I am on the flight home from the biggest digital event in the history of the world. What an exhausting time, and that is in a good way. An array of speakers the likes of have which have never been brought together before. Different techniques, different materials, and different philosophies all there for you to pick and choose as you please.

Whenever the CEREC community gets together, there is a certain energy and excitement like no other. There is no other group that shares information as freely, benefiting all who attend. The exhibitors also have a different attitude than the regular run-of-the-mill dental meeting. You have the large companies that come in and have been great partners offering support and innovation. Honestly, without Sirona and Patterson there could never be an event such as this.

Ivoclar and Vita are constant in their support and their concern to advance digital dentistry and to make our day-to-day CAD/CAM lives the better. Being innovative in researching how they can improve things, coming up with products and using this event to allow us a peek behind the curtain.

The many other exhibitors are routinely at these CAD/CAM events, time after time. They range from Isolite, a product that should be made a requirement for all patient visits where our CERECs are used, to Kerr, a company with predictable products for us to use.

We also have the group that needs to be noted, separate from the others, the newbies – the companies that have recognized that they need to become a presence or larger presence at these events. You look at Biomet 3I, a proactive digital company in its own right, coming and using this event not only to educate, but to listen to the concerns and desires of the CEREC dentist. The significant increase in the size of the 3M presence could not go unnoticed; their positive attitude was readily evident when you went to the booth. Having a company that is as innovative as 3M saying they are looking into how they can create products that will help the CEREC dentist tells me we are in-store for some exciting times. Bicon coming with plans of new materials and even more exciting is a guide kit for their line of implants. Bicon is a company that has some similarities to CEREC, in existence for about the same time, faced the same opposition, due to its views that were contrary to the establishment. But as with CEREC, withstanding the test of time, proving its products are a predictable and efficient way to restore our patients.

So we celebrate CEREC and what it does for us, but we also recognize the commitment that these exhibitors make in allowing us to have events such as this.

Amen Pete! Great expression of sentiment of all CEREC docs who were there! Also thanks for your part in the experience!