Why the Future Isn’t About Technology Alone
In every industry, there is an invisible currency that keeps the entire ecosystem running smoothly. In finance, that currency is clear: money. A one-dollar bill has a universally agreed-upon value, and two strangers can transact without knowing each other because they both trust that a dollar is, indeed, worth a dollar. This is how economies scale.
But in dentistry, what is our equivalent? What is the currency of trust that allows patients, dentists, and industry leaders to build sustainable, ethical, and valuable relationships?
This is the question I kept reflecting on during my recent visit to IDS 2025 in Cologne – the world’s largest and most important dental trade fair, where over 1,100 companies from 54 countries gathered to showcase the latest products and technologies shaping our profession.
The IDS is the perfect backdrop for this reflection, not because of what was launched or demonstrated, but because of what it represents: the intersection of commerce, innovation, and clinical care in dentistry. And this year, something became very clear to me.
Innovation Alone Will Not Build Trust
Walking through the vibrant and impressive halls of IDS, I was struck – as always – by the scale and sophistication of our industry. The exhibition booths looked like they belonged in Silicon Valley or at CES. The digital revolution in dentistry is now undeniable. Whether it’s intraoral scanners, cloud-based treatment planning, CAD/CAM systems, AI diagnostics, or 3D printing, digital dentistry has arrived.
As Vice President of the Digital Dentistry Society and an early adopter of digital technologies, I was pleased to see that nearly every company is now fully invested in this future. However, beyond the enthusiasm, I couldn’t shake a sense of déjà vu.
The reality is that there was no true paradigm-shifting innovation on display this year – no moonshot moment that would fundamentally transform the way we practice dentistry. Instead, there were incremental improvements: faster scanners, better designs, improved materials. Valuable, yes. But not game-changing.
There are some companies that have made big efforts to improve their offerings and are truly ahead of the game. I’m happy to work with most of these and acknowledge their investments and teams. Thank you!
However, this is when I realized that the conversation we should be having is not about what’s next in technology – it’s about something far more important: Trust.
The Real Gap: Between Innovation and Patient Perception
The relationship between the dental industry and clinicians is well established. Companies invest millions each year to sell us better tools, materials, and solutions. Dentists like myself and my peers at the White Clinic invest heavily in these technologies because we believe in delivering the best possible care.
But there’s a missing stakeholder in this equation: The Patient.
At the end of the day, the ultimate consumer in dentistry is not the dentist – it’s the patient. Yet, everything at events like IDS is designed to sell to the dentist, not to educate or empower the patient. Very few companies understand this. And those that do it better in the future will win.
Patients don’t understand the difference between a €100 crown and a €1,000 crown. They don’t know if the implant in their jaw is the product of two decades of research and clinical trials or something mass-produced at the lowest possible cost. They don’t understand why one dentist charges double the price of another dentist down the street.
What do they care about? Two things: Will it hurt? How much will it cost?
They don’t understand the difference between intra-oral scanners, 3D printers, milling machines or why the dentist is out of pocket exponentially more for having chosen premium brands. This is something dentists had to do and an extra financial burden they have to bear privately. I know because I’ve been doing it for decades, going out of my way to purchase the best of the best for my patients without them even knowing I am sacrificing for their benefit.
This disconnect is the true obstacle to advancing our profession.
The Business Model Trap
Because patients are often unaware of the value of premium materials, ethical protocols, advanced digital workflows, or longer, safer, higher-quality treatments, many dentists are forced into a race to the bottom – competing on price rather than quality.
This is why, despite all the millions spent by top dental companies in R&D, training, and marketing, their efforts often fail to translate into better patient outcomes or widespread adoption. There’s no bridge between their innovation and the patient’s perception.
And here’s the most uncomfortable truth: dentists alone can’t build that bridge, or have a very hard time establishing one.
We need the dental industry to actively support us – not just with better products, but with better communication, education, and transparency initiatives that help us transfer that value and trust to our patients.
Why Digital Dentistry Forces Us to Face Transparency
One of the underlying reasons many dentists are still hesitant to adopt digital workflows is not cost – it’s transparency.
Transparency is the foundation of trust.
When your practice is fully digital, your scans, your X-rays, your treatment plans, your results… they live on the cloud. They can be shared, audited, questioned, and judged – by colleagues, regulators, insurers, and even patients themselves.
And for some, that’s terrifying. Because transparency means accountability. Transparency means standards. Transparency means that the patient can finally see and understand the difference between good dentistry and cheap dentistry.
But for those of us who believe in excellence, transparency is not a threat – it’s an opportunity.
At the White Clinic, we’ve invested heavily in the most advanced digital technologies not because it’s fashionable, but because it forces us to hold ourselves to the highest standards. We’ve adopted the Slow Dentistry principles because we know that quality requires time, care, and integrity – not volume and speed.
We work digitally because we welcome scrutiny. We welcome transparency because it is the foundation of trust. And we believe that in the future, patients will increasingly choose clinics and doctors who are transparent, not just affordable.
The Real Currency in Dentistry
So, what is the currency of trust in dentistry?
It’s not the cost of an implant. It’s not the brand of a scanner. It’s not the number of followers a dentist has on Instagram.
The real currency of trust is transparency + ethical intention + patient education. When patients understand the value behind the procedures they receive, when they can see and trust the process, when they feel they are active participants in their healthcare, trust is built. And trust is priceless.
A Call to Action for the Industry
My message to the CEOs, CMOs, and leadership teams of the world’s top dental companies –many of whom I had the pleasure of speaking to at IDS – is simple:
Help us build trust.
It’s not enough to sell us better drills, faster scanners, and smarter software. Support us in closing the gap between innovation and patient perception.
That means:
- Investing in patient-facing education campaigns.
- Developing tools that help dentists communicate value transparently.
- Creating platforms where patients can learn the difference between safe, ethical dentistry and cheap, volume-driven care.
- Supporting ethical, slow, patient-centric dentistry – not just high-volume, low-margin models.
Trust isn’t built at a trade show. It’s built chairside, between a patient and a clinician, over time. But the industry has a responsibility to help us get there.
Dentistry is about people making connections, not just technology being able to do so.
Final Thoughts
As I reflect on IDS 2025, I am proud to be part of an industry that is vibrant, ambitious, and technologically advanced. But technology alone will not shape the future of dentistry.
If we want to leave a meaningful legacy – not just as dentists, but as an industry – then we must commit to building the one thing that money can’t buy: Trust.
Because in the end, the future of dentistry will not be determined by who has the best scanner or the fastest printer. It will be determined by who can build the strongest, most transparent, most ethical relationship with the people who matter most – our patients.
And that will be the most valuable currency of all.
