Dental Asia May/June 2020

Dental Profile
went from having no telephones to installing landlines to owning
cell phones. In many emerging markets, you have people going
from not owning a telephone to owning a cell phone or even a
smart phone. We might see the same with digital dentures.
But we’ve taken the challenge. We’ve always tried to make our
software not just easy to use, but even fun for someone who wants
a more intuitive approach to using the product. And I think this has
been a big part of our success.
There are geographies in Asia where a large part of the population
is simply not able to afford the traditional hand-made dentures. So
digital dentures are going to be a huge game-changer. Not just for
labs and dentists, but for the general population in Asia.
In the area of hardware, Asian companies that domestically
produce their own milling machines are becoming stronger and
more competitive. Huge investments are also being made in China
and Korea in the area of intraoral scanning technology. It’s a trend
that I find very positive.
How does exocad ensure that these new users get the most out
of what exocad products have to offer?
Mr. Savic: We have been approached by independent training
centres in Asia that want to get certification for training users in
exocad. There are already many such centres existing, and they’re
growing. With the new certification programme, we ensure that the
education level is as good as possible.
What is your personal philosophy in life?
Mr. Steinbrecher: I believe greatly in personal freedom – being
able to try new things. I recommend the same to both our
engineers and our users. The good thing about software is that you
can just try stuff, and nothing is going to break. The worst thing
that can happen is that you waste some time, but usually you learn
something during that time.
Engineer or exocad user – I encourage both to play with the code
or the software, and try different things. If you get stuck, don’t
hesitate to ask others. The culture in our office is such that if an
engineer is stuck, he is free to just go to the next office and ask
someone for help. Similarly, exocad users have a strong community
on social media where they interact and support one another. There
may be times when you want to do something that may not even be
officially supported by the software or the reseller. You can always
talk to other dental technicians who have experience. They may
have already found a solution for whatever challenge you’re facing.
Despite the advancements in digital dentistry, some dentists
and dental technicians still prefer traditional or analogue
methods. What are your views on this?
Mr. Steinbrecher: The enchanting thing about our industry is
that we’re dealing with extremely complex CAD technology, such
as precision requirements of just a few microns and huge
amounts of data. At the same time, we’re selling
these products not to engineers, but to artists.
It’s only natural that someone who has worked
all his life with his hands would have some
reservations when he is first introduced to
digital technology.
Mr. Savic: Always enjoy what you’re doing. You can’t be good if
you don’t enjoy what you’re doing. The other thing is always be
positive. Rather than focusing on the negatives, I tend to look for
the positives. I’m a notorious optimist. DA
MAY / JUNE 2020 DENTAL ASIA 31