What will 2024 bring to dental technology?

Ashley Byrne discusses the trials and tribulations of 2023, and why he believes 2024 will be ‘the year of the dental technician’.

As we all breathe a huge sigh of relief that this year is coming to an end, it’s a good time to reflect on what 2024 will bring to the party.

From our own experience, our Christmas rush this year was like nothing I’ve seen for years, and I know many labs have struggled with sheer volume and short dates. I also know dentists are feeling that pain and, as an industry, we are all looking forward to a well-earned break.

You can’t look forward to a new year without some small reflection of 2023. We have seen significant market changes with huge growth in practice-based corporate groups, and this offers both positives and negatives. We have also seen significant growth in lab-based groups, including the entry of Corus in the UK market via my own lab.

Despite what many people have said and thought, I’m not exiting through my collaboration with Corus. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. You are firmly stuck with me and my articles for a great deal longer and, like or loath it, I’m just getting started!

A year of challenges

We have all had challenges this year though, whether as a small lab or a large team in a group. At Byrnes, we have seen a marked decrease in the understanding of restorative dentistry for a start. Clinicians lacking material knowledge, treatment plans, lack of images, and poor prescriptions have all been a major problem for us.

I’m not actually blaming the dentists or clinical teams here. They have had their own challenges, with patient demands through the roof post-pandemic, legislation greatly on the rise, and a lack of nurses and support staff taking its toll. Combine that with a lack of dentists to serve the general public, and it’s amazing they have time for anything.

Labs have had serious recruitment issues, in addition to keeping up with innovation, new materials and modern treatment plans. It has been challenging.

Time, or should I say lack thereof, is (in my opinion) one of the greatest challenges the dental team faced in 2023. Just ask yourself, did you have much spare time at work this year? I bet most of us, perhaps all, would say no.

That brings us nicely onto 2024. Once we have all had some relaxation and quality time with family and friends, I hope most of us will be looking forward to what I feel will really be the year of the dental technician.

I’ve mentioned many times before about the challenges the dental clinics are facing. While many feel strongly that this is an issue that the clinics need to sort, my opinion is solely and whole-heartedly that this as incredible opportunity for us to fix.

Innovation advancements

Innovation in our own industry has lulled a little and I’m not expecting many mind-blowing releases next year.

I’m expecting to see more options for printing in colour, methods improving around digital dentures, and a new wave of higher standards in high-quality digital dentures through using stains, coloured resins, and stock teeth.

They’re all rather standard improvements I’d say. I think where we will see more significant advances is in CAD software, automation and, of course, AI.

Augmented reality in wax ups and smile design will steadily become the norm rather than the new. AI will be used in most labs and I see robotics and actual automation entering dental technology.

How can labs help with practice demands?

That’s all very exciting, but it still doesn’t deal with the elephant in the room – the dental practice.

Practices are facing their own challenges and patients are not getting any easier. The demands on the dental practice are ever increasing and without a doubt, lack of time is also one of their biggest challenges.

The second challenge that a lot of practices are facing is differentiation. As the corporate groups grow, standing above the crowd and being noticed is becoming ever-increasingly more challenging.

Social media, having an intraoral scanner (IOS), and using digital to promote the practice is going to be key. All of this is, of course, while avoiding complaints with the General Dental Council (GDC) and poor reviews, which can seriously damage a practice.

Labs are sitting quiet on all the above, yet in my opinion we can help on multiple factors here: treatment planning, using digital, teaching digital, and educating treatment planning to both dentist and the team.

Assisting with modern lab software that links with the practice is going to becoming a vital key in the lab-clinic relations. We need software that allows auto booking in, tracking as standard, traceability and, of course, assisting with financials.

I’m still amazed that we are double entering data from IOS platforms (call it triple if you think the practice is also doing double entry, as is the lab) which is a huge waste of time for everyone.

However we deal with this issue, our focus as labs is very much on offering a unique service to our practices, that saves time and makes restorative dentistry easier than ever, is ethically sellable and of course, at the cutting edge.

Challenges are opportunities

The lab industry is changing rapidly and the business side of our industry even faster. 2024 is going to be a year where that will change significantly in my opinion, and we must assess how each of us tackles those challenges.

There will be even less labs and even less technicians. The volume of work will rise again and again in the private sector. Prescriptions will get worse. Time will be at an even higher premium. Clinical knowledge of the materials and methods we use will fall shorter than ever.

Yet I see all of these challenges as opportunities. In fact, I don’t think there has been a greater moment in the life of a lab owner and dental technician than there is right now. However, we have never faced these challenges like this before.

We must reinvent. We have to be creative in what we offer because, in my opinion, just offering high-end false teeth will not cut the mustard.

‘The most outstanding year ahead’

Before I sign off, I wanted to say thanks to everyone in our industry that has made 2023 the most exciting and interesting in my career. My new family, Corus, has exceeded all my expectations and has armed me with the tools I need to take on 2024 with gusto!

Of course, there are multiple ways from small labs, large labs, and groups of independents to tackle our industry challenges. And I firmly believe that we still need to work together to put us in the driving seat of restorative dentistry.

I’m extremely excited about 2024. In fact, I’m confident this will be the most outstanding year ahead.

As I spoke of my plans for 2024, a good friend reminded me of this quote. Steve jobs once said: ‘The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.’ You know what? I’m feeling pretty crazy…

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