EVERY YEAR, WE ASK our subject matter experts, writers and staff to share their favorite problem solvers, game changers and innovations. Some picks are new to market, while others earned our admiration over time. All deserve your attention. Interestingly, this year’s list is a bit shorter than those from 2024 and 2025. Are economic headwinds slowing innovation? Or have the past few years’ surges of standout products raised our expectations too high? You decide as you explore our top nominations, presented in no particular order.

Romexis Reinvented

Romexis 7 | Planmeca 

Planmeca’s Romexis platform has long been a solid backbone for digital dentistry, quietly connecting cutting-edge hardware including the company’s Viso G3 CBCT, one of the standout Products of the Year from 2025. But with Romexis 7, the software steps into the spotlight. This latest version introduces AI-powered features as standard, transforming the user experience. Its built-in virtual assistant flattens any learning curve, answering broad questions with step-by-step guidance and even remembering previous prompts for faster results. Smart Anatomy automatically detects and segments anatomies, while Smart Implant proposes implant plans with minimal input. Fewer clicks? Simpler software? Less routine work, and more time for patient care? Count us in.

Ten-Second Canal Check

Endocator | Vista Apex Solutions

Endocator works by detecting trace amounts of adenosine triphosphate and other biomarkers inside a root canal, delivering an adjunctive canal cleanliness score in ten seconds. To use, simply rinse the canals with sterile water . . . aspirate and inject a sample into the test swab . . . insert it into the Endocator . . . and press the test button to get a reading in ten seconds. That’s it! Endocator uses bioluminescence technology to detect and “score” residual contamination: 1 to 25 (low bioburden, clean and ready to fill), 26 to 50 (medium bioburden, consider more cleaning) or 51 to 100 (high bioburden, additional cleaning strongly suggested). Plus it pays for itself with just one avoided retreatment. That’s a no-brainer.

Quiet Revolution

Ti-Max Z99L | NSK

Everyone pretty much has the same wish list for their next handpiece: quiet, smooth-cutting, long-lasting performance. Anything that gets us closer is music to our ears, and NSK’s new Ti-Max Z99L grabbed our attention. According to NSK, it’s the highest-rated handpiece in Dental Product Shopper’s more than 18 years of product evaluation history, receiving a perfect 5.0 score. The next-gen chuck and gear design, improved durability, gripping strength and enhanced cutting performance help it deliver a surprisingly serene (for a handpiece) treatment experience. Meticulous refinements to the head angle, water spray angle and bur retention force make procedures even easier. Plus, its notable three-year warranty and scope of coverage make this handpiece as smart as it is smooth.

Confident Cut

Synea Power Edition Handpiece | W&H

Removing zirconia crowns and bridges can be brutal on conventional handpieces. That’s why the Synea Power Edition was engineered specifically for this challenge: protecting your existing instruments while making zirconia or e.max removal easier. Thanks to an extra-stable chucking system with 20 percent greater gripping force, plus a multi-nozzle spray with high water flow for optimum cooling of the treatment site, it delivers smooth performance. Dr. Kalambayi Kabasela, a prosthodontist in the nation’s capital, lauds its “quiet operation, exceptional precision and ergonomic design.” Dr. Stephanie Robertson-Cameron in Wichita, Kansas, says she’s able to remove a crown “in 30 seconds compared to three to five minutes of cutting.” We say it simply gives you the upper hand.

Double Productivity

Duo Kit for PRO 2 Printers | SprintRay

Why print just one when you can print two? Simply add the Duo Kit to your Pro 2 printer and, with minimal training and setup, eliminate material changeovers and interruptions. For dentists, that means delivering dentures and appliances faster, in one batch, reducing chair time for better patient experiences. For labs, it means parallel case production and streamlined workflows, eliminating resin hangeovers for denture bases and denture teeth, models and crowns and more. Setup takes only a few minutes, and calibration is automatic and needs to be done only once. Printing is even easer: Select the software’s Duo Mode and choose the indications for each tank. Two resins in one run? That’s parallel printing, perfected.

Rapid Resin, Rare Results

Retainer | SprintRay

SprintRay Retainer lets you 3D-print crystal-clear retainers without traditional models or thermoforming, delivering same-day trays with perfect fit and lasting durability. Designed exclusively for SprintRay Pro S and Pro 2 printers, it’s part of a fully validated, biocompatible direct-print system that includes free AI Retainer Design. Bottom line: It makes producing high-quality retainers faster and easier—and there’s more. MOD Institute founder Dr. Wally Renne (@dr.wallyrenne) wrote on Instagram, “[It] might be my new favorite resin. It’s super versatile beyond just retainers. Here we are using it as a depth reduction guide for a full upper arch case. Many more applications coming soon!”

About Face

MetiSmile-MR | SHINING 3D Dental

Facial scanners range from high-end to “free” iPhone apps (but you’ll have to pay if you want STL files). MetiSmile MR hits the sweet spot, the in-between price, while seamlessly integrating intraoral, facial, jaw motion and CBCT data using a single device and included software. Scanning takes just ten seconds, with automatic brightness adjustment for crisp facial textures. From there, the possibilities are all you’d expect: orthodontic simulations, esthetic analysis, digital smile design and jaw motion tracking. Its flash-less infrared technology makes it easier for patients to hold a natural smile, while the choice of handheld or desktop operation gives you flexibility. Powerful, fast and surprisingly affordable, MetiSmile-MR is all about streamlining affordable excellence.

iTero’s New Hero

iTero Lumina Pro | iTero

It’s an investment, but man, does it pay off. iTero’s latest scanner is its best yet, powered by the company’s Multi-Direct Capture technology, designed to quickly and accurately capture more data, faster, compared to its already impressive iTero Element Plus Series scanners. That means a 3x larger field of view and max capture distance of 25mm for the most challenging areas. The photorealistic scans are perhaps the best we’ve seen—even eliminating the need for intraoral photos for Invisalign cases. Beyond beauty, the iTero Lumina scanner is a do-it-all diagnostic powerhouse: accurate 3D models, interproxi­mal caries detection and compelling visuals for case acceptance. Its slim wand captures everything from single-unit crowns to full-arch preps in one smooth pass. It sets a high bar.

Support System

500 Stools | A-DEC

A-dec understands the intense physical demands of dentistry, so it has applied equally intense engineering to its A-dec 500 stools. On the outside, they’re typical A-dec: sleek, modern and radiating quality. But inside, three layers of flexible materials—plus four unique comfort zones—promote healthy torso posture and good circulation, helping reduce fatigue and the long-term toll of daily dentistry. Thoughtful features like numbered adjustment paddles make it easy for multiple users to find (and return to) their ideal settings. And with A-dec’s ten-year warranty, these stools are built to support you for the long haul.

Stuck on You

OptiBond Universal 360| Kerr 

Sometimes, “universal” products are great at some things and not as good at others. But OptiBond Universal 360 from Kerr really can be your sole go-to for all restorative procedures. First, it does job No. 1 for bonding agents right, “seem[ing] to have a stronger bond than the other bonding agent I have been using,” says Dr. Floyd Garrett, who practices in Cordova, Tennessee. And it just keeps ticking all the right boxes: It’s not material- or technique-sensitive, requires no refrigeration and is compatible with self-etch, selective-etch and total-etch techniques for both direct and indirect restorations. Plus, you’ll need only one hand to work the new bottle, which delivers perfectly precise droplets every time. We’ve also heard great initial reports about reduced post-op sensitivity. What’s not to love?