Where Is Innovation Headed in the Dental Sector? CareCapital Forecasts Eight Key Scenarios at Forsyth Dentech 2021
September 23, 2021, Boston—The Forsyth Dentech 2021 Dental Technology Conference was held at the Forsyth Institute, affiliated with Harvard School of Dental Medicine. More than 400 leaders from dental schools, policymakers, technology inventors, entrepreneurs, and investors from 28 countries gathered both in person and online in Boston to discuss technological innovations and investment trends in dentistry, while 18 dental technology companies showcased their cutting-edge technologies.
Mr. Feng Dai, Partner at Songbai Investment Management and Director of the Forsyth Institute, was invited to deliver the keynote address at the opening of the conference, sharing his insights after investing in more than 50 dental companies worldwide. He pointed out that innovation in dentistry does not merely mean introducing new technologies; the key lies in identifying specific application scenarios for these technologies to meet the distinct needs of patients, institutions, and dentists. Furthermore, he forecasted the eight most promising development scenarios for global oral health technologies.
The Forsyth Institute, established in 1910 with a storied 111-year history, has achieved numerous world-first milestones in fluoride research, dental caries, oral microbiology, and genetics, earning widespread recognition as a pioneer in dental research and innovation.
Unlike many dental conferences that focus on technologies from established industry giants, the unique feature of Forsyth Dentech is its greater emphasis on dental schools, research institutions, dental healthcare groups, and technological inventors. It provides a platform for showcasing and exchanging emerging technological innovations, bringing multi-perspective insights and disruptive technologies.
Other featured speakers included opinion leaders such as Dr. Wenyuan Shi, CEO of the Forsyth Institute; Dr. Laurie K. McCauley, Dean of the University of Michigan School of Dentistry; Stanley M. Bergman, Global CEO of Henry Schein; Stephen Thorne, Founding Chair of the American Dental Support Organizations (DSO) Association; and Dr. Rena D’Souza, Director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. They shared insightful perspectives on innovation and engaged in discussions centered on building an innovative ecosystem for oral health disciplines, strengthening education systems driven by innovation, and accelerating the adoption and application of new technologies.
Forsyth Dentech 2021 Brings Together Opinion Leaders in Dental Academia, Technology, and Industry
Mr. Feng Dai, as the keynote speaker, shared his insights after investing in more than 50 dental companies worldwide. “Dental innovation does not merely mean launching new technologies; the key lies in identifying specific application scenarios for these technologies to meet the particular needs of patients, institutions, and dentists.” He further stated, “Among all scenarios, I believe the most important is leveraging technological innovation to effectively serve rural and economically underserved patient populations. Even in developed countries such as those in Europe and the United States, many regions still lack specialized oral healthcare services in pediatric dentistry, orthodontics, and periodontics. This presents significant opportunities to improve efficiency and standards of care through technology, such as remote diagnosis, collaborative treatment planning, and remote technical training. Moreover, the field of dentistry should be integrated with comprehensive health diagnostics and disease prevention.”
Mr. Feng Dai, Partner at Songbai Investment Management and Director of the Forsyth Institute of Dental Research, Delivered the Opening Keynote Address by Invitation
Meanwhile, Mr. Feng Dai outlined eight key development scenarios in the field of dentistry, encouraging researchers and technology companies to apply more emerging technologies in these areas to support healthcare professionals and benefit a broader patient population:
1. Effectively serve patients in rural and economically underdeveloped areas
2. Enhancing Bone Regeneration and Soft Tissue Repair Technologies
3. Promoting the Adoption of Digital Orthodontics
4. Industry Changes Brought About by Gender Equality Among Dentists
5. Enhance Immediate Treatment Efficacy and Patient Comfort
6. Meets the management needs of large dental healthcare chains
7. Make continuing dental education more accessible
8. Make daily oral care more enjoyable and convenient
As a key segment of the Forsyth Dentech 2021 Oral Technology Conference, 18 dental technology companies, selected through rigorous screening, showcased their cutting-edge technologies, including many sci-tech innovation projects incubated by top-tier academic institutions. These enterprises and technologies included: chairside restorative robotics, novel drugs for rare oral diseases, new therapeutics leveraging oral mucosal immunotherapy, saliva-based health monitors, streptococcus-eliminating microbiome therapies, high-performance clear aligners, directly 3D-printable transparent materials, AI prediction systems for pediatric craniofacial development, AI-driven case management systems for insurance providers, food allergy treatments in toothpaste formulations, restorative therapies for dentin regeneration, and intraoral drug delivery systems, among others. These innovations offered refreshing perspectives and sparked boundless imagination. Ultimately, following voting by a panel of judges, the company behind the chairside restorative robotics was awarded the “Forsyth Dentech Songbo Innovation Award.”
At the conference, Mr. Feng Dai reviewed the thirty-year history of dental technology development, including clear aligner technology, immediate fixed restoration for edentulous jaws, and AI in dentistry. He elaborated that innovations in dentistry rarely originate solely from laboratories; rather, they emerge from deep insights into clinical scenarios and continuous iteration through practice. Mr. Feng encouraged stakeholders by stating, “Dental entrepreneurs need to devote more time to understanding how new technologies deliver value to users, focusing on usability and how well these technologies integrate with dentists’ clinical workflows and styles. For investors, we need to allow entrepreneurs more time to identify suitable application scenarios, patiently accompanying and supporting their exploration of the unknown. For large dental enterprises, embracing diverse cultures and teams is essential to gaining advantages across various clinical settings.”
With the successful conclusion of the Forsyth Dentech 2021 Dental Technology Conference, enthusiasm for dental technology and scenario-based innovation continues to grow. In the near future, we anticipate that more dental technology companies will focus on meaningful application scenarios, driving new technological breakthroughs and thereby comprehensively improving public oral health.
Songbai Investment is a long-term investor focused on the global dental industry, committed to becoming a builder of the dental discipline and industry. It provides a stable, long-term development platform for talent and enterprises in the dental sector, understands the vision of dental professionals, and addresses pain points across the entire upstream, midstream, and downstream industrial chain, with a particular focus on technological R&D, medical education, and information technology.
In the field of technological R&D, Songbo boasts world-leading management teams and R&D capabilities in clear aligner orthodontics, dental implants, bone regeneration, imaging, intraoral scanning, prosthodontics, and oral prevention. Its portfolio includes controlling stakes in Angelalign, Purgo Biologics, and Neoss Implants, as well as equity investments in Carestream Dental, Pintec Technology, and DeepCare. Strategic partners include Germany’s BEGO and South Korea’s Medit.
In the field of medical education, Songbo Holdings holds controlling and minority stakes in large dental institutions and chain clinics, introduces global educational resources, establishes well-equipped dental training and education centers, and delivers high-quality dental care services to patients through its nationwide network of dental institutions.
In the field of information technology, Songbai has established its own in-house IT team to empower a vast network of dental distributors and healthcare service providers across China, thereby enhancing its service capabilities for both dentists and manufacturers. Through investments in Songbai Dental and Xinhua Guang Dental, Songbai is driving the digital upgrading of the midstream dental industry.
Since its inception, Songbo Investment has empowered more than 50 companies across the entire dental industry chain, covering major regions including Asia, the Americas, and Europe.