The Future of Technology

Technology has truly impacted and improved our lives with everything we engage in and process today. If we look at all the technology at our disposal and reflect upon how far we have come from a mere decade ago, it is remarkable and inspiring to imagine where it will take us in the years to come. Technology is an incredibly powerful tool to propel us forward, efficiently and with benefits unrealized from our predecessors' processes. Surely, you can bear testament to multiple technological advancements that affected you and your life—both professionally and personally—in a fantastic way, such that going back to how things were is neither imaginable nor desirable. I spend a lot of time investigating, pondering, strategizing, and implementing innovative technologies and advancements, and it never ceases to amaze me.

Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking at a summit on innovation and networking. There I also participated in a continuing education course that was conducted completely in virtual reality. It was interesting and inspiring to see the level of excitement as all participants gathered in a completely virtual venue and interacted with the lecturer, his content, and one another. We were able to visualize aspects of his presentation and anatomical structures in 3D, which we would not have been able to in the conventional format. Could this be a format for future educational events, or perhaps a communication tool for laboratories and clinicians to collaborate with each other and their patients throughout the treatment protocol? Whatever becomes the future norm, it will be interesting to follow and stay abreast of it so we can gain the greatest benefits of innovative and emerging technology.

Inside Dental Technology is also moving into the future of education technology in its own right. This month, we are pleased to introduce our readers to a new platform which serves as a resource for clinical connectivity and learning, fostering a unified community that seeks to diminish the divide between healthcare disciplines. This platform, conexiant.com, has been in development for the past several months and showcases the strengths of our editorial content while enhancing the experience of our readers and emphasizing the oral-systemic connection.

Why Conexiant? Our industry is evolving, and so are we. We've found that our audience seeks a reliable source for trusted clinical information, CE credits, the latest news, and new ways to connect with peers—all in one place, and this new platform will elevate IDT into a larger forum.

We, as a dental laboratory community, must consistently look forward to truly commanding our positions and competitive edge. We must continue to create more efficient ways to advance our laboratories; elevate our dental restorative solutions for our dentist clients; make our businesses more scalable and profitable; and provide our teams with the flexibility to grow. This issue of IDT highlights some of the newest innovations that may help us do just that.

Daniel Alter, MSc, MDT, CDT
Executive Editor
daniel.alter@broadcastmed.com