An interview with Dr Zhiqiang Luo

At exocad Insights 2026, held in Palma de Mallorca in Spain, attendees realized how absolutely virtual workflows cross some distance past changing analogue steps to integrating more than one datasets in one digital affected person style. Throughout his presentation, Dr Zhiqiang Luo, a scientific teacher on the College of Michigan College of Dentistry in the USA, thought to be how this 360° method can make stronger prognosis, remedy making plans and simulation. On this interview with Dental Tribune Global all over the development, Dr Luo outlines the opportunity of digital affected person workflows to make advanced remedy making plans clearer, extra visible and extra predictable.

Dr Zhiqiang Luo, a scientific teacher on the College of Michigan College of Dentistry in the USA. (Symbol: Dr Zhiqiang Luo)

Dr Luo, what are the most important scientific benefits you spot in absolutely virtual workflows for prosthodontics lately, and what must dentists center of attention directly to make those workflows extra predictable?
I feel the most important merit for me is the versatility that comes from bringing other datasets right into a unmarried virtual workflow. At the moment, we will be able to use other applied sciences and combine them the use of instrument like exocad to create a digital affected person style. Then we will be able to do no matter we wish with it—prognosis, remedy making plans, design and so forth. This makes it a lot more uncomplicated for us to practice the workflow step-by-step to control advanced instances in a extra organised manner. Alternatively, predictability of the end result is dependent upon self-discipline at each degree of the workflow, particularly in how the information is captured, aligned and checked.

How do you spot synthetic intelligence (AI) making improvements to virtual impressions and restorative dentistry in on a regular basis scientific observe?
At this time, AI is turning into increasingly vital in virtual dentistry. We use AI for lots of various things—now not simply gear like ChatGPT but in addition at once in scientific workflows. For instance, we use AI to lend a hand with affect taking within the sanatorium, and we additionally use it to beef up the remedy making plans procedure. In the newest exocad instrument, there’s a characteristic that is helping with smile design. The AI permits us to generate a comparability visualisation in actual time in order that we will be able to render the virtual workflow at once into the affected person’s mouth in an instant.

It’s very handy and really visible. It provides us a a lot more goal strategy to be in contact the predicted end result with sufferers. I feel this sort of generation will proceed to beef up verbal exchange, potency and accuracy in on a regular basis restorative dentistry.

In full-arch instances and instances involving advanced aesthetic rehabilitation, what are the most typical errors clinicians make with virtual workflows, and the way can they steer clear of them?
I feel the most typical mistake clinicians make is with information registration. In virtual dentistry, should you do the whole thing appropriately, the workflow can come up with superb effects. But when the information isn’t correct, it might create main issues. In our virtual workflow, we position specific emphasis on information registration as a result of we’re continuously superimposing other datasets. Each and every time you undergo that procedure, it’s important to be very cautious to make certain that the datasets are aligned correctly. Another way, even one small mistake can create a large crisis for all the venture. Accuracy at every degree is terribly vital, particularly in full-arch restorations and aesthetic rehabilitations.

What sensible recommendation would you give dental pros who need to beef up affected person accept as true with and case acceptance via virtual smile design and visualisation gear?
My recommendation is to make use of virtual dentistry to make remedy making plans and verbal exchange extra visible and more uncomplicated for sufferers to know. Occasionally, verbal exchange in dentistry can change into too summary or too technical. When that occurs, it’s tough for sufferers to completely perceive the remedy plan or what the dentist is making an attempt to provide an explanation for.

Virtual dentistry is helping make the whole thing a lot more visible and comprehensible. Lately, we will be able to even use AI options to create digital mock-ups in order that sufferers can in truth see the long run end result ahead of remedy starts. That truly is helping construct accept as true with between the affected person and the clinician. In the event you simplest give an explanation for issues verbally, it may be tough for sufferers to completely accept as true with or visualise the outcome. But if they are able to in truth see it, it turns into a lot more uncomplicated for them to know and really feel assured transferring ahead with remedy.

What key perception or takeaway are you maximum excited to percentage with attendees at exocad Insights 2026?
I would like attendees to remove from my presentation the significance of creating a digital affected person by way of integrating other applied sciences into one platform—on this case, exocad. In keeping with that digital affected person, we will be able to create complete diagnoses and remedy plans after which organize the case step-by-step via a streamlined workflow. The method itself is simple, however clinicians should be extraordinarily cautious with information registration and accuracy at each degree. If the datasets are correct and the dentist follows the workflow appropriately, the method turns into a lot more uncomplicated to control.

In my lecture, I will be able to percentage an overly difficult full-mouth rehabilitation case involving tetracycline discoloration and a collapsed vertical measurement of occlusion. We needed to building up the vertical measurement of occlusion rather and determine a fully new occlusion. Instances like that may appear very difficult for clinicians, however virtual dentistry—when performed appropriately—can simplify even extremely advanced therapies and cause them to really feel a lot much less overwhelming. I would like clinicians to take into account that, with the appropriate workflow and a focus to element, even complex rehabilitation instances can change into a lot more predictable and manageable.