Edinburgh dental practice invests in next generation of digital dentistry
The technology has the potential to significantly change how some restorative and cosmetic dental treatments are delivered.
An Edinburgh dental practice is making a major investment in digital dentistry as it looks to bring some of the latest developments in restorative and cosmetic dental care to patients in Scotland.
The Row Dental has invested significantly in new digital technology from companies including SprintRay and SHINING 3D, allowing its clinical team to increasingly bring processes traditionally carried out by external dental laboratories directly into the practice.
The investment follows Principal Dentist Dr Slaine Ker’s visit to Seattle earlier this year for advanced training in digital dentistry. The trip marked the beginning of a wider move towards digital workflows at The Row, with the practice continuing to invest in both technology and clinical training throughout 2026.
This month, two members of The Row’s clinical team will travel to Florida to undertake further intensive training in digital restorative dentistry.
During the programme, they will work with workflows allowing restorations to be digitally designed and produced within the dental practice, including same-day restorations, as well as exploring emerging 3D-printing techniques for longer-term restorations such as veneers, crowns and onlays.
The technology has the potential to significantly change how some restorative and cosmetic dental treatments are delivered.
While porcelain veneers and composite bonding remain well-established options, advances in dental materials and 3D printing are creating the possibility of an additional approach: digitally designed restorations that can be printed directly within the dental practice.
The Row plans to explore how these newer materials and techniques can be incorporated safely and predictably into its existing restorative workflows.
Dr Ker said: “Seattle was really the start of this journey for us. I came back incredibly excited by where digital dentistry is heading and we made the decision to invest heavily, not only in the technology itself but in making sure our team has the training to use it properly.
“What’s particularly exciting is how quickly the materials are developing. We’re now looking beyond using 3D printing simply for models, guides and temporary restorations and exploring its potential for restorations that traditionally would have been made from porcelain or composite.
“We’re travelling to the US again this month for intensive hands-on training, including producing same-day restorations and learning more about the latest applications for printed veneers, crowns and onlays.
“It’s still an emerging area of dentistry and we want to be thoughtful about how we introduce it, but it’s exciting to be involved at this stage and to be able to bring that knowledge back to our patients in Edinburgh.”
Digital scanning and 3D printing are already used at The Row for a growing number of clinical applications, including treatment planning, diagnostic models and wax-ups, splints, surgical guides and temporary restorations.
Bringing more of this work in-house can reduce reliance on traditional impressions and external laboratory stages, while giving clinicians greater control over the digital workflow and allowing patients to visualise aspects of their proposed treatment before it begins.
Although adoption of these newer restorative printing workflows is still at an early stage within UK dentistry, The Row hopes its continued investment in technology and international training will allow the practice to be among those exploring how they can be incorporated into everyday clinical care.
Dr Ker added: “For us, this isn’t about having technology for the sake of it. If we’re investing in something, it has to ultimately make treatment better for the patient, whether that’s greater precision, a more comfortable experience, fewer appointments or giving us treatment options we simply didn’t have before.”
The Row Dental is a private multidisciplinary dental practice in Edinburgh, providing general, cosmetic and specialist dental care. For more information, visit The Row Dental or contact the practice on 0131 210 0103.