Traveling to IDS in Cologne, Germany has become something of a tradition for many dentists around the world. And in 2025, it was finally my turn to be part of the experience for its 41st edition. It wasn’t just a trade fair—it was so much more than that.
Every time I travel outside of Chile for professional reasons, it feels like a necessary pause. It’s a different kind of break—one that allows me to fully reconnect with my profession, step back and reflect on my own practice, and most importantly, identify what can truly make a difference for my patients once I’m back in the clinical chair.
But IDS is not just any conference. For me, it’s like opening a window to the future. As you walk through the halls, you see what’s being developed in other parts of the world—innovations that, sooner or later (with some luck), will reach our clinics. That mix of innovation and global perspective is hard to find at any other event.
Many of the decisions I’ve made in my practice were inspired by these trips. I remember the first time I saw the Primescan intraoral scanner in action. I was so impressed that I didn’t hesitate to incorporate it into my workflow as soon as I got back. Today, it’s a key part of my digital practice. And now, at this latest edition of IDS, a new technology completely captured my attention: the GBT Machine (Guided Biofilm Therapy).
What makes GBT special?
GBT offers a modern, minimally invasive approach to biofilm removal. Its protocol combines early detection, air polishing, ultrasound, and a high level of precision—all designed with patient comfort in mind. Why am I so excited about it? Because in my daily practice—where I work with veneers, onlays, and crowns—substrate cleanliness is crucial for achieving strong adhesion. And this machine can help me optimize that critical step, enhancing clinical outcomes.
What’s more, it perfectly aligns with what I’m most passionate about: evidence-based adhesive and conservative dentistry.
While the equipment and materials are impressive, what I truly value about IDS is the human connection it fosters. Meeting colleagues from around the world, exchanging ideas, discussing clinical cases, and reconnecting with friends you only see at these events—that has immense value. These are the moments that recharge your energy, motivation, and sense of professional purpose.
You also come to realize how small our market really is. You see how other countries move forward based on their own economic and technological contexts, and it becomes clear that what reaches Chile is only a fraction of what 21st-century dentistry has to offer.
But if we want things to change, we need to change too.
Let me be blunt: if we want more and better technological options in Chile, we need to become a more curious market—more open to knowledge, more demanding, and more collaborative. It requires a shift in mindset: less routine, more learning; less recipe-following, more clinical reasoning; less ego, more humility to accept constructive feedback and share what we learn.
When was the last time you read a scientific paper? Months ago? Years? Why? Because it doesn’t come in print anymore? Because it’s in English? — There are online translators. Excuses no longer serve us.
Dentistry stopped being a step-by-step recipe a long time ago. And continuing to treat it that way, just out of convenience, is a sure way to fall behind. The invitation is to embrace a bit of discomfort… and grow.
