We CEREC geeks have been preaching the gospel of in-office milling for a while now. Nearly 11,000 dentists in the U.S. alone have a CEREC system that they use to mill restorations for their patients, providing one-visit dentistry. However, that leaves more than 100,000 dentists who for whatever reason have decided that in-office milling is not for them. How can it be that there is such a wide difference of opinion and more importantly, what does this bode for the future of CEREC? Will it be just a select few who slowly over time decide to integrate CEREC and its benefits, or will it at some point be adopted by the masses?

If you look at other industries and other technologies, the CEREC pattern is following a very predictable and typical pattern for technology adoption. Most technologies have a phase of early adoption where tech geeks and those more interested in the application than the actual benefits of the technology are the ones who purchase first. You all know them - they had that Commodore 64 computer way back when and were using that computer for basic games and applications. Forget the fact that my current iPhone has the computing power of about 10,000 of these bulky computers and can do a whole lot more. It's also the reason that everyone including my mother now has an iPhone to use.

There comes a critical mass where enough of the early adopters adopt and the item in question goes from geek status to chic status. A must have, can't live without; something that is just expected to be owned by everyone. Do you know anyone that doesn't have their own cell phone, let alone a smartphone which can text, e-mail, and surf the Internet?

Are we past the phase of early adoption with CEREC? It certainly seems so. While the sales numbers have not yet shown that we are well past the early adoption phase, the talk at local conventions, trade shows, and study clubs sure seems that way. What used to be a conversation about CEREC that included terms like 'poor margins' and 'poor esthetics' is now devoid of all the negatives. Now the conversations evolve around whether it will fit into a certain practice, not if it can create proper margins.

So if CEREC follows the path of most other technologies, we should expect to see a surge in sales, as I no doubt believe we will. But there will always be the laggard. You know the guy who still thinks that the Internet is overrated and actually prefers to read the newspaper instead of going to news.google.com to get the news. Same applies with CEREC - 100 percent of dentists will never fully embrace CAD/CAM. To them, it's just not necessary. They are doing fine just as they are.

Regardless, CAD/CAM for me - specifically CEREC - has obviously been an integral part of my life, and it has transformed my practice. The same applies for all the early adopters and soon to be the majority of dentists. Trade show season is upon us, so expect to see some great new things that will help bring CEREC further into the mainstream.