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Dentsply Sirona

Thu. 25. May 2023

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Dentsply Sirona’s Implant Solutions World Summit is being held from 8 to 10 June in Athens in Greece, and the event will gather dental professionals from around the world for three days of knowledge exchange, inspiration and networking. Ahead of the event, Dentsply Sirona spoke with Dr Malene Hallund, one of the programme chairs, about her expectations for the congress and about the importance of sustainability on a personal and professional level.

Dr Malene Hallund is one of the programme chairs of the upcoming Implant Solutions World Summit and she recently opened a new sustainable dental clinic in Copenhagen in Denmark. (Image: Dentsply Sirona)

Dr Hallund, what does the future look like for implant dentistry, and what innovations and changes are you most excited about?
Innovations and digital technologies are already an important part of implant dentistry, and I am confident that we are going to continue to use these technologies—in more ways than we can even imagine today.

Look at how far we have already come with the digital workflow. Clinicians can take an intra-oral scan or a CBCT scan to visualise the dental problem for their patient. This is hugely beneficial because patients see the problem with their own eyes and are more intentionally involved in creating their treatment plan.

Considering sustainability, digital dental technology is much more efficient and sustainable than printing and making cast models that need to be collected and sent to the laboratory via post. Instead, we can plan and practise on the computer and then create and print a guide for the surgery in-house.

It is exciting that the upcoming generation of dentists have grown up using digital technology and have learned to use digital dental tools as part of their undergraduate education. Therefore, it is going to be completely normal for them to implement this technology in their daily practice. So, I think it is not a question of whether but rather one of when digital technology will become a bigger part of daily practice and help to drive sustainability in the industry.

You are one of the programme chairs at the upcoming Implant Solutions World Summit. What aspect of the conference are you most looking forward to, and what benefits does such an event offer to dental professionals?
Let me start with the second part of the question. It is extremely valuable for us, as professionals, to meet in person. Webinars make accessing and sharing knowledge easier; however, they cannot replace in-person events when it comes to the importance of being together in the same academic forum, experiencing the energy and shared passion for education, and meeting face to face with our peers.

Regarding the upcoming summit specifically, it is a privilege to be part of this programme. I love to share knowledge, to learn and to get inspired about and receive updates on the latest technology. It is an opportunity and an honour to be in the centre of it all.

It is also a fantastic chance to check in with colleagues, to meet people and to get inspired about implementing new knowledge and techniques in your own practice. Dentists often work alone, even within a practice. They come to work, engage with their patients and do not always have a lot of time to interact with their colleagues. Events like the Implant Solutions World Summit are important, as they provide us with a kind of educational innovation—we need to step outside of our own personal and professional bubbles and learn from each other.

“I was inspired to try to create a sustainable dental practice because of the international attention on the climate crisis but also through a personal experience”

You recently opened a new sustainable dental clinic in Copenhagen in Denmark. What are the key features of the practice, and what inspired you to open it?
The clinic has almost 550 m² of floor space, allowing us to bring all specialties under one roof in order to provide a truly interdisciplinary practice. There is even space for clinical education. It became clear to me during the establishment phase that making the clinic sustainable was of great importance. We had to carefully plan every aspect of the clinic in order to achieve this—from the renovations of the space to the patient flow. Analysing every step of the process in our workflow was a daunting task but also an exciting and challenging one. We even considered details such as how to be most sustainable when it comes to washing our work clothes and the everyday cleaning of the clinic. We had to look at suppliers of items like masks and gloves with a new criterion in mind: sustainability. We are also now analysing the whole practice, including our new equipment, in order to understand its footprint. It is my hope to be certified as a sustainable practice in the future. The new practice also has the latest in digital solutions, such as Dentsply Sirona’s Primescan intra-oral scanner, Primeprint 3D printer and Axeos CBCT unit, to take full advantage of digital workflows and their benefits, such as reducing material usage, thus further contributing to a sustainable practice.

Dr Hallund with a patient at her sustainable clinic in Denmark. (Image: Dentsply Sirona)

My aim is also to focus on social sustainability with regard to the work environment. To that end, we have spent a lot of time trying to make this a very positive and attractive workplace in which our team members are all engaged and know that they are valued. Nowadays, this is important for retaining talented people.

I was inspired to try to create a sustainable dental practice because of the international attention on the climate crisis but also through a personal experience. While diving in Indonesia, I gained a true understanding of how important every little individual effort can be. I was very close to a huge, amazing sting ray, but I could hardly see the creature because of all the plastic that was floating in the water. It was the most beautiful animal in the most polluted environment, and I felt both sad and responsible. As a result of that dive, it became very clear to me that I needed to start making a change, to accept my personal responsibility to the environment and to hopefully become an inspiration to others.

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