Building up a dental training facility from the scratch – this ambitious project is nearing completion at Otago University’s Faculty of Dentistry in New Zealand. Mid-March, 2019, so-called super-users have started their training with the over 210 Sinius treatment centers that Dentsply Sirona installed on the University’s Dunedin campus by the end of 2018. Dentsply Sirona accompanied through the final steps by providing high-quality trainers from Germany and Australia.

New Zealand’s dental students and patients are about to benefit from an entirely new-built dental teaching facility at Otago University (Dunedin campus). As one of the last steps of this demanding construction project, Dentsply Sirona provided experienced trainers from Germany and Australia to teach the so-called super-users how to work with the new Sinius treatment centers. Mid-March 2019, they learned to use the full capability of the state-of-the-art treatment centers and their associated equipment. Henceforth, the qualified super-users will run on-going training sessions with small groups of the dental faculty’s staff and students to prepare them for putting the building into full operation in April/May 2019. The completion of the new training facility is the first part of a two-phase building project with a total volume of 130 million New Zealand dollars.

Supporting workflow-oriented dental training
Professor Alison Rich, Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry at Otago University, adds: “The fact that the Sinius treatment centers are installed and operational is an exciting milestone because it demonstrates clearly that we will be in our new facility soon. We designed the clinics with a dedicated focus on people – patients, students and staff – and thus chose Dentsply Sirona’s Sinius treatment centers.” The new building’s design is tailored to modern dental processes and workflows. Each bay offers adequate space for students, supervisors and patients. Every treatment center is equipped with a host of services – including power, data, water, drainage, compressed air, dental suction and a central dosing system that cleans internal pipework.

Over 210 Sinius treatment centers – completely digitised
Otago University opted for Dentsply Sirona’s Sinius treatment centers and additional equipment in the context of an international call for tenders in 2018. “Our offer met the Faculty of Dentistry’s needs and enables all the services to be connected to New Zealand standards” explains Peter Rössling, Director Sales International Special Clinic Solutions at Dentsply Sirona.

Each of the 211 Sinius treatment center integrates various functions, for example:

• The patient’s records as well as digital x-rays and scans is displayed chair-side at a screen.

• Digital impression systems – Dentsply Sirona’s CEREC Omnicam –take dental images that are also accessible via the chair-side screen.

• A digital self-cleaning system ensures stringent infection control standards.

Dentsply Sirona’s VIONEX software solution connects all Sinius treatment center. So, their functioning can be monitored centrally via the Internet to immediately identify and address maintenance needs.

“The Sinius treatment centers are designed specifically for the Otago University’s requirements to fit perfectly to several areas of applications – for example in terms of general dental care as well as orthodontics, special care and pediatrics”, summarizes Joerg Vogel, Vice President Sales International Special Clinic Solultions at Dentsply Sirona. Prior to the installation of all Sinius treatment centers, the Faculty of Dentistry performed rigorous tests with a sample unit in the mock-up of a typical clinic treatment bay to ensure that the real-life set-up would work for staff and students.

Successful conclusion of an ambitious installation project
By the end of 2018, Dentsply Sirona installed the Sinius treatment centers on behalf of Otago University. The project team comprised internationally trained technicians from Germany and experts from a local medical engineering company who went through an intensive training at Dentsply Sirona’s production site in Bensheim, Germany, earlier.

They installed the entire dental equipment including:

• 211 Sinius treatment centers in eight different configurations,

• 33 intra oral imaging systems (Heliodent Plus) as well as Orthophos 2D and 3D extra oral imaging systems and

• 2,000 instruments.

Besides the specialty and teaching clinics, the new building will house the Otago University’s Primary Care Unit, radiography and surgical suites. It belongs to a two-part building complex that includes the Walsh Building which has been used hitherto for the new training facility’s purposes. Following its refurbishment, the Walsh Building will serve for research laboratories, academic offices, student support, and teaching laboratories.