Dental Asia January/February 2024

DENTAL PROFILE
“The durability of the products and the service
by Planmeca, which we had witnessed firsthand,
was essential for us and helped us
make the decision. Given the prior reliability
and generally low maintenance needs of
Planmeca dental units, Planmeca was also
very competitive from the standpoint of
pricing and the product’s capabilities. With
regards to usability, they are quite intuitive,”
said Dr MacDougall.
In addition to upgrading the OHC with
Planmeca Compact i Classic dental units, UBC
opened the 123Dentist Simulation Laboratory
with Planmeca Compact iSim simulation
units in September 2022. The laboratory
layout was planned together with Planmeca
to fit the simulation laboratory in the existing
premises and to ensure efficiency and smooth
simulation workflows in the facility.
“We had limited space available for the
simulation laboratory. Therefore, the
layout design was very critical to facilitate
student learning and allow instructor
access throughout the learning process,”
Dr MacDougall said. “Since Planmeca
had vast experience in designing other
simulation facilities, they were able to help
us with their knowledge. They made very
valuable suggestions on the floor plan as
well as format. Similar to dental units, the
simulation equipment is aesthetically modern
and pleasing, so the 123Dentist Simulation
Laboratory is truly a showcase for us here at
the university.”
On an annual basis, over 40,000 patients
are taken care of in the OHC, which means
the equipment is in high use throughout
the year. At this end, Ylisaari highlighted
how Planmeca products can be updated
and retrofitted with new features instead of
replacing them, which also makes Planmeca
units a sustainable choice for dental schools.
“What sets Planmeca apart from others is
that instead of individual products we offer
an entire platform. We fully understand that
these are sizable, 15-20-year investments for
dental schools, so we create equipment with
long lifespans.”
Ylisaari added: “They are manufactured from
durable materials and can be upgraded with
new technologies as time passes. We have
The 123Dentist Simulation Laboratory at UBC
Dentistry has 73 Planmeca Compact iSim
simulation units
kept our product development process entirely
in-house so that we are able to remain agile
and to quickly react to new trends as they
emerge. For decades, we have closely listened
to dental schools to create consistently better
and meaningful products and solutions.”
DIGITALISATION IN APAC
Across the Pacific for Dr Gary S P Cheung,
the biggest challenge for dental education
today is indeed the disparity between the
necessary investments in new technologies
and the available resources to fund these
investments.
Over the past decade, the clinical professor
who has since assumed a new position
in the Shenzhen Hospital of the HKU has
overseen the undergraduate dental studies
at the university’s Faculty of Dentistry. His
experience in upgrading the faculty’s facilities
emphasised early exposure to clinical training.
“Thirty years ago, when you wanted to explore
the most modern equipment, you could visit
any dental school in town rather than a dental
practice. Today it is the other way around.
Worldwide, it is usually dental practices that
are using the latest digital tools rather than
universities,” said Dr Cheung.
“Our students get exposed to the clinical
environment very early, as they start training
in the simulation laboratory from the second
year onwards. Although they start their work
with very simple things, they already get
to experience the clinical environment and
handle real instruments first-hand.”
In 2017, the simulation laboratory at the HKU
Faculty of Dentistry was equipped with 82
Planmeca simulation units, two of which
are designated for teaching purposes. The
laboratory was expanded further in 2023
with 20 Planmeca Compact iSim units. The
simulation laboratory allows HKU students to
utilise digital dental equipment from the very
start of their preclinical studies.
The facilities also encompass eight lead-lined
Planmeca ProX intraoral x-ray simulation
cabinets, allowing students to practise
intraoral imaging techniques safely, as well
as one Planmeca ProScanner imaging plate
scanner.
“We wanted a simulation environment that is
future-proof and able to integrate our teaching
technology. The Planmeca simulation
laboratory has proven to do just that. The
beauty of Planmeca is that the simulation
unit with a phantom head is exactly the same
as the clinical units we use in the university
hospital, which makes the transition from
simulation to actual clinical work easier,” Dr
Cheung said.
Students also learn to view and process the
intraoral x-ray images they have captured with
the intraoral imaging simulation cabinets.
These images are immediately available in
Planmeca Romexis software on the student’s
workstation.
“I can see that our students like the Planmeca
equipment and especially the AV connection
of the simulation units. The clinic’s layout,
which we planned together with Planmeca,
also allows us to teach our students all at the
same time or separately, and the students
really appreciate that they always have the
same working setup either way,” Dr Cheung
added.
Planmeca assembles a dedicated team for
each university project, which supports the
dental school in every stage of the project
from vision to equipment deliveries and
28 DENTAL ASIA JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2024