What’s Coming Next in Dental Technology? Back to Shanghai
From 22–25 October, I’ll be back in Shanghai for DenTech China 2026, one of the trips I look forward to most each year.
I’ve started thinking of DenTech as an annual pilgrimage. It’s partly a dental show, partly a technology hunt, and probably most importantly, a chance to catch up with friends, engineers and product teams I’ve worked with for years.
China has become one of the most interesting places in the world to watch dental technology develop. What makes DenTech particularly useful for me is the opportunity to see what manufacturers are preparing for the international market, rather than simply looking at what is already being sold in Australia. There can be a big difference.
Looking Beyond the Trade Show Booth
Walking a trade show is easy. Working out what is genuinely useful is a little harder.
I’m interested in the engineering behind the product: what has changed, why it changed, what problems the engineers were trying to solve and whether a new feature actually improves the workflow.
A specification sheet can tell you that a scanner is faster, a printer has a new light engine or a milling machine has a different spindle. Talking directly with the people who designed it usually tells you much more.
I’ll again be spending time with teams from SHINING 3D, UP3D, Meyer, BSM, PB Dental and other manufacturers, looking at new hardware, software, materials and manufacturing technologies.
Some products will be ready for the international market. Others will be prototypes or early ideas that may look completely different by the time they reach Australia.
That is part of what makes the trip interesting.
China for China and China for the World
One thing that isn't always obvious from Australia is how large and diverse the Chinese dental technology market is.
Not every product developed in China is intended for export, and products designed for international markets often have very different requirements around software, language, certification, electrical systems, workflows, documentation and support.
That makes DenTech a useful place to see where manufacturers are heading internationally.
Rather than just asking what's new?, I tend to ask:
Is it actually better? Is it reliable? Can we support it? Does it solve a real problem?
Those questions eliminate a surprising amount of shiny new technology.
Working Directly With R&D
The trade show is only one part of these trips. Over the years, I've been fortunate to develop relationships directly with product managers, software teams, engineers and R&D departments throughout China.
A lot of my work with manufacturers happens at this level: identifying problems, testing workflows, reporting bugs, suggesting product changes and trying to make equipment easier to install, maintain and support.
Sometimes the changes are substantial. Often they're tiny details that most users will never notice.
Those tiny details can make the difference between a product that is technically impressive and one that is actually pleasant to use every day.
It is also one of the reasons I keep returning in person. A bug report or WeChat message can explain a problem, but sitting beside an engineer with the machine in front of you can solve in an hour what might otherwise take weeks.
Two Years as a SHINING 3D Certified Service Expert
This year's visit also follows another milestone for me personally.
I've now been recognised as a SHINING 3D Certified Service Expert for two consecutive years.
I value this recognition because my involvement with dental technology has never been limited to selling equipment. I want to understand how it works, how it fails, how to diagnose it and, where possible, how it can be made better.
Working closely with SHINING 3D's technical and R&D teams has given me access to an enormous amount of knowledge over the years, but it has also given me the opportunity to feed real-world experience from Australian clinics and laboratories back into the development process.
Getting the certificate is nice. Being able to fix things is better.
What I'll Be Looking For in 2026
Digital dentistry is moving quickly, but I'm becoming increasingly selective about what I consider meaningful progress.
I'm particularly interested in developments around intraoral scanning, dental CAD, chairside manufacturing, 3D printing, milling, materials, CBCT and the software connecting all of them together.
The next big improvement isn't necessarily another machine. It may be better automation, better integration between systems, easier calibration, smarter error detection, more useful AI or simply software that removes ten unnecessary clicks from a job you perform twenty times a day.
That is what I'll be looking for in Shanghai.
Not technology for the sake of technology, but things that make the scan, design and manufacture workflow faster, simpler, more predictable or more affordable.
See You in Shanghai
DenTech China 2026 runs from 22–25 October at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center.
I'll be sharing interesting technology, prototypes and developments from the show here and through my usual social channels throughout the trip and if you're in SH for the show, message me on Instagram.
And, as always, I'll be asking far too many questions of the engineers.
