Dentayori’s Japan Dental Tour 2023 was a success. The event concluded last week on Feb 19, 2023, with a visit to the 46th Central Japan Dental Show in Nagoya, the capital of Japan’s Aichi Prefecture. Now here is a recap of all the visitations from the past week providing a glimpse for those who haven’t been able to join us on our very first Japan Dental Tour.

A Day in Osaka

The first stop out of the week-long event is Hilife Denture Academy where all the participants attended a day lecture by Prof. Dr. Kenichi Matsuda, DDS, Ph.D., a technical director and clinical associate professor from Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, who was explaining all that there is to know about the Biofunctional Prosthetic System and Ivoclar’s latest Ivotion Digital Denture technology.

Matsuda-sensei begins by introducing how digital denture technologies are being widely adopted in Japan and the benefits of having such technology for better oral healthcare in the aging society (particularly in Japan).

Aside from class lectures, participants were also briefed on the denture-making process in the laboratory using a set of IPS Ivocolor, of which they also got a chance to try with their own hands, hoping to reproduce a life-like restoration.

We also get a closer look at PrograMill 7, the high-end version of the PrograMill series of milling machines by Ivoclar. The PM7 unit has a 5-axis machining process, an 8-disc material changer (for multiple handling of orders), and an integrated CAM/CAD milling & digital denture system for the production of state-of-the-art dentures.

Day 2 – Let’s Go Tokyo

Next on schedule during Dentayori Dental Tour 2023 is attending a lecture by Prof. Manabu Kanazawa, DDS, PhD., professor of digital dentistry from Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU). The weather in Tokyo that day is just as chilly and breezy as it was back in Osaka two days prior.

After specialty courses by Manabu-sensei on techniques of 3D scanning & printing of denture copy, we found ourselves with quite an appetite. Together with Manabu-sensei, we enjoy this lunch set from Washoku Bar Oto Oto, Ochanomizu Sola City.

Continuing our session of the day, we went to visit Bitec Global Japan, one of the pioneers in denture digitization that have pushed forward many of the modern workflows that current digital denture manufacturer uses.

In recent years, they’ve set up a subsidiary manufacturing base in Vietnam and they’ve also been partnering with Indonesia’s Cipta Dental Lab for more than 10 years now to better serve Indonesia’s dental market.

Finale – 46th Central Japan Dental Show

At the very end of the dental tour, we went to Nagoya to visit one of the most historical (in case you’ve missed out on the heading title above, it’s on the 46th year!) dental shows in Japan featuring many renowned companies in the dentistry industry and important figures in the dentistry network.

If you’re in the dental business, you definitely wanna be here, if only just to be seen and exchange name cards. Here’s a quick look at the convention as captured by a photo camera from above.

As Dentayori’s dental tour comes to a close, it’s clear that these several days have been nothing short of transformative. From digital dentistry tech and internet-of-things workflows to new denture materials and professional dental community networks, all participants are left with the impression that there’s so much more that we can do to modernize Indonesia’s oral healthcare practice and services.

As we walk through the exit gate of the dental show, we carry new inspirations, new hopes, and dreams for better dental care in our own country, Indonesia. The event may be over for now, but the spirit of better dentistry will carry on and Dentayori will be there with you all dentists, dental hygienists & dental technicians!

Image & Video: Dentayori Team