IDS 2013 - No plaster models, radiation-free head and jaw measurement in the orthodontics of tomorrow - the International Dental Show 2013

Modern dentistry is characterised by progressive thinking, innovative strength and use of the latest research. That fact has been repeatedly demonstrated with particular clarity by the field of modern orthodontics.

Ever since its beginnings at the end of the 19th century, this discipline has reached several milestones, ranging from the edgewise system and straight wire technology to orthodontic implants. Today it is more than ever in a state of perpetual change. Digital technologies are becoming increasingly important and exerting a huge influence on the daily workflow. New instruments and the methods related to them are being developed and submitted to their first "trial by fire" - i.e. scrutiny by a critical audience of experts - at the International Dental Show (IDS) in Cologne every two years. The pioneering achievements in the field of orthodontics that are the latest focus of interest will be on show next year at the world's biggest trade fair for dental medicine and dental technology, IDS.

In addition to the increasing digitisation and networking of treatment processes, a lot of attention is currently being attracted by innovative scanning technologies and the vision of a dental surgery that uses no plaster models. In this connection, IDS offers visitors the opportunity to get to know the latest innovations, compare them directly with the methods that have been commonly used so far, and ultimately make the necessary decisions for their own dental surgeries. In addition, visitors will be able to take a look at progressive potential solutions, especially ever-popular items such as self-ligating brackets. Of course the topic of follow-up care will be intensively discussed. The slogan here is "white spot management". All in all, IDS offers everything that's important for state-of-the-art orthodontics today and will help to improve it in the future.

It's often the case that a simple acronym stands for an outstanding idea. This is demonstrated, for example, by the acronym KFO, which stands for Kieferorthopadie, Funktionslehre, Orthodontie (jaw-related orthopaedics, functional analysis, orthodontia). Another example is the dental surgery that uses no plaster models. Behind this innovation is the generation of digital dentition models and the workflow associated with it. This process is increasingly dispensing with the need to make an impression of the patient's teeth. In this connection, intraoral scanners should be mentioned in particular, because they permit the quick and precise generation of data. In the subsequent stages of orthopaedic treatment involving the jaws, it is usually essential to have a series of physical models of the way the patient's jaws and teeth are arranged and are functioning. The focus is therefore increasingly moving toward rapid prototyping, especially in the case of dentures that are made outside the dental surgery. The preconditions for the scanning and printing technologies have already been met. Experts believe that the widespread use of these technologies in dental surgeries is now only a matter of time.

Many experts in the sector are eagerly awaiting the appearance of an alternative to the x-ray picture of the patient's head taken from the side. One of the most promising alternative techniques is cephalometric analysis by means of magnetic induction, which minimizes mistakes in the projection and superimposition processes and therefore enables even more precise measurement of the jaw. In addition, this method of measurement does not use x-ray radiation and can be carried out within a few minutes, as no time is lost because of the need to develop the x-rays.

These are only a few examples of the numerous innovations in the area of jaw-related orthopaedics that will be presented at IDS 2013 to general practitioners as well as specialist orthodontists and dental technicians, who are responsible for the prosthetic care that follows an orthopaedic procedure. The exhibiting companies offer all visitors the opportunity to pick up and handle newly developed products for themselves and check to see whether they are suitable for everyday use in their work. In this way, visitors can make well-founded decisions about equipment for their own surgeries and laboratories - ideally, they will have clearly defined their goals before coming to the trade fair.

"Visitors who come to the International Dental Show with questions they have clearly defined beforehand have the best opportunities to benefit from the dental industry's tremendous innovative power - especially when it comes to the rapidly changing market for jaw-related orthopaedics," says Dr. Martin Rickert, Chairman of the VDDI. "That's because at the stands of the exhibiting companies visitors can pick up the products, handle them and find out about the cost aspects of using them in their surgeries and labs. Practical refinements are making the cooperation between dentists, dental technicians and specialist consultants more efficient, as well as making it easier to fulfil patients' wishes. As a result, the dentists who carry out treatment and the dental technicians can impressively demonstrate their expertise in the field of orthopaedic rehabilitation involving the jaws."

IDS - the International Dental Show, which takes place in Cologne every two years, is organized by the Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Dental-Industrie mbH (Society for the Promotion of the Dental Industry), the commercial enterprise of the Association of German Dental Manufacturers (VDDI). The trade fair is staged by Koelnmesse GmbH, Cologne.