Record attendance for IDS 2007

Almost 100,000 visitors descended on Cologne, Germany in late March for the International Dental Show - IDS 2007 - arguably the greatest dental show on earth.

IDS is both a domestic dental exhibition for the German market as well as an international meeting place where manufacturers from the four corners come to do business (including Australia and New Zealand - see article on page 70).

IDS continues to break its own records and this year, 1,742 exhibitors came from 54 countries to populate 130,000m2 of real estate. The record number of visitors to the show were drawn from 150 countries.

"Each event surpasses the outstanding result of the previous one," said Dr Martin Rickert, Chairman of the Association of German Dental Manufacturers (VDDI). "Visitors and exhibitors were thrilled by IDS, as supply and demand do not come together on this scale and in this quality anywhere else. The entire sector from all over the world meets at IDS. The event is undisputedly the world's leading fair for dentists, dental technicians, the dental industry, and the dental trade."

The latest and greatest

IDS is renowned for being the hub for new product releases, and many manufacturers time the release of new developments for this event.

So what was hot this time 'round?

The hottest topic in dentistry continues to be implants. At their press conference, Heraeus Kulzer announced the launch of their IQ:NECT implant system. "When there are 150 implant systems in the world and you launch number 151, you have to do something different," they announced. Their difference is a new clip in abutment that is screwless and stress-free.

Actual implant systems aside, implant dentistry is driving many sectors of the market. Cone beam dental CT scanners were a novelty in years gone by but now there are a growing number of offerings with many mainstream dental manufacturers launching new systems to capitalise on the sudden demand. And why? 3-dimensional imagery for dentistry is the raw source for the many sophisticated implant planning software programs now on the market.

Long gone too are the days when Sirona's CEREC system stood alone and was regarded as a novelty to roll out for shows when it was still part of Siemens. Now CAD/CAM systems are everywhere at IDS - hundreds of them (though none chairside). And again, as most systems have mastered the delivery of traditional prosthetics, the edge has become abutments for implants, fixture level bridges and even partial dentures.

Of course there were many other new releases and previews of things to come at IDS and over the coming year, many of these will arrive on Australia shores as TGA approvals are granted.

As a crystal ball of things to come, a place to meet and do business and a snapshot of the entire world of dentistry, IDS is the place to be and worth a visit at least once in your dental lifetime.

The International Dental Show (IDS) is staged in Cologne every two years. The 33rd International Dental Show will be held in Cologne from Tuesday, 24 March to Saturday, 28 March 2009.