Planmeca selected for digital clinical environment for dental education

The Finnish dental equipment manufacturer Planmeca Oy has signed a major equipment delivery agreement with the University of Maryland.

Planmeca will supply the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery (BCDS) with 324 dental units including integrated software and digital imaging equipment for educational and clinical use.

This agreement is the largest delivery agreement in the history of Planmeca and is worth almost $10 million.

In co-operation with Planmeca USA, Inc. Planmeca Oy will supply the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery with 324 digital dental units and patient chairs, 79 digital intraoral X-ray units, as well as digital panoramic X-rays.

In addition, Planmeca's Canadian subsidiary, Triangle Furniture Systems, Inc. will supply the university with all the operatory dental cabinets. This equipment will be delivered and installed by July 1, 2006.

This project is Planmeca's second major university delivery to North America this year. Earlier this year Planmeca supplied the Canadian University of British Columbia's Faculty of Dentistry, in Vancouver, with 144 dental units including integrated software and digital imaging equipment.

"Planmeca is the only manufacturer in the industry who can offer integrated equipment and software solution for specific needs of dental education and large university clinics. Our software and the digital platform of the dental units enable remote monitoring and management of the units. Moreover, this integrated system provides means for modern, fact-based interactive tutoring and centralized advisory system, which is highly beneficial and cost-efficient in large clinics", says Mr. Tuomas Lokki, Vice President, Marketing and Sales.

The BCDS should be the most modern dental school in the U.S.

"This generation of students expects education that is integrated into technology. In addition, they want to have fun at the workplace and at studies and they are looking for an opportunity to learn at their own pace. This is possible in the IT-friendly environment. Our students deserve the best possible hardware and software as well as a learning environment where information is available on-demand", explains Dr. Christian Stohler, Dean of the BCDS.

The U.S. market expects extensive quality assurance regulations such as HIPAA standards for improved patient safety in oral health care. All dental unit field data, digital treatment documentation as well as patient information, intraoral, extraoral X-rays, and intraoral camera images are automatically stored in the database for scientific research and educational purposes.

"Ultimately, this data will create a backbone for artificial intelligence to be used in tutoring. The challenge is to change the entire concept of dental education including new equipment, new curriculum and new way of thinking. Planmeca's solution is flexible enough to fullfill these requirements", says Dr. Stohler.

"This is a significant project for us, because it is the first major university delivery to the U.S. However, this year has strongly indicated that the North American market is looking toward Planmeca's technologically advanced dental units for the future. The region has traditionally been strong grounds for our radiology equipment. Planmeca has a market share of approximately 30% of dental radiology equipment in the U.S.", says Mr. Lokki.