Dentsply Sirona

www.dentsplysirona.com

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Jeremy Booth, Dental Tribune International

Fri. 28. November 2025

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In October, Dentsply Sirona World came to the UK for the first time. Held in partnership with the local Platform for Exchange of Experience, Research and Science (PEERS) implantology network, DS World Birmingham invited attendees to experience a new era of connected dentistry, where digital technologies enable seamless workflows across general dental practice and specialties. At the event, Dental Tribune International spoke with Xavier Carro Fernandez, Dentsply Sirona’s senior vice president for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, and global lead for Henry Schein. In this interview, he emphasises the importance of community and supporting dental professionals in their continuing education journey.

Mr Carro, what can dental professionals expect to see and experience here at DS World Birmingham?
Attendees at all DS World events will see a focus on training, clinical education and hands-on learning that is backed by scientific support from world-class experts, and DS World Birmingham continues this tradition. Additionally, we have really focused on creating space for networking and debate. This supports making new connections and real engagement.

A key goal of ours is to build and strengthen the Dentsply Sirona community, where clinicians are supported by key opinion leaders and can have some fun and relax in an informal setting. The regional focus of the series also provides great opportunities. For example, this event has been organised with support from the PEERS network, which promotes enhanced partnership and clinical excellence among dental professionals. Attendees in Birmingham can choose to engage deeply with specialty topics while ensuring there is plenty of room for both general dentists and specialists to find their own space to enjoy and benefit from the event.

In terms of the hands-on workshops and masterclasses, what are currently the most attractive topics?
When we started the series some five or six years ago, it was much more about the science and the scientific support for individual dental specialties. Over the last year, however, we have been seeing a much greater interest in artificial intelligence (AI). This includes diagnosis and the AI-powered features provided by DS Core. Dentists are very interested in AI, not because of the hype surrounding it, but because they really want to understand what it can do for them.

In what way is DS Core at the centre of the product launches here in Birmingham?
DS Core sits at the heart of Dentsply Sirona’s digital universe. It connects devices and systems to centralise clinical data, improve accessibility across platforms, and serves as the starting point for diagnosis, consultation, and broader clinical workflows. DS Core plays a key role in the two new milling machines launched here in Birmingham—CEREC Primemill Lite and CEREC Go—by enabling clinicians to access and manage data from various sources, such as Primescan 2. Users can also design restorations like crowns, inlays and onlays directly in the browser and initiate manufacturing or send orders to their preferred laboratories. This seamless integration is especially vital in restorative workflows, where speed, precision and connectivity are essential to delivering high-quality patient care.

A key goal of Dentsply Sirona is to deliver tailored solutions for both specialists and general practitioners. In what ways is DS Core helping to advance this focus?
We want to provide different tools for both specialists and general practitioners (GPs) in the same environment. We continue to launch new DS Core features, and as a result, dentists will regularly see new functionalities in the software. This includes workflows for aligner treatment using SureSmile. Dental specialists will find easier and better solutions on the cloud, and we think that these will also be easy to use for general dentists. The intention is that GPs and specialists will feel comfortable using the different tools, even if they are part of the same solution. For example, SureSmile is an ideal tool for GPs who want to do basic cases, but it also offers highly complex and advanced features for specialists with a very deep knowledge of the platform and treatment. DS Core will continue to be at the centre of everything for both GPs and specialists, and they will use it differently depending on their skills.

“We will be talking much less about products and much more about the outcomes that the customer needs.”

We recently heard that Dentsply Sirona is aligning its business units more closely, aiming to become more customer-centric. What can you say about this initiative, and what it will ultimately mean for customers?
We recently announced the appointment of Aldo M. Denti as our new chief commercial officer. We are also combining the regions with the business units in a unique group and will be working hard to ensure that collaboration and internal communication become more closely knit in order to have an even more customer-centric approach in everything we do. The outcome for customers using Dentsply Sirona workflows will be even better than it is today, regardless of their region or type of treatment. They will receive solutions that are unique to their needs and that really address the outcomes that they require from us. This is a key transformation, and we will be talking much less about products and much more about the outcomes that the customer needs.

The EMEA region has significant variation in terms of market characteristics and access to oral care. How do you address this in tailoring education and product offerings within the region?
The region has strong differences but also commonalities. EMEA is about as diverse a region as one can imagine. The treatments we provide in South Africa are completely different from the same services that we provide in Germany. I would also say that expectations of patients in Germany and of those in the Middle East and the Mediterranean and Nordic countries are also completely different. What we offer is adapted country by country. This relates to the portfolio of products on offer and pricing, based on the affordability of the treatment for the patients. But there are things that we apply in the same way in all markets, such as aiming to provide the best clinical education in every single country. We collaborate with universities who can help us to ensure that clinicians receive the same high-end training, education and hands-on programmes, as well as the support that they need to provide the best outcomes for patients.

In recent years, dental markets have experienced major fluctuations as practices and consumers navigate difficult times. What is Dentsply Sirona doing to reassure customers and assist them in growing their businesses?
Some of the key feedback we have received from customers was about the two main barriers to adopting new products and workflows. The first is the investment that is needed to stay up to date with the technology, and the second is about the time and training needed for dental teams to master the tools and use them with confidence. What we focus on is reducing these barriers.

One of the various things we are doing to help is launching products that do not have such high cost and adoption barriers. The launch of CEREC Go and CEREC Primemill Lite are good examples. These solutions will help customers to invest in the latest high-end technology without the need to spend too much money. At the same time, we continue to invest in DS World events. As we have seen here in Birmingham, there is a real need for training and education opportunities that include hands-on interaction with the latest technologies. So, we are helping clinicians to fill all these gaps, and that is basically why we are here today.

“Even small improvements in daily practice can have a great impact in the long term.”

That said, how can attendees most constructively build upon the experiences gained at these live events after returning to daily practice?
I think there are two different topics here. The event is not the end of the journey; it is not a magic wand. Receiving good training is the first step, but the training must be continuous. I would encourage dental team members to become part of our community by supporting local events and visiting different DS World events. From there, they can undertake various types of training and education programmes online via the Dentsply Sirona Academy. Furthermore, regional training locations offer opportunities throughout the year. Our training centre in Weybridge here in the UK, for example, provides more than 100 training and education events per year, supporting dental professionals on their journey.

The second point is to be very well engaged and connected with peers. Peer-to-peer events ensure that participants receive training not only from our top key opinion leaders but also from their own colleagues. They can sit together in front of an expert and discuss the topics at the event and during networking or less formal conversations. This broad Dentsply Sirona community helps to connect the academy with peer-to-peer events.

Even small improvements in daily practice can have a great impact in the long term. When customers feel supported in their continuing education journey, they have the confidence to implement newly-gained skills into practice. This is one way in which we can improve clinical practice and treatment outcomes.