Orthotown March 2023 - 21

Steven Gardner
President, OrthoSelect
Tell us about yourself
and OrthoSelect.
I've been working in the orthodontic
industry for nearly 30 years,
starting off as a lab technician.
Since then, I've gone down the entrepreneur
road and started three
companies in the orthodontics
space. More than a decade ago, it
became obvious the industry was
going digital, so I began transforming
OrthoSelect into a fully digital
player. While we still provide orthodontic
lab services, we are primarily
focused on orthodontic software
with our fl agship product, Dibs AI.
What is Dibs AI and how
has it evolved over time?
Dibs AI is a digital platform designed
to provide extremely accurate
bracket placement through artifi cialintelligence-driven
software. It has
evolved to include a largely automated
case setup process where
orthodontists can approve their
cases within 12 to 24 hours. We then
3D-print high-resolution IDB trays
that hold each bracket in its ideal
position for placement on the teeth.
How does a digital approach
to bonding diff er from a
direct approach?
The two pros of a digital approach
focus on accuracy and speed. Our
software does a great job of identifying
the ideal location for each
bracket on each tooth, while the
3D-printed trays place the brackets
typically within 0.1 mm of where the
software places them virtually. This
results in shorter bonding appointments
and shorter overall treatment
times.
The biggest con is that it can
require orthodontists to change
their bonding protocols. However,
we've found that overcoming the
initial learning curve is achieved by
including staff in the training/learning
process.
What is unique about Dibs AI?
Naturally I'm a bit biased, but I feel
we have the best and most aff ordable
digital IDB platform on the
market. Additionally, our turnaround
times for case setups and printing
of trays are unmatched in the industry,
with cases ready for doctor
review and approval usually the
same day they're submitted.
What challenges have you
faced along the way?
Developing software that makes
things simple for the end user is
not easy. We have been working
on refi ning Dibs AI for several
years to get it to where it is today.
Fortunately, we have a great team
of supportive doctors who provided
guidance and feedback along
MARCH 2023 | 21 | ORTHOTOWN.COM
the way to make improvements, fi x
inevitable software bugs and create
a more user-friendly platform.
What does Dibs AI off er your
partners and their customers?
Our software platform is incredibly
fl exible, so our partners and their
doctors can use any STL scanner,
any bracket prescription and even
custom prescriptions for next-level
bracket placement. This fl exibility
also makes it easy for our partners
to integrate Dibs AI into their own
systems. Additionally, we work
closely with our partners to make
sure the user experience fl ows
seamlessly for their customers.
What do you see for the future
of digital indirect bonding?
As with other areas of orthodontics,
the bonding process is going
digital. This shift frees up a doctor's
time to focus on other areas of
patient care and to grow their practice.
My passion is making " digital
bonding, " as I like to call it, the standard
of care in orthodontics, and
it's gratifying to play a role in what I
believe to be a signifi cant transition
in the industry.
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Orthotown March 2023

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