This issue of Dental Products Report has a section devoted to coverage of the 2024 Cellerant Best of Class Technology Awards. You’ll find a full listing of the winners along with descriptions of the products as well as some reasons from the panelists on why they voted as they did.
However, you may be asking yourself, “Why does one more dental award matter?” and I’d like to take some time this month to explain just that. After all, there are several awards given out in the profession each year, so why are the Cellerant Best of Class Technology Awards special? Allow me to explain.
The History
The program began back in 2009 when Cellerant Consulting Group founder and CEO Lou Shuman, DMD, CAGS, had a vision for an award to provide recognition to companies that were developing leading-edge products for the profession. Originally it was called the Cellerant Best of Class Technology Award, and the focus was tech centric. However, shortly after the award’s inception, the group quickly realized that there were many other companies and products that deserved recognition for cutting-edge materials and devices that fell outside of the technology category. This gave birth to the current wide scope of product considerations.
Voting Members
The panel is composed of prominent technology leaders in dentistry. They are Dr Shuman, Paul Feuerstein, DMD (editor in chief of Dentistry Today), Pamela Maragliano-Muniz, DMD (chief editor of Dental Economics), Marty Jablow, DMD (“America’s Dental Technology Coach”), Chris Salierno, DDS (chief dental officer of Tend), and myself.
As both technophiles and doctors, the panel members approach the voting process by considering what we would purchase for our practices to help give our patients the best care and best results possible. By putting ourselves in the shoes of the doctors who benefit from our selection, we hope to help the profession and the patients we serve.
Selection Process
The awards require a rigorous nonprofit, impartial process and that is exactly the way it happens.Every year the panel meets to talk about products that have impressed them. There are no guaranteed categories, ensuring the panelists are free to bring up any product they feel has made or is poised to make a significant impact on the profession. Each product is discussed and debated. Not all nominees win, even if they are the only product considered for a category they cover.
Occasionally a product from the previous year continues to impress and again is recognized with an award. This lets the industry know that the product has still met expectations and has a track record of success.
Throughout the year, the panelists scour the dental landscape to find products to discuss.Some of them are from companies with a major industry footprint, while others are from small start-ups that are just beginning to find their way into the dental landscape.
Transparency
Occasionally a panel member has some type of relationship with a company that might cause a bias. These relationships are disclosed to the panel and that person removes themselves from the discussion. This process helps ensure that the winners are not determined by any type of financial consideration.
Impact of the Awards
We hope to increase awareness of products and devices that can make an impact for dental practitioners. Doctors need to make the best decisions possible to ensure they provide the best possible treatment and do so in a way that helps ensure their profitability. To do that, doctors need a trusted and unbiased source of information that can aid in their purchasing decisions. “Expert opinions” always appear high on lists of how doctors make their buying decisions, and the goal of the awards is to offer information that doctors can depend on to help them in that process. Marketing is a part of life, but it shouldn’t be the sole determining factor for a purchase. Doctors need input from other professionals to help them make decisions that are right for both their practice and their clinical needs.
Wrapping Up
As you peruse this month’s issue of DPR, please take some time to review the winners of this year’s Cellerant Best of Class Technology Awards. You can do so with the confidence that these products are truly reliable while providing the best outcomes currently possible. I can assure you that the panel takes our selection process very seriously so that you can take them seriously as well.
You may just find a product or device that can change your office for the better. We sure hope so. That’s always our intent as we put the list of winners together.
