Dental Monitoring (DM), Paris, which provides a remote treatment monitoring tool to orthodontists and their patients, announced a strategic investment by the Straumann Group, a Basel, Switzerland-based dental company.
Straumann will have global distribution rights to Dental Monitoring’s technology in return for a capital injection and a minor stake in DM. The company will integrate Dental Monitoring’s technology into its portfolio of orthodontic and digital solutions and the two companies will collaborate to develop further applications for artificial intelligence in the dental field.
According to a press release, Dental Monitoring will use the funds from this investment to support additional engineering resources and in the development of other dental fields beyond orthodontics. The funds will also be targeted at Dental Monitoring’s sales and marketing efforts to its core markets, including the United States, Europe, and Asia Pacific countries.
“In 2017, DM commenced a search for a strategic investor in the dental industry to provide funding and access to large global dental markets and to accompany us beyond our current position in orthodontic monitoring,” said Philippe Salah, CEO of Dental Monitoring. “Straumann is an ideal partner for many reasons: they are a truly global company and are investing significantly in digital dentistry as a core business. They are renowned for clinical excellence and brand leadership and share our passion for pioneering innovation and entrepreneurism. With their scientific heritage and strength in digital, they are our partner of choice for developing and establishing remote monitoring coupled with AI as the new standard of care.”
Dental Monitoring will continue to support and sell to orthodontic customers through its own network.
Dental Monitoring’s remote treatment monitoring app allows for virtual check-ups to supplement chairside appointments. After downloading the Dental Monitoring application to their smartphones, patients use the company’s proprietary self-scanning process, usually on a weekly basis from their home. Dental Monitoring’s proprietary artificial intelligence technology then extracts information from the collected data and combines it with the digital impression data acquired when treatment began.
The software uses clinical measurement tools and photo-simulations that record actual tooth movement over the course of treatment and monitors any relapse during the post-treatment retention phase. The system communicates with the orthodontist whenever necessary or required, allowing for timely intervention and adjustments that can improve treatment efficiency. The Dental Monitoring web-based dashboard allows the orthodontist to communicate with the patient, to support compliance and motivation.
