As CEREC users we all faced a decision at one point to adopt the technology or not. For some of us this decision was very easy; we just jumped on board and never looked back. For others it was more drawn-out and required research and insight from other users. Whatever path it took for you, we all ended up in the same place. It taught us something about ourselves and our skills as dentists. We suddenly became protectors of the technology and forced ourselves to put out exceptional work on each and every patient so we wouldn’t end up being that guy with a CEREC who does poor-quality work.

Soon after becoming more comfortable with the process, other thought-provoking topics have come our way. Should we move to the InLab software and make our own custom abutment? Is it cost-effective for us to do this? Then along comes Cone Beam technology. Do we start using a guided approach to placing implants? What about sinus lifts and grafting? It really can never end. My point here is not to guide you down a specific path, but to make you remember that we are all cut from the same cloth. Our open-mindedness got us to this point in our careers. Where will it bring us next?

There is a thread on the cerecdoctors.com discussion board right now which is going to elicit some thought and hopefully a lively and constructive discussion on a hot topic right now in dentistry. The topic is short implants, specifically BICON. The original poster shows a case where he placed a 6 mm wide by 6 mm long implant in the molar region to avoid a sinus lift for the patient. His placement was spot-on. Looking at the final film will provoke a response from many, and I am sure that they will be varied.

Bicon has 25 years of experience showing cases just like this and the successes they have enjoyed. What is important here is that the practitioner did his research, took classes to educate himself, prepared the case well with the help of a scan, and placed the implant impeccably. That is to be respected. Kudos to him also for showing the case to the cerecdoctors.com community as well. That is not always easy to do.

So, remember back to when you were thinking about purchasing your CEREC, that open-mindedness and the ability to look at something that may be out of the mainstream, yet was intriguing and helped you make a decision one way or another. Some will jump right on board, others will need more time and research and information. That’s what this thread is all about. I for one am interested to see how it progresses.

For me, looking for alternatives to the conventional is what keeps dentistry alive and exciting.

For me, I woke up one morning, had a demo in the office and placed the order without looking at ROI. Same with cone beam. These have been best decisions I have made. You build it and they will come.