Hi! - ENG
3Shape, a company that develops solutions in the field of dentistry, has established itself in recent years as a flagship brand in the sector in Spain. The firm, known above all for its advanced solutions such as intraoral and lab scanners and its design and surgery planning software, is making its mark in the Iberian Peninsula thanks to the commercial ties it has forged with strategic companies such as AVINENT, a leader in digital dentistry that has the human and material resources that enable it to respond to new needs. Luis Molina, 3Shape Country Manager in Spain and Portugal, has given this interview to AVINENT Experiences to provide insights into the future of the brand in Spain and around the world, as well as the keys to 3Shape’s partnership with AVINENT, and to discuss the future of the sector.
Q: Where is 3Shape at the moment? What level of implementation does the company have in Spain and around the world in general?
LM: 3Shape established a presence in Spain last November when it opened an office in Madrid to provide a service to the distributors and the end users of its products. In a nutshell, we are currently in the process of enormous expansion in terms of new product development and at the level of coverage and service provision. As part of this expansion, opening offices in different markets is key for us in order to pursue our strategy.
Q: Which products are particularly welcomed by the sector? And what reasons do you attribute that to?
LM: 3Shape has established an especially strong presence in the lab market thanks to its Dental System CAD design software and because of its modules for designing implant-supported and orthodontic prostheses. The product that is most in demand and of greatest interest to our market today is the TRIOS intraoral scanner, which enables clinics to take digital prints in 3D of the utmost quality and accuracy and, at the same time, to connect quickly and securely with their dental lab.
“Our product that is most in demand is the TRIOS intraoral scanner, which enables clinics to take digital prints in 3D of the utmost quality and accuracy”
Moreover, 3Shape TRIOS has a number of design modules that make it even more useful and versatile for clinics. The most important of these are: Implant Studio, which is software for designing surgical guides and planning implants; OrthoAnalyzer, orthodontic software that enables users to make set-ups, design aligners, guides for indirect bonding of brackets, etc.; and lastly, Design Studio, software for designing temporary prostheses, which allows clinics to design their temporary prostheses and print them using 3D printers or mill them using a desktop milling machine.
Q: Tell us about the partnership between 3Shape and AVINENT. What reasons lay behind the companies’ decision to work together and what do they bring to each other?
LM: We’ve been working with AVINENT for a number of years. The two companies share the same philosophy as regards innovation and both strive to improve all the time, as a result of which the partnership between them has grown stronger since the beginning.
We in 3Shape contribute digital technology for both dental labs and clinics. This technology is of outstanding quality and the features it offers professionals are subject to ongoing development. AVINENT brings to the partnership a team of highly-skilled developers who help to get the most out of 3Shape products. AVINENT also provides a series of services and products that make it possible to offer a complete digital workflow to dentists and dental technicians alike. Its commercial team is professional and tenacious when it comes to offering the right product to every professional in accordance with their needs and expectations.
“Working with partners like AVINENT that offer a complete solution that includes equipment, products and services of guaranteed quality is essential for 3Shape”
Q: To what extent does the fact that AVINENT can provide a complete solution as regards the digital workflow influence this strategic partnership? What are the advantages of this for 3Shape?
LM: The fact that AVINENT offers a comprehensive digital solution for making fixed and implant-supported prostheses and, more recently, solutions in the field of orthodontics makes it a key distributor in 3Shape’s commercial strategy. These days, dental professionals are looking for solutions and service providers that are more than product distributors. For us, working with partners like AVINENT that offer a complete solution that includes equipment, products and services of guaranteed quality is essential. AVINENT is capable of giving us that with every assurance.
Q: In your view, how important are the educational and training sessions organized by AVINENT, such as the Sharing Knowledge congresses held in various places across Spain? What about other aspects such as the training and educational partnership between AVINENT, 3Shape and the FUB (Universitat de Manresa)?
LM: The speed with which technology is moving into the dental market means that one of the demands that must be swiftly met is the need for training. Congresses like AVINENT’s Sharing Knowledge sessions are crucial for clearly explaining the direction technology is going in and what it can offer professionals and the way they work.
3Shape sees training as a priority. Consequently, industry partnerships with academic bodies, like the partnership between 3Shape and AVINENT – FUB to set up a training course in dental prostheses that is already using and working with digital tools today, offer a unique scenario in terms of their quality. Personalized training is provided that covers the digital workflow available to clinics and laboratories from start to end.
Q: How important is it for a professional wishing to embark on digital dentistry to do so with the aid of a quality solutions facilitator with good experience of products and the skills and knowledge to provide advice?
LM: Technological development has been spectacular in recent years and there is no doubt that the technology will continue to advance and evolve in the coming years. In this scenario, professionals must work with maximum assurances and this can only be achieved by working with companies that offer a total solution that includes advice, technical support and quality training. AVINENT is one of our distributors because it provides this comprehensive solution and is a company that invests in development and technology, a key element in our strategy in Spain and at an international level.
“The ability to work with a virtual patient in 3D enables the professional to achieve previously unthinkable standards of quality”
Q: How has the dental sector changed in recent years? What are the factors that have driven its evolution?
LM: The processes of digitization, 3D elements, and new production technologies have established themselves in recent years, offering a solution of the utmost quality and paving the way for improvements in various dental treatments and disciplines. The possibility of working with a virtual patient in 3D is a reality that enables professionals to achieve previously unthinkable standards of quality. The greatest beneficiary of this technological progress is undoubtedly the patient and, hence, the entire dental market.
Q: What is your view of the current implementation of digital solutions in the realm of dentistry? Is the future of the sector digital?
LM: The present is digital and, in the future, digital dentistry will not be a matter of debate but simply dentistry.