Dental Product Design

Professional Dental Product Innovation and the Role of Design

Excellent design is innovative, sustainable, holistic. “Design can only be holistic when the form follows the function. Consequently our designers act as translators of modern technology into a design which provides an excellent efficiency in the daily work-flow and an outstanding patient und user experience,” says Florian Sobirey, Director Design at Dentsply Sirona. The Dentsply Sirona Design is minimalistic, elegant and easy to clean.

Dentists are Part of the Entire Development Process

“What looks simple in the end is usually the result of a long design study process,” says Susanne Schmidinger, Director Global Brand Marketing Enabling Devices at Dentsply Sirona Digital Solutions Marketing. Dentsply Sirona develops all of its products in close collaboration with dentists from all over the world. “Dentists are part of the entire development process and constantly give us feedback concerning a solution’s ease of use. New products not only have to be powerful and versatile, but also highly intuitive and instantly understandable.” says Florian Sobirey. “It is important to us that our focus groups reflect diversity and are gender balanced. Only by including a variety of perspectives from different markets can we be satisfied that customers will love Dentsply Sirona’s design when the solution goes to market.”

Dentsply Sirona fits into every dental office style. The premium design integrates smoothly into the individual ambience of every dental office. Additionally, every single product is an eye-catcher. “We also have great feedback from patients who value design as it conveys emotion and comfort, which is paramount for an exceptional practice experience and thus customer satisfaction,” notes Florian Sobirey. The award-winning design of Axeos is itself a conversation piece. Patients notice the ambient lighting and appreciate having access to state-of-the-art technology.

“I am not only interested in overall looks, but I always dedicate special attention even to the smallest details. A great example is the ambient light strip of CEREC Primemill, which indicates its milling status.”

Florian Sobirey

CEREC Primemill

A perfect example of how Dentsply Sirona keeps innovating and improving the possibilities for chairside fabrication is CEREC Primemill, which was launched in 2020. “During product development, we questioned every aspect of the previous model and subsequently rethought the whole product in order to greatly improve the restoration process. Not only is CEREC Primemill much faster, with the inclusion of the block scanner and RFID technology the whole setup process has become extremely easy, effective and fun. The new touch interface is a result of extensive user research, which led to the step-by-step interface that is context sensitive,” explains Florian Sobirey.

We Think of Solutions rather than Products

Florian Sobirey, Dentsply Sirona’s Director Design

To learn more about product design from the perspective of a manufacturer, Florian Sobirey shares insight about the design process at the Company as well as the philosophy toward digitalization. He also discusses where he believes the future is going with regard to user experience of dental professional products.

Could you share some insight into the design process?

Florian Sobirey: In general, we avoid starting with a predefined product idea, but we rather initiate the process by asking ourselves a simple question: how can we improve the practice experience for either the doctor or the patient. Therefore, we begin with the proverbial blank sheet of paper. Understanding is key! Consequently, we conduct in-depth user interviews with dentists, office staff and patients to get an impression of their needs. In an extensive ideation phase we then try to think of solutions rather than products. This way we can assure that we constantly innovate and are not limited by product constraints. It is this kind of design thinking that in the past enabled innovations like CEREC. And it will ensure that also in the future we will keep innovating and shaping the dentistry of tomorrow.

 

What is Dentsply Sirona’s philosophy toward Digital Experience & Connectivity?

We aim for a holistic user experience. Our goal is to create a seamless and consistent user experience through our whole product portfolio. This approach differentiates customer driven solutions from technology driven products. Companies like Dentsply Sirona have a big advantage here over niche manufacturers, because this kind of consistency is only possible, if you have control over a wide range of products and services within the practice environment.

 

What user experience trends and future developments do you see coming?

Already for several years, digital transformation has been one of the biggest trends in dentistry. Soon, the use of big data and artificial intelligence will thus surely become a decisive success factor in almost all of its areas. From the dentist’s perspective, the use of big data and Artificial Intelligence will boost treatment effectiveness and at the same time, medical errors can be reduced. This will also improve the patient experience. The rise of wearables such as smart watches or fitness tracking bands that enable the tracking of one’s own health status has already made self-awareness a widespread trend. Patients are better informed and more eager to improve their health than ever, which is not only reflected by the number of primarily medical treatments but also by a stronger demand for beauty-driven treatments.

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