Q&A with Dr. Gary Severance of E4D Technologies: Planmeca's investment in E4D and its benefit to implant dentistry

Planmeca has made a non-controlling, strategic investment in E4D Technologies LLC, developer of the E4D CAD/CAM Restorative System. Planmeca will co-develop CAD/CAM products with E4D Technologies and offer these products in North America under the brand names Planmeca PlanScan-E4D Technologies (formerly marketed as NEVO) and PlanMill-E4D Technologies.

Henry Schein Inc. will continue to be the exclusive distributor in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. In addition, Planmeca will expand distribution of the E4D system to more than 120 additional international markets under the Planmeca PlanScan and PlanMill brands. In certain other markets, the E4D brand will remain in use.

DPR Group Editorial Director Kevin Henry sat down with Dr. Gary Severance, chief marketing officer for E4D Technologies, to ask him about this news and what it means for dental practices.

Bottom line, how will this impact and benefit dentists and dental team members?

This is the best intraoral scanning capture technology coming together with the best imaging. Two independent companies are bringing their sciences together and working together to give their customers the best of the best. This is an open source system that allows dentists and team members to pick the best technologies to fit their needs. Planmeca and E4D will now offer dentists an end-to-end solution. Dental practitioners shouldn’t have to compromise.

How does this impact the dental practice that is placing implants?

We’re the first ones to bring together the intraoral scan and cone beam (CBCT) technology for implant planning and placement. Planmeca has the Romexis interface and that’s the first window you see when you begin scanning. It will bring in the scans as DICOM files and will store the images into an image library that can be used to plan your case in front of your patients. These same files can easily be sent to labs if you’re not scanning in the office.

Just as dental practices are using Dentrix for practice management software, they can now use Planmeca Romexis as their image management software. Further, virtual implant planning using CBCT data allows the clinicians to create and visualize the end result before initiating treatment and improves communication and coordination of the team.

Clinicians can then complete the case with a PlanScan digital restoration to achieve an excellent clinical outcome.