Outstanding research from Austria: W&H has been named one of Austria’s 250 most innovative companies and honoured with the 2025 Innovation Award from the ÖGVS. The recognition is based on the company’s patent performance from May 2024 to June 2025. With 194 patents currently filed and already granted worldwide, W&H continues to drive innovation in medical technology.

Sandra Schmee, a certified dental assistant and business economist, is increasingly working with zirconia crowns. In recent years, zirconia has established itself as the number one material for crowns and bridges and has become highly popular with patients. The material is extremely strong and durable, while its natural appearance offers clear aesthetic benefits. Stress during restorations? For Sandra Schmee and the entire practice team, this used to be part of everyday life – until the Synea Power Edition from W&H came along. In this interview, she shares how it has changed the way they work.

The W&H Oral Surgery Compass provides a practical guide through every step in oral surgery and implantology – from diagnosis and treatment to final documentation. It illustrates how each W&H device contributes to the treatment process and how the medical devices work seamlessly together.

In cases of advanced bone atrophy or following maxillary resections, the rehabilitation with implant-supported prostheses presents a particular challenge. Zygoma implants offer an alternative to conventional augmentation procedures and, when appropriately indicated, enable functional and long-term stable rehabilitation. This approach requires not only extensive surgical experience, but also specially designed instruments to ensure precise and safe execution.

With the Osstell Beacon, the W&H Group offers two tools for implant stability measurement. Both solutions share the same goal: to support clinicians in optimising healing periods for various clinical situations and implant systems. The device help determine the stability of dental implants without interfering with the biological healing process. Fast, non-invasive, and precise, they provide clinicians with valuable diagnostic information for confident, evidence-based decision-making.

The continuous advancement of restorative dental materials places increasing demands on contraangle handpieces and instruments, which must deliver durability, efficiency, and precision. Dr Wolfgang Tautschnig, an experienced dentist from Salzburg, tested the Synea “Power Edition” by W&H over several months and shares his insights from everyday clinical practice. The specialised handpiece was primarily used for demanding procedures such as cutting crowns and bridges. This article not only presents the advantages of the new high-speed handpiece, but also illustrates its clinical performance through two exemplary patient cases.

The W&H ultrasonic device U-Son enables highly effective cleaning of dental instruments. As a fast and efficient method for safe reprocessing, ultrasonic cleaning delivers excellent results. The ultrasonic bath ensures gentle yet thorough cleaning of hard-to-reach areas and removes even the most stubborn deposits. U-Son is therefore an important part of the hygiene cycle.

The W&H Group, renowned for high-quality product solutions, and SICAT, a leader in digital dentistry innovation, announced their long-term partnership at the EuroPerio. Together, the two companies are underlining their commitment to forward-looking technologies in dental medicine. Through their combined expertise, the partners seek to advance digital solutions in oral surgery.

Technological progress truly shows its worth when it delivers real, tangible benefits in practice. W&H is committed to this philosophy through intelligent connectivity and practical innovations. In our interview with Thomas Lang, Chief Technology Officer at W&H, we dive into the development process, explore current trends, and find out how the medical technology company's innovations are sustainably transforming the daily workflow of healthcare professionals.

Eyes of AI™, a global leader in AI-powered dental imaging, has announced a partnership with W&H, a world-renowned manufacturer of medical technology products and a pioneer in advanced dental equipment.

At IDS 2025, we had the chance to talk with Alberto Borghi, W&H product manager, about hygiene and reprocessing. With five new product launches in the hygiene sector alone, the medical technology company made a strong statement at this year’s IDS. We asked Alberto Borghi seven insightful questions – here’s his answers.

With digital connectivity, cloud-based solutions and automated documentation, digitisation is transforming day-to-day operations in dental practice. But what role is W&H playing in this? What can ioDent^®, the IoT solution developed specially for the dental industry, really do? And what added value does the tool offer? We met Christian Lechner, Product Director at W&H, at IDS 2025 and talked to him about the subject of digital dentistry.

For over half a century, dental implants have revolutionised patient care – but assessing implant stability and recovery time still often relies on experience-based estimations rather than exact measurements. Much like placing a hand on the forehead to check for temperature, these educated guesses are often close, but when they’re not, the lack of objective data makes assessing the situation challenging. Designed to provide reliable, data-driven insights, Osstell Beacon offers clinicians the confidence they need to deliver optimal implant outcomes.

After five exciting days at the trade fair, IDS 2025 has come to an end. What remains are the manufacturer’s innovative products finding now their way into dental practices and clinics. W&H, in particular, presented more than 10 new products – above all Seethrough, the medical technology manufacturer’s new imaging portfolio.

Like a genie in a bottle, W&H’s new thermal washer disinfectors – Thed and Thed+ – fulfil the wishes of every clinic. Developed by W&H, these innovative units offer powerful cleaning and disinfection, outstanding load flexibility, and faster reprocessing times. With features such as two washing levels, active air-drying with HEPA filter, and much more, Thed and Thed+ truly stand out in their class.

With Seethrough, W&H now offers a complete imaging portfolio that includes five advanced Xray solutions and a software that sets new standards. Whether intraoral or extraoral, all solutions offer maximum user-friendliness, top image quality and modern connectivity. The Seethrough portfolio is both comprehensive and thoughtfully designed, featuring two CBCT devices – Seethrough Max and Seethrough Flex – along with a periapical arm and two reading sources – a PSP Scanner and a digital sensor.

The reprocessing of reusable medical devices remains a complex and challenging task that requires compliance with strict procedures and regular updates to reflect the latest scientific and technological advancements.

How do you set new standards in the dental industry? How do you foster a culture of innovation within a company? And how do you stay ahead of time? Dipl. Ing. Peter Malata shares his insights in this exclusive interview. Just before IDS 2025, we take a closer look at the latest developments at W&H. Since 1996, Peter Malata has led the medical technology company, which today has around 1,300 employees, three production sites, and 18 sales subsidiaries – exporting to 130 countries worldwide.

The new Lara XXL sterilizer impresses in everyday practice with its maximum capacity and minimal dimensions. With its 38-litre chamber, the device offers maximum space and is therefore the largest sterilizer from the medical technology manufacturer W&H. However, the new product not only impresses with its spaciousness, but also with its high loading flexibility, simple navigation and many other advantages.

The concept of using rotary instruments to cut hard materials dates back at least 6,000 years. Ancient humans were using hand-held lithic burs to cut through shells, bones and teeth employing a method involving low-speed rotation with high torque. Modern dental handpieces have significantly advanced this principle, enabling precise cuts into much harder materials such as dental ceramics.

The oral and maxillofacial surgery referral practice FINE MKG in Heiligenhaus (City in North Rhine-Westphalia) was opened in August 2023. Two vacant office spaces formed the spatial basis. Spacious and light-flooded treatment rooms with an operating area have been created on a total of 700 square meters – and W&H products can be found in every room. And for good reasons.

The countdown clock is ticking – the W&H Group is waiting in the wings for the world's leading dental business summit. Under the motto “So good to see you soon”, the medical technology company will be presenting over 10 product highlights at two trade fair booths. Visitors can expect a completely new area of application, a wide range of solutions for oral surgery, hygiene, reprocessing, and an area all around digital workflows.

Ceramic materials such as zirconia are being used more and more frequently in modern restorative dentistry. However, removing zirconia restorations with conventional contra-angle handpieces is a challenging and lengthy procedure. Added to this is the high wear on the burs, especially with monolithic material. In some cases, the bur has to be changed at one-minute intervals. To address this problem, W&H has developed a new product line specifically tailored for these applications.

Osstell is a global leader in implant stability measurement and osseointegration progress monitoring, and we are proud to celebrate their 25th anniversary this year. Since their inception in 1999, Osstell has been dedicated to revolutionising implant treatments in dentistry, aiming to provide safer, more effective, and more successful implantation procedures for patients worldwide.

Extremely fast, small, and flexible: Lisa Mini is the racing car among the W&H sterilizers. Thanks to an optimised cycle profile, the sterilizer can process wrapped loads including straight and contra-angle handpieces in less than 18 minutes. For unwrapped loads, it even takes less than 9 minutes. In addition, the mini version of the popular Lisa sterilizer from W&H is fully equipped and can keep up with all the features and functionalities of larger type B sterilizers.

The direct relationship between intraoral and general health, as well as the bidirectional influence that they may have on one another, is well-known (1,2). It is absolutely essential to consider both factors when planning preventive intraoral measures and treatment in the dental practice. The primary objective is the maintenance of patient health and quality of life from both dental and medical perspectives.

A 74-year-old patient presents for a consultation. The anamnesis shows that the patient has well-controlled hypertension and is taking Lixiana. Additionally, the patient had a kidney carcinoma in 2020. The patient’s lifestyle is unremarkable. She has no natural teeth left and has six implants in both the upper and lower jaws, which are fitted with crowns or bridges. Current findings show no peri-implant mucositis or peri-implantitis; however, there are occasional minor bleedings at the implant sites.

Celebrating a journey with Osstell - 25 years of revolutionizing implant treatment to achieve “optimal time to teeth”

In the medical history, the 55 year-old patient states that he has no systemic disease and is not taking any medication. The patient’s lifestyle is similarly unremarkable. The patient has a few tooth restorations and two implants (2nd and 4th quadrants). On the basis of current findings, gingivitis is identified in an otherwise stable periodontal condition on the reduced periodontium (stage III, grade A).

Osseodensification is a non-subtractive drilling technique that preserves and compacts bone. This procedure attempts to increase bone density, insertion torque and implant stability. The technique is suitable for horizontal augmentation in narrow alveolar ridges, as well as for vertical height gain via crestal sinus lift.

A 52-year-old patient presents at a prevention session. The patient has no systemic disease and is not taking any medication. He has had various dental treatments and also has two active carious lesions. In addition, the patient has four implants (2nd, 3rd and 4th quadrants). He is revealed to have early periodontal disease (stage IV, grade B). His periodontal condition is stable; a probe depth of 5 mm is only evident at the implant in region 36. Gingivitis is also identified.

Long-term success in implant therapy is an aim that all clinicians strive for. Fundamental to this is proper implant placement, surgical site preparation, and good osseointegration after insertion. Although a torque value is a basic prerequisite for primary stability, it alone does not provide complete information for the clinician. Therefore, knowledge of ISQ values is fundamental to assess both primary implant stability (mechanical stability) and secondary implant stability (biological stability or osseointegration).

Snus is usually brought into contact with the oral mucosa via its placement beneath the upper lip, and in some cases under the lower lip, whereby the nicotine it contains can enter the bloodstream via the oral mucosa

Stress, defined as a state in which the affected individual perceives a sense of threat or lack of control, as well as sleep disorders and poor sleep quality, are both undeniably issues that cause a significant degree of difficulty in today’s society.

The close relationship between general medical health and intraoral health is well-known. It is no longer adequate to consider intraoral conditions in isolation. Accurate medical and intraoral history taking and examination of findings, as well as their joint consideration, are essential for maintaining intraoral health and patient quality of life and offering dentists a sense of assurance during therapeutic planning.

28-year-old patient, smoker, with erosions. The bidirectional relationship between oral and general medical health is very well known. It is no longer sufficient – and arguably even old-fashioned – to consider intraoral conditions in isolation. In order to create a personalized, case-specific preventive and patient profile, it is essential to take a detailed medical history and perform diligent examination of the general medical and intraoral health, as well as considering the two in combination.

The concept of using rotary tools to cut hard materials, such as granite, is at least 6,000 years old. As early as 25,000 BCE, our ancestors were using hand-held lithic borers to cut through shells without breaking them. These tools were generally made of flint, and pressed against the object to be perforated and then rotated back and forth at low speed and relatively high torque. Powerful modern handpieces have elevated the principle of variable speed and high torque to enable precise cuts into much harder materials like zirconia.

This study once more underlines that patients who do not regularly attend check-ups after receiving their implant-supported restoration have a very high risk of peri-implant diseases in general and specifically peri-implantitis; based on this data, at least two check-up visits per year are recommended.

The fight for periodontally compromised teeth and therefore retaining these teeth usually also pays off for patients from a financial perspective and is usually cheaper than extraction and subsequent implantation.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis are at significantly higher risk of periodontitis and this risk increases further for patients with particularly active rheumatoid arthritis.

Explore the complexities of dental implant care: This scientifically backed article summarises the critical aspects of diagnosis, oral hygiene, and expert strategies for the effective management of both, mucositis and peri-implantitis.

The ITI World Symposium takes place in Singapore from May 9th to 11th, 2024. On site, high-profile speakers will present W&H's innovative product solutions, as well as Osstell implant stability solutions, including OsstellConnect.

Clean instruments and sterile equipment are a matter of course in a professional dental practice. The correct and safe functioning of steam sterilizers is therefore crucial. With the new eLog from W&H routine tests and recording of sterilization cycles can now be automatically saved in a digital logbook. This ensures that documentation requirements can be met at all times. Furthermore, W&H is introducing a new Helix test to enable optimum process control for type B sterilizers.

Interdental cleaning with dental floss or interdental brushes significantly reduces interdental plaque build-up and even tends to lead to a reduced rate of tooth loss in the long term.

W&H saved 900,000 kWh of electricity last year. In addition to smart tools, concrete measures and teamwork contributed to this.

A non-surgical periodontal treatment can reduce the long-term blood glucose level (HbA1c) in type 2 diabetics by 0.3% and this effect persisted even after six months following treatment.

Untreated periodontal disease in parents can negatively influence the development of their children’s oral microbiome and promote the development of a dysbiotic oral microbiome.

Maintaining hygiene in a dental practice is essential, but it can be complex. That's where W&H AIMS comes in. With a wide product portfolio, fundamental knowledge, and all relevant information at a glance, W&H AIMS stands as a valuable resource for every medical professional. W&H provides step-by-step support for professional hygiene management to break the chain of infection effectively. Now also with a range of compatible hygiene and disinfectants under the brand BePro.

The new W&H high-speed contra-angle handpieces have been specially designed for the processing and removal of high-strength ceramic materials such as zirconia. Offering a particularly robust design, additional torque and stable removal rate, the new Synea Power Edition is the ideal solution for highly demanding applications such as crown and bridge removal.

Maintenance devices are indispensable when it comes to ensuring dental transmission instruments work properly, maintain their value, and have a long service life. The W&H Assistina Twin and Assistina One impress with their thorough and comprehensive lubrication of the gear parts and cleaning of the spray channels, as well as their environmentally friendly Care Set.

The shape of an implant crown has a significant influence on how well it can be kept clean using home oral hygiene, and concave crown shapes appear to be easier to clean; it also seems that the underside of an implant crown in the molar area is easiest to access with dental floss.

W&H places a significant emphasis on addressing the needs of medical professionals in its product development. Over the course of two extensive workshops, the medical technology company engaged in collaborative discussions with professionals from France, Italy, Australia, Germany, and Türkiye. The primary focus of these workshops revolved around knowledge transfer, sharing best practice examples, and delving deeper into the reprocessing procedures and infection prevention workflows used within their dental practices.

Commonly used definitions for successful periodontal treatment are extremely difficult to achieve, but are nevertheless associated with a lower rate of tooth loss; however, the tooth loss rate in patients who regularly attend supportive periodontal treatment sessions is generally very low.

Biofilm accumulation is the main aetiological factor in the development of peri-implant diseases; plaque control and supportive implant therapy are therefore crucial in preventing peri-implant diseases.

Dr Adriana Locher is a brilliant surgeon who also shares her knowledge as a digital opinion leader. The Swiss Argentine focuses on lifelong learning and shares her tips and tricks on products and surgical techniques with a broad online community. We talked to her about her career, her path to success, and her favourite W&H products.

In old age, tooth loss leads to significantly reduced social participation in society, while maintaining a minimum of 20 teeth has the opposite effect and leads to a significant improvement and therefore more frequent social participation.

In this study, non-surgical treatment of peri-implantitis was only successful in 25% of cases and was adversely affected by a medical history involving periodontitis and smoking, inadequate oral hygiene and a wide implant diameter.

The prevention of peri-implant diseases is the best treatment and the peri-implant soft tissue can play a decisive role here; for this reason, the team should discuss if there is a need for treatment in patients with a lack of keratinised mucosa (i.e. < 2 mm width of keratinised mucosa).

A very high percentage of patients had a positive experience of implant treatment and most patients were very happy with the result; however, frequent points of criticism were the treatment costs and the cleansing ability.

Hands-on courses, e-learning, technical reports, and studies: the medical technology company W&H offers users and practitioners a comprehensive range of further education. In order to optimally complement the existing portfolio, the company relies on digital opinion leaders. The aim is to network medical professionals, thus promoting the mutual exchange of knowledge.

‘Proxeo – Prophy for Professionals’ is the slogan that W&H is using to market its products for professional teeth cleaning and periodontal treatment. The medical technology company offers a wide range of solutions for the mechanical removal of hard and soft plaque. All these products have one thing in common: They are extremely effective, are gentle to use, and are designed with the patient’s well-being in mind.

Are you ready to upgrade your game with Synea Vision? W&H was the first and is so far, the only company in the world, achieved a technological masterpiece with the Ring LED+

Women who exercise regularly showed a significantly reduced risk of periodontitis and a significantly reduced severity of periodontitis.

Rehabilitation and replacement of missing teeth lead to a significant improvement in quality of life relating to oral health and also tend to improve general health.

A questionnaire-based survey showed that periodontitis significantly increases the risk of an impaired sense of taste and smell.

Smoking and increased probing depths at a young age (i.e. at an age of < 20 years) are significant risk factors for the early onset of periodontitis (i.e. at an age of < 30 years).

Automatic toothbrushing could have future potential, but still requires further technical developments to improve existing shortcomings with regard to customizsation for different jaw sizes and tooth positions, interdental spaces and choice of optimal brushing time.

Even when told to brush their teeth as well as possible, the quality of tooth brushing among young adults is poor; the main weaknesses are cleaning palatal/lingual surfaces and overall brushing technique.

Optimal diabetes control, regular supportive implant therapy and augmentation of peri-implant soft tissue deficits have proven to be crucial features in primary prevention of peri-implant diseases.

Additional measures locally applied or taken systemically by the patient (e.g. antiseptics in the form of mouth-rinse solutions or probiotics) could have an additional positive effect in the treatment of peri-implant mucositis.

Small, but mighty! The TK-94 L is the smallest of W&H’s Synea Vision turbine handpieces, convincing with modern technology, intelligent design, and optimal power. The turbine handpieces are particularly suitable for minimally invasive procedures thanks to their extra small head sizes. They are mainly used in geriatric and paediatric dentistry as well as for nervous patients as they allow stress-free and gentle treatment.

Chemical additives for cleaning the implant surface as part of non-surgical peri-implantitis therapy may make sense, but there is a shortage of well-conducted studies with a sufficient number of patients and a long-enough follow-up period to really be able to recommend a specific method and/or a specific product.

Due to a continuing lack of well-conducted clinical studies, it is still not possible, based on the evidence, to give a clear treatment guideline for mechanical cleaning as part of non-surgical peri-implantitis treatment.