Laboratory‘s Lucy Veal visited Exocad’s Insights 2024, where innovation, education and collaboration in dentistry took centre stage.
The beautiful Palma de Mallorca was recently the host of Exocad’s unforgettable Insights 2024 conference. Here, dentists and dental technicians gathered for two days of learning and networking right on the beachfront, where they could get face-to-face with innovation and technological advancements.
Having heard how engaging and lively the last Insights event was in 2022, this one had a lot to live up to. But it’s fair to say it went above and beyond my expectations. The completely sold-out event held a huge number of inspirational and informative talks from leading dental professionals. Topics included communication, 3D printing, smile analysis, smile design, treatment planning and all things CAD.
In addition, the expansive dental exhibition area hosted some of the biggest dental brands, sharing their expertise and latest products with the delegates.
The ‘pearly white’ evening celebration, a particular highlight, also saw delegates relax, network and celebrate with great food, drinks and live music.
The ‘funky’ side of dentistry
For Eva Kolb, product manager at Vita, it was the second time she had attended the event, and she thinks ‘it’s just getting better’!
She said: ‘It’s very well organised and a great networking experience. It’s also a great place to see some new developments from competitors. So, I would always absolutely recommend it.’
Likewise, Marcos White, principal dentist, lab owner and one of the lecturers at Insights 2024, was impressed by the friendliness of the event. He said: ‘I remember a time when symposiums and conferences were a bit daunting – you would see superstar dentists doing dentistry you could never do.
‘But here it really seems like peers doing their very best with good technology, and just trying to help each other out. And whether it’s a CEO of a company, a technician, a dentist or a dental therapist, they all learn from each other.’
Teamwork makes the dream work
He aimed to simplify the benefits of adopting new technology through his lectures, one which was co-presented with lab owner Ashley Byrne. This lecture focused on the importance of communication between dentist and technician, and how digital tools can enhance it.
Ashley said he hopes the attendees took away ‘the importance of communication, the importance of documentation and the importance of working together as a team’.
‘If everyone is communicating well, we’re storing the data correctly and we’re sharing problems as well as solutions, we can generally do a much higher standard of dentistry for the patient.’
For Ashley, Exocad’s Insights is one of his favourite congresses to come to. He said: ‘It’s a really educational, cool, funky, digital side of dentistry. And location wise, I mean, you’re on the beach basically!’
He added: ‘And I think one of the most important things for me is that you’ve got around 750 dental professionals here, and it’s very rare that you get that volume of technicians together.’
‘Hub of knowledge’
With a high number of delegates and a noticeably friendly and engaging atmosphere, Insights 2024 was the perfect place for networking and learning. In fact, the very essence of the conference lived up to its motto of ‘Network. Innovate. Lead.’, meaning delegates left feeling both inspired and informed.
For those using Exocad or thinking about adopting a digital workflow, the variety of lectures were very useful.
Peer Meier, a dentist from Germany, said he attended Insights 2024 because he is planning to digitalise his practice. ‘So, this is a good opportunity to become informed about all the relevant firms,’ he said.
He also added that he would recommend others attend the next Insights event because ‘especially for the digital market, you’re well informed and connected with other people – and it’s an interesting topic.’
‘Mind-blowing’
Mark Crowle, a dental technician from Cornwall, decided to attend Insights 2024 because his lab uses Exocad ‘for just about everything’ and so he thought this would be an informative event to come to. He said: ‘I’ve gained a lot more knowledge and I wanted to see what the future of dentistry is and how to get there.’
Education was truly at the forefront of Insights 2024, with delegates, speakers and exhibitors alike able to ask questions, share knowledge and be inspired.
Dental technician Kristina Vaitelyte, one of the closing lecturers at Insights 2024, said the experience was ‘mind-blowing’. ‘It is fantastic to find the answers to my questions as a professional, and also share my answers to other people who have the questions I had in the past.
‘It’s a hub of knowledge.’
Kristina’s lecture discussed how to utilise all of the tools and features in Exocad to achieve the best treatment for the patient, using case studies.
‘I have learned a lot. You need to go to conferences, you need to educate yourself, you need to expand your knowledge. Otherwise, you’re resisting change. To really see your full potential, you need to meet as many people as possible.’
Sharing expertise
Dental therapist Cat Edney was another notable speaker at the event. She discussed how digital technology has transformed her practice and the positive impact this has had on relationships within the team. She also highlighted the importance of a collaborative approach to treatment planning and how patients can feel empowered to make positive steps toward long term oral health.
‘Coming to Palma for such an open and progressive event has been such an eye opener!’, Cat said. ‘The main takeaway for me was the incredible amount of technology we have to support us as clinicians.
‘I think dental therapists especially have felt that they cannot access the expertise of dental laboratories and technicians, but this event has really opened my eyes to the potential for growth when team members connect.’
Open discussions
The opportunity to share expertise was also a highlight for Raj Juneja, clinical director and principal dentist. He discussed the Itero Design Suite, which allows dentists to design restorations and appliances, print models and start their journey in 3D printing. This will allow labs which are inundated with work to concentrate on bigger ticket items.
Raj said: ‘It’s been great because when you get in a room with people who have a similar mindset, as most of the dentists and technicians here are digitally savvy, you can learn a lot from each other.
‘The talks have been amazing, and all the speakers have shared their workflows very openly.
‘We can go back having been inspired and change things in our own workflows.’
He continued: ‘The biggest thing for me is the rapid evolution and the growth that’s happening in the dental industry. Things are changing so fast, so it’s always important to keep up.
‘Digital technology has grown to a level where it’s unparalleled, and it’s only going to get better. I’m super excited for the future.’
Digital dentistry is now
To me, Insights 2024 demonstrated that digital dentistry is not just the future, it’s very much the present and it has no signs of slowing down. In addition, it highlighted how reachable digital dentistry is across the globe – no one can survive in the industry without digital dentistry today.
It has enhanced every aspect of dental care, from treatment planning to DCP collaboration. And particularly for dental technicians and labs, of whom many often feel under-appreciated, this conference celebrated their passion, potential and technical brilliance, with dental technology taking centre stage.
This sentiment was shared by dental technician Margarita Vaitelyte, who said her key takeaway from Insights 2024 was the ‘feeling of security’. She said: ‘Seeing the dental industry and us, technicians, involved in it makes me feel confident.
‘The progress of technology, the tools we have and the communication we are now able to develop between the dental surgery and lab are helping us to become a better team.’
Inspired delegates
She was also impressed by the atmosphere and speaker line-up, and was ‘extremely happy’ to be able to meet her ‘professional idols’ in person.
She continued: ‘If you are looking for a good excuse to escape, Insights 2024 offers the perfect combination without the feeling of guilt: professional development hours plus the beach and sun!’
The success of Insights 2024 was crystal clear from day one. There was no shortage of lively discussions or helpful tips, and delegates left feeling inspired and engaged.
Christine McClymont, global head of marketing and communications at Exocad, said: ‘I hope that no matter where the attendees stood in their digital journey, they walked away with at least one key lesson on how to improve their workflows further.
‘I am confident everyone did and that every participant made a valuable connection to a peer or a manufacturer and to us.’
She added: ‘Our big takeaway is that it was the right decision to grow the event, as there continues to be a great need for education in CAD/CAM.
‘It really is the key to success in digital dentistry, and we see how inspiring and rewarding it is to spend time face-to-face with the global Exocad community.’
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