Sharing Data More Easily Than Ever
Dentsply Sirona’s Primescan®, Primeprint®, and DS Core™ enable seamless collaboration
Varisha Parikh, DMD, did not learn what the job of a prosthodontist entailed until she was in dental school, but she quickly realized that it was a fit for her. Having majored in engineering as an undergraduate, she had an appreciation for biomechanics, development, and design. "One factor that really drew me to prosthodontics was the breadth of knowledge and expertise that you acquire from specializing in various treatment modalities," she says.
When Parikh opened her own practice in 2022, she adopted a philosophy that was based on that passion for learning. "I really enjoyed improving my understanding and developing my critical thinking ability during my residency, and that is what I brought with me into practice," she says. "I look for creative solutions for patients who believe they do not have any options left, leveraging the latest technology that we have but also keeping in mind the physical and financial toll that these types of treatment modalities can take on patients. My treatment philosophy is very individualistic; it is unique to each person and what he or she is presenting with at that time."
Parikh prides herself on her practice being almost entirely digital. With such an individualistic approach to treatments, excellent patient communication is critical, and she uses digital technology to educate her patients. "Same-day dentistry is cool and sexy, but digital technology also allows me to analyze patients' bites and functional relationships and to use real-time data to educate them regarding what they need and what we can do for them," she says. "Having that foundation along with all of the workflow and process advantages that digital technology offers is a game changer."
After Parikh opened her practice, she experimented with multiple intraoral scanners. She was looking for one that would help with implants, had an open system, and was made by a manufacturer partner that could support the expansion of her practice with other products. She found all three of those qualities in Primescan®, an intraoral scanner by Dentsply Sirona. "Primescan was one of the first intraoral scanners to offer a very seamless implant workflow with its scan body scans," she says. "And although, traditionally, many CAD/CAM systems have been very closed off, what I really admire about what Dentsply Sirona created with Primescan is that you can export files and use them with almost any other system. That was important to me because not all of my colleagues have the same technology that I have. In addition, when I have scan data and my surgical colleagues have CBCT data, the ability to take these two files that were developed from different sources and have them work together to get the result that we want has been really amazing."
To maximize the capabilities of Primescan, Parikh also added the Primeprint® 3D Printing System to her practice, and she utilizes Dentsply Sirona's DS Core, a cloud-based solution that provides up to 15 TB of cloud storage as well as access to different DS Core services, such as Canvas and Create to foster collaboration and efficiency. "DS Core is a solution to the problem that dentistry has with the centralization of data," Parikh says. "Each practice houses information differently, and there are so many different information gathering tools now. There was a time when I was literally creating PowerPoint presentations for each patient just to compile all of my data in one place. Dentsply Sirona has resolved this issue for us with DS Core, a solution that allows you to link all of your data—regardless of the source—and have a centralized patient card with all of their files. Everything is cloud-based, which is fantastic because you can access it from anywhere." The DS Core dashboard facilitates dentist-to-dentist communication, and Create and the ordering portal connect dental practitioners to laboratories. "I get referrals from some practices that are still in the analog world, but now, instead of using a courier to shuttle information back and forth, I can give them a peek into DS Core by sharing files and data with them," Parikh says. "They can access it in real time, and we can have conversations about it. That makes treatment planning and moving cases forward so much easier." Although Parikh does some CAD work herself, DS Core's Create feature is an easy way to outsource design when necessary. "It offers a great opportunity to take the pressure off of the practitioner," she says. "These technologies are an investment, so oftentimes we feel compelled to do everything possible with them ourselves. But the reality is that sometimes we get busy, and the work is beyond our capabilities, so having this option right at our fingertips is helpful. Perhaps today is just not the day that I can design a night guard. With Create, I can send the data to the laboratory, they send a file back within 24 hours, and I 3D print it."
Dentsply Sirona's overall support has been important to Parikh as well. She purchased her practice as an equipment transfer and started mostly from scratch, so a strong manufacturer partner was essential. "From the moment that I knew I wanted this kind of technology in my practice," she says, "Dentsply Sirona has been there with me every step of the way. Their representatives talked to my contractors about where we could house the 3D printer, and they communicated with my IT people about what we needed for the PC and scanner. Knowing that you have that kind of a personal connection with a company is really awesome." Even after the initial installation, Dentsply Sirona's representatives later offered to return to Parikh's office or to connect remotely to train new staff members. "They are very accessible, and that has been the best thing for me during this phase of my practice," she says.
With the technology and support in place that she needs, Parikh is able to focus on the element of being a prosthodontist that she loves: treating each patient as a unique case. "I am just so thrilled with what I have been able to build, and my relationship with Dentsply Sirona has helped me do it," she says.
Key Points
•Primescan's contemporary design delivers value, accuracy, and outstanding performance.
•Primeprint is a highly automated, end-to-end 3D printing system for dentists.
•DS Core is a cloud-based solution that brings efficiency to the dental practice by enabling collaboration and providing access to design services.
•Expand your dental practice through higher case acceptance, better patient experience, and improved clinical outcomes.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Dentsply Sirona • dentsplysirona.com • 844-848-0137
