Digital Dentistry Decoded

Digital smile design founder Dr. Christian Coachman explains why the workflow should come before the technology, and what that means for 3D printing.This episode includes a sponsored message from SprintRay.In this interview, Dr. Ahmad Al-Hassiny talks with Dr. Christian Coachman, the dentist and dental technician who founded Digital Smile Design (DSD). Christian walks through the three pillars behind DSD (emotional, comprehensive, and guided dentistry) and explains why he ranks clinical execution last.From there, the conversation turns to technology adoption. Christian explains why he designs the workflow before choosing equipment, why he sees non-dental AI agents as the most interesting development right now, and why a new idea can take a decade to become routine.The second half covers chairside 3D printing and copy-paste dentistry, the gap between the diagnostic wax-up and the final restoration, how to choose a printer by listing indications first, where printed resins fit against ceramics, milling, and direct composite, and a five-scenario framework for deciding when to change a workflow you already have.Learn smile design with iDD - https://instituteofdigitaldentistry.com/bundles/digital-smile-design-online-course-bundle/Chapters00:00:00 Cold Open00:00:34 Introduction to Digital Dentistry Decoded00:01:11 Guest Introduction - Dr. Christian Coachman from DSD00:02:39 From Dental Technician to Smile Architect00:10:35 The Three Pillars of Digital Smile Design00:13:54 Why Clinical Execution Matters Least00:20:00 Buying Technology Without a Workflow00:27:47 A Business Model for Every Decision00:30:00 AI Agents and the Gadget Overload Problem00:35:54 From Podium Cases to Real Adoption00:44:45 Sponsor Message - SprintRay00:45:28 Scanners, Printers, and Copy-Paste Dentistry00:51:05 The Wax-Up Versus Final Outcome Gap00:52:57 How to Choose a Dental 3D Printer00:58:34 Printed Restorations - Final or Provisional?01:04:50 Where Printing Beats Milling01:10:09 The Five Scenarios Decision Framework01:12:26 Final Message - Back to Human Dentistry01:14:32 Closing Remarks------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------📲 Let's be social! Follow iDD on the following platforms:Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/instituteofdigitaldentistryInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/idigitaldentistry/LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/company/instituteofdigitaldentistryTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@idigitaldentistryX - https://x.com/iDigitalDentist📍Institute of Digital Dentistry At the forefront of digital dentistry education - your digital dentistry journey starts here! https://instituteofdigitaldentistry.com/📚 Join iDD's Free Academy and get instant access to over 40+ Free digital dentistry courses and eBook PDFs! https://idd.to/freeacademy💻 Check out our online course bundles: https://instituteofdigitaldentistry.com/bundles/🎙️Listen to our 'Digital Dentistry Decoded with iDD' podcast on your favorite streaming platform now! https://idd.to/podcast#DigitalSmileDesign #DigitalDentistry #Dental3DPrinting #ChristianCoachman #DigitalDentistryDecoded

Dental 3D printing went from niche to normal in a decade, and SprintRay led much of it. Co-founder Hossein Bassir on what actually changed.In this episode of Digital Dentistry Decoded, Dr. Ahmad Al-Hassiny sits down with Hossein Bassir, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of SprintRay, for a wide conversation on where dental 3D printing has been and where it is going. Hossein makes the case that materials, not printers, decide the outcome, and explains how that thinking led to Midas, Crown HT and the highly filled Restore resin.Dr. Ahmad pushes back as a full-time clinician, on printed crown longevity, on the criticism that press technology is smoke and mirrors, and on the post-processing and washing friction that still slows people down. They also get into open versus closed ecosystems, new business models for All-on-X, why only a small share of practices print today, and how better CAD and AI might change that.CHAPTERS00:00:00 Cold Open00:00:40 Guest Welcome - Hossein Bassir from SprintRay00:01:28 A Decade of Dental 3D Printing00:05:13 How Materials, Hardware and Software Connect00:11:23 Workflow and Materials as the Real Moat00:15:28 Why Midas and Press Printing Exist00:21:46 Answering the Smoke and Mirrors Criticism00:26:46 Printed Crowns, Recalls and Clinician Trust00:37:33 Why SprintRay Is the CEREC of 3D Printing00:42:36 The Post-Processing and Washing Problem00:49:14 Open Versus Closed Ecosystems00:55:37 Why Most Practices Do Not Print and the CAD Barrier01:07:36 Culture, the Next Hundred Years and What's Next01:18:25 Closing Thoughts------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------📲 Let's be social! Follow iDD on the following platforms:Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/instituteofdigitaldentistryInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/idigitaldentistry/LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/company/instituteofdigitaldentistryTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@idigitaldentistryX - https://x.com/iDigitalDentist📍Institute of Digital Dentistry At the forefront of digital dentistry education - your digital dentistry journey starts here! https://instituteofdigitaldentistry.com/📚 Join iDD's Free Academy and get instant access to over 40+ Free digital dentistry courses and eBook PDFs! https://idd.to/freeacademy💻 Check out our online course bundles: https://instituteofdigitaldentistry.com/bundles/🎙️Listen to our 'Digital Dentistry Decoded with iDD' podcast on your favorite streaming platform now! https://idd.to/podcast#DentalThreeDeePrinting #SprintRay #DigitalDentistry #PrintedCrowns #DDDPodcast

The Chicago Midwinter Meeting president on why dental expos are getting harder and how AI and 3D printing are reshaping dentistry.In this episode of Digital Dentistry Decoded, Dr Ahmad Al-Hassiny sits down with Dr Phil Schefke, President of the Chicago Dental Society, for a candid conversation about where the dental industry and its biggest events are heading. They get into why expo attendance is getting harder every year, what is really driving the shift, and why Phil believes any clinician who does not keep pace with AI and 3D printing risks being left behind.Phil shares how the CDS runs the Chicago Midwinter Meeting, why companies still choose Chicago to launch new products, and how his own organization has started using AI in the office. The two also dig into 3D printed ceramic crowns, the reimbursement squeeze in the US, the rural dentist shortage, and where dentistry could go over the next 20 years.A wide-ranging read on the industry from someone who runs one of the largest dental meetings in the world.New to digital 3D printing? Our 3D Printing and Design bundle walks you through bringing it in-house: https://instituteofdigitaldentistry.com/bundles/3d-printing-and-design-online-course-bundle/Read our full Chicago Midwinter Meeting and LMT Lab Day 2026 recap: https://instituteofdigitaldentistry.com/news/chicago-midwinter-meeting-lmt-lab-day-2026/CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction to Digital Dentistry Decoded 00:00:57 Guest Introduction - Dr Phil Schefke from the CDS 00:02:34 Inside the Chicago Midwinter Meeting 00:07:00 Phil's Role and Path in Organized Dentistry 00:09:34 The Digital Wave and Industry Trends 00:12:24 Stay Current or Be Left Behind 00:13:31 One Lifetime of Change in Dentistry 00:16:47 Why In-Person Meetings Still Matter 00:21:07 What Is Driving Falling Expo Attendance 00:26:52 AI in the Practice and an AI Receptionist 00:30:38 3D Printing, Pressed CAD and Printed Crowns 00:32:28 The Reimbursement Squeeze in America 00:35:15 New Graduates and the Rural Dentist Shortage 00:38:21 The Next 20 Years of Dentistry 00:39:55 Why Companies Launch Products in Chicago 00:43:01 Closing Thoughts and Joining the CDS📲 Let's be social! Follow iDD on the following platforms: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/instituteofdigitaldentistry Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/idigitaldentistry/ LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/company/instituteofdigitaldentistry TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@idigitaldentistry X - https://x.com/iDigitalDentist📍Institute of Digital Dentistry At the forefront of digital dentistry education - your digital dentistry journey starts here! https://instituteofdigitaldentistry.com/📚 Join iDD's Free Academy and get instant access to over 40+ Free digital dentistry courses and eBook PDFs! https://idd.to/freeacademy💻 Check out our online course bundles: https://instituteofdigitaldentistry.com/bundles/🎙️Listen to our 'Digital Dentistry Decoded with iDD' podcast on your favorite streaming platform now! https://idd.to/podcast#DigitalDentistry #ChicagoMidwinterMeeting #ChicagoDentalSociety #FutureOfDentistry #DentalPodcast

Cosmetic dentistry has changed more in the last decade than in the twenty years before it, and Dr. Jameel Gardee has lived every step.In this episode of Digital Dentistry Decoded, Dr. Ahmad Al-Hassiny sits down with Dr. Jameel Gardee, cosmetic dentist and Smile Design educator at Avant Garde in the UK. Jameel trained under Christian Coachman and has spent more than a decade on digital smile design, so the conversation traces what actually changed as the field moved from film cameras and hand wax-ups to scan-first, guided digital workflows. They dig into the principles that still matter (starting with the face), how Jameel's team leans on support staff and a scan-every-patient philosophy, the rise of dental tourism and overtreatment, and where 3D-printed restoratives fit next to zirconia and e.max. If you want a grounded, honest read on modern cosmetic dentistry, this one earns your time.The full course Jameel and the Avant Garde team built with iDD, Aesthetic Smile Design Excellence, is linked below.Thank you to SprintRay for sponsoring this Digital Dentistry Decoded Podcast. To learn more about their 3D Printers and to Book a Demo - https://info.sprintray.com/digital-dentistry-decoded-podcastAesthetic Smile Design Excellence course - https://instituteofdigitaldentistry.com/bundles/aesthetic-smile-design-excellence-course/ Chapters 00:00:00 Cold Open 00:00:35 Introduction to Digital Dentistry Decoded 00:01:05 Meet Dr Jameel Gardee and Avant Garde 00:02:10 From Glasgow to Boston University 00:04:23 Discovering Digital Smile Design 00:10:16 What Makes Cosmetic Dentistry Different 00:13:29 Start With the Face 00:16:18 From Film Cameras to Digital Predictability 00:20:15 Key Pearls for New Dentists 00:26:41 Why AI Won't Replace Patient Trust 00:30:38 The Scan-First Patient Journey 00:37:44 Dental Tourism and Overtreatment 00:40:11 Scanners, Zirconia and 3D Printing 00:50:04 Navigating Fast-Changing Materials 00:55:16 Final Thoughts📲 Let's be social! Follow iDD on the following platforms: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/instituteofdigitaldentistry Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/idigitaldentistry/ LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/company/instituteofdigitaldentistry TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@idigitaldentistry X - https://x.com/iDigitalDentist📍Institute of Digital Dentistry At the forefront of digital dentistry education - your digital dentistry journey starts here! https://instituteofdigitaldentistry.com/📚 Join iDD's Free Academy and get instant access to over 40+ Free digital dentistry courses and eBook PDFs! https://idd.to/freeacademy💻 Check out our online course bundles: https://instituteofdigitaldentistry.com/bundles/🎙️Listen to our 'Digital Dentistry Decoded with iDD' podcast on your favorite streaming platform now! https://idd.to/podcast#CosmeticDentistry #DigitalSmileDesign #DigitalDentistry #DentalPodcast

Cosmetic dentistry case acceptance is a communication problem, not a sales problem, and Dr. Brian Harris breaks down exactly how he closes cases.In this episode of Digital Dentistry Decoded, Dr. Ahmad Al-Hassiny sits down with Dr. Brian Harris, a Phoenix-based cosmetic dentist with more than 300,000 Instagram followers and 22 years spent placing porcelain veneers. The conversation digs into the patient journey Brian built around video-based virtual consultations, why he says it drives a 92% acceptance rate on cases over $15,000, and how he uses smile test drives and freehand mock-ups so patients feel confident before they ever commit.They also get into where 3D-printed veneers fit alongside porcelain, the three-tier menu of services Brian offers every patient, how he talks about veneer longevity honestly, and the mindset he calls connection before conversion. It is a practical look at the patient communication and smile design habits behind consistent cosmetic dentistry case acceptance.If you offer cosmetic dentistry, which of your services would you turn into a named three-tier menu? Let us know in the comments.CHAPTERS00:00:00 Cold Open00:00:39 Welcome and Guest Introduction00:02:06 Brian Harris's Background and Dental Family00:04:59 Getting Into Cosmetics Through Social Media00:07:38 Advice for Dentists Entering Cosmetic Dentistry00:09:35 Veneer Materials, Ceramics, and Cements00:12:14 The Scanners He Uses in Practice00:13:31 The Virtual Consult Process and Case Acceptance00:19:18 Social Media as a Lead Generation Engine00:22:02 The In-Person Consult and Smile Test Drive00:28:40 How to Present a Mock-Up to Patients00:30:14 Charging for Cosmetic Consultations00:31:45 3D-Printed Veneers, Neer, and Longevity00:37:36 The Three-Tier Menu of Services00:44:33 Patient Questions and Objections00:48:29 Connection Before Conversion------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------📲 Let's be social! Follow iDD on the following platforms:Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/instituteofdigitaldentistryInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/idigitaldentistry/LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/company/instituteofdigitaldentistryTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@idigitaldentistryX - https://x.com/iDigitalDentist📍Institute of Digital Dentistry At the forefront of digital dentistry education - your digital dentistry journey starts here! https://instituteofdigitaldentistry.com/📚 Join iDD's Free Academy and get instant access to over 40+ Free digital dentistry courses and eBook PDFs! https://idd.to/freeacademy💻 Check out our online course bundles: https://instituteofdigitaldentistry.com/bundles/🎙️Listen to our 'Digital Dentistry Decoded with iDD' podcast on your favorite streaming platform now! https://idd.to/podcast#CosmeticDentistry #CaseAcceptance #DigitalDentistry #DentalPodcast #Veneers