When I first entered the world of chairside CAD/CAM in 2010, I was surprised by how few dentists had adopted what seemed like a logical advancement. On paper, it made sense: scan, design, and mill a restoration in one appointment, so much easier for the patient and practice. But in practice, this is not how it rolled.

The technology was still young. Scanning required titanium dioxide sprays, which patients often licked off mid-appointment. Dentists grew frustrated, dental representatives broke into cold sweats, and only the most meticulous clinicians—those who lived by the use of rubber dams whilst prepping—prospered. The rest? They gave up or struggled through until new scanners arrived, but not quickly enough.

Today, that is a different world. Chairside is cool. Graduate Dentists expect it and no longer argue the merit of antiquated analogue impression taking. The battle-hardened who endured the early days shake their heads at the lightning speeds, the increasing array of scanners that they could only dream of, whilst the patient licked away the meticulously prepared powder. It’s an incredible time for tech, not just in dentistry, everywhere.