL TIME
One of my favorite examples of the impact of same-day dentistry happened recently with a longtime patient of mine — a retired Tustin Fire Chief who, despite moving more than an hour away, still makes the drive to see us.
During his most recent visit, we discovered recurrent decay under one of his old crowns that required replacement. The crown was sectioned and carefully removed, revealing an underlying carious lesion that was thoroughly cleaned and treated. After refining the preparation, the tooth was scanned using the fastscan.io scanner.
While waiting for his new crown, he decided to grab a cup of coffee at one of the local spots he used to frequent with his fellow firefighters. The design process was completed seamlessly and efficiently with the help of the Glidewell lab. The BruxZir Esthetic NOW Milling Block was then milled chairside, and the finished crown was ready for delivery within the same appointment, achieving an excellent fit and esthetic result.
In the past, this would have required two separate visits, one for preparation and another for delivery. Instead, I said, “Why don’t you just wait? I’ll make your crown now.” It was a simple exchange that perfectly captured how same-day dentistry makes life easier for my patients.
THE LEARNING CURVE AND THE PAYOFF
Digital dentistry isn’t about gadgets; it’s about improvement, convenience, teamwork and respect for our patients’ time. After practicing entirely analog for so many years, my first digital cases were a real adjustment. But with live support from the glidewell.io team, paired with their courses and in-office training, my practice and I adapted quickly, and now everything runs smoother than ever.
Today, I design, mill, and cement restorations in a single appointment. Beyond the wow factor for patients, the efficiency is extraordinary: what once required a two-week turnaround is now finished in under two hours. What began as a simple step toward improving patient comfort has become one of the most meaningful evolutions in the way I deliver care.
Medit and i700 are registered trademarks of Medit.
iTero is a trademark of Align Technology, Inc.
