FROM AMAZING TECHNOLOGY that was unfathomable just a few years ago to everyday consumables that defy the ordinary, these are our picks of the products that grabbed our attention and didn’t let go during the last year. Don’t confuse it with a typical “best of” list, though: Our selections are, by definition, subjective. Some are new, some are of the moment. They’re all, we think, worthy of your close attention.
Lights, Camera… Combined!
Eva-Cam
Faro
ARE YOU OVER the idea of a separate intraoral camera? Faro’s Eva Cam combines an excellent operatory light with a hands-free 4K camera for easy documentation without compromising on either. It’s super-easy to use—compatible with Windows, Mac and Android—with your choice of controls (foot pedal or wireless), and it includes Faro’s 2700K Composave function to avoid curing.
Protect Yourself—and the Planet
Bio Nitrile
Canberry
TRADITIONAL nitrile gloves take decades to begin degrading. Bio Nitrile is formulated to attract microbes after disposal, breaking down 80 percent of its structure in about a year and a half. Yet there are no compromises to their fit, comfort or protection. They also come packed in boxes of 300 to reduce waste and are priced competitively like traditional nitrile gloves.
Plastic Fantastic
SimplyClear Aligners
Orthobrain
WE’VE REPORTED often on Smile Direct Club’s ups and downs since its beginnings. Now, in the wake of its bankruptcy, the oft-derided company has left a void crying out to be filled by dental practices capable of performing cost-effective ortho— or fixing the results of dangerous new TikTok trends. Our hands-down pick for leveraging this opportunity: SimplyClear aligners from Orthobrain, a low-risk, low-stress way to meet patients where they want to be, profitably.
We loved this product last year, but it was just slightly edged out of POTY consideration. Since then, not only did it become even more relevant, but Benco Dental customers also voted enthusiastically with their wallets. Twelve months later, not a single purchase has been returned. Zero, zip, nada, not one. No wonder: SimplyClear offers affordable aligners and case management with no certifications required. Treatment plans are crafted by orthodontists, extensive training helps doctors administer treatment and support is top-notch.
Happiness Is a Warm Gun
Compex HD
Addent
THE BENEFITS OF composite warming have been well known since the 1980s, though early methods ranged from makeshift to crude. Dozens of subsequent studies attest to why warming makes a difference in both clinical results and ease of use—and many of those studies were made possible by AdDent’s Calset, the first warmer designed for dentistry. The latest version of the older device is still great. But here’s the new Compex HD, a self-contained, lightweight, easily maneuverable dispensing gun with no separate warming tray required. Compules are warmed on demand, right inside the gun.
Compex HD strips away every remaining argument against composite warming. Is three-minute heating not fast enough? Compex HD now heats a broad range of compules to 155°F in 40 seconds or less, and ejecting one cartridge and popping in another is almost effortless. Lack of portability? It heats up to 100 compules between charges. Moreover, studies show that composites lose heat fast, so users lose the benefit of warming as temperatures drop. Compex HD makes it easier to maintain optimum temperatures because you don’t have to move compules from a warmer to a gun. If you already own a Calset? Keep using it to prewarm compules and warm instruments. Either way, AdDent remains at the forefront of the product category it pioneered.
Right Resin, Right Time
Ceramic Crown
Sprintray
FDA-CLEARED for full crowns, partial crowns and veneers, SprintRay Ceramic Crown resin arrived just in time for the ADA’s amendments opening the way for practices to seek reimbursement for 3D-printed ceramic crowns containing greater than 50 percent inorganic refractory compounds. User reviews and scientific studies unequivocally demonstrate that the finished restorations exhibit good final polish, excellent marginal adaptation and noteworthy wear resistance.
3D Reaches Maturity
PRO 4K80 UV
Asiga
BREAKTHROUGH PRODUCTS like Asiga’s PRO 4K80 UV are combining remarkable performance at prices more buyers are comfortable with. We also love Asiga’s smaller but still wildly capable MAX UV. However, the bigger PRO 4K80 UV delivers the latest 4K imaging technology for superfine precision within a reasonable footprint while producing a build volume three times larger than Asiga’s desktop 3D printers. Plus, Asiga’s open materials system offers unrestricted access to a future-proof array of choices.
Praiseworthy Pulp Testing
CanalPro Endo-Ice Green
Coltene
THE ORIGINAL Endo-Ice, introduced in 1988, changed the game for pulp vitality testing, ending the need for cumbersome ice sticks and carbon dioxide. Now, there’s Endo-Ice Green, the first low-global-warming refrigerant spray with a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of <1 and a significantly shorter atmospheric lifetime than counterparts currently on the market. Every little bit helps.
Do Your Best, Outsource the Rest
Ceramill DRS
Amann Girrbach
SMARTLY DESIGNED to grow with your practice, the modular Ceramill DRS system also syncs holistically with your lab for the right restorative workflow in every case. Start with the Connection Kit, which includes the Ceramill Map DRS intraoral scanner and software, plus AG.Live, the first portal directly connected to a CAD/CAM production system and accessible from any internet-enabled machine. Add same-day dentistry with the Production Kit integrating the Ceramill Motion DRS mill. Then add the High-Speed Zirconia Kit with Ceramill Therm DRS furnace for 20-minute sintering.
Small Wonder
TRIOS 5 Wireless
3Shape
SCAN IN ANY DIRECTION with TRIOS 5, because AI cleans up the scan and avoids stitching errors. Haptic feedback guides you along the way, so you don’t have to constantly shift focus from patient to screen. You also won’t need to calibrate it after a certain number of scans, and it lets you scan up to 33 patients per charge. All this from 3Shape’s smallest and lightest scanner to date.
Really Cool VR
Dream Dental
Paperplane Therapeutics
WITH A DECADES-LONG history of providing immersive VR tech at the hospital level, Paperplane Therapeutics stands on a solid track record of managing pain and anxiety in pediatric patients. Dream Dental is its latest-generation VR headset with advanced software specifically designed for dental procedures, enabling patients to interact with the immersive experience while remaining completely still.
Potent Powder
NoGag
Orion Innovations
NoGAG SUPPRESSES the gag reflex in 10 seconds following application and lasts 60 minutes. It does so by creating a biochemical mimic, making the brain think the patient is swallowing food, so it quells the gag reflex. To use, simply open the single-use packet and place the ingredients on the top anterior third of the tongue.
Smarter, Safer, Brighter
Isolite Pro
ZYRIS
THE LATEST Isolite Pro, new and improved, stands out as a comprehensive illuminated isolation system, offering brighter lighting plus features like posterior/quadrant-based access, anterior/premolar-to-premolar access, posterior shadowless intraoral illumination and continuous hands-free suction.
2023 Innovation Index Report
Which of the newest products are your colleagues investing in?
We’ve tapped data from the previous year’s sales of our publisher, Benco Dental, to reveal the biggest sellers
What Is the Innovation Index?
Benco Dental’s data scientists separately analyze the sales of products introduced strictly within the last three years to track the early adoption rate of new products in relation to overall sales. This helps them understand how to better encourage the development of innovative products and speed their acceptance in the marketplace.
Top 5 Consumables Brands
With the highest sales of products introduced in the previous three years.
1. Dentsply
2. 3M
3. GLO Science
4. Solmetex
5. Heraeus Kulzer
Top 5 Innovative Scanners
1. 3Shape TRIOS 5 wireless
2. iTero Element 5D system
3. iTero Element 5D Plus Lite
4. DEXIS IS 3800 Wireless
5. iTero Element 2
Top 5 Innovative Core Equipment Products
1. W&H Lexa MN-111 sterilizer with data logger
2. DentalEZ Aeras 4 by Ramvac vacuum with Aeras Intel
3. DentalEZ Aeras 5 by Ramvac compressor with Aeras Intel
4. DentalEZ Aeras 5 by Ramvac vacuum with Aeras Intel
5. EMS Dental AIRFLOW Prophylaxis Master for Guided Biofilm Therapy
Top 5 Innovative Tech Products Under $10,000
1. DEXIS Titanium digital X-ray sensor
2. EzRay Air Portable X-ray
3. DEXIS ISX sensor (size 2)
4. DEXIS NOMAD Pro 2 handheld X-ray
5. Midmark Preva DC intraoral X-ray
Top Innovative Tech Sales Trend↑ 71% 3D Printers↓ CAD/CAM mills
LOADING FORM...