Peninsula Study: IOS Uptake Positive in Dental Training

A qualitative study from Peninsula Dental School in Plymouth has found that intra-oral scanner use is well-received in UK undergraduate clinical training, but persistent infrastructure and access challenges constrain full uptake. Published in BDJ Open on 15 July 2026 and reported on 25 August, the research provides new evidence on how digital dentistry integrates into contemporary UK clinical education and the implications for scanner procurement and workflow standardisation.

The study, led by senior author Dr Andrew Sleigh (director of clinical dentistry at Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise), involved qualitative interviews with 15 Bachelor of Dental Surgery students and 6 clinical supervisors. Participants were asked about intra-oral scanner use in clinical teaching, perceived benefits and limitations, and implications for preparation for contemporary dental practice. Digital dentistry teaching was positively received overall, described as engaging and low-stress, and valued for improved patient communication, greater accuracy and enhanced learning experiences, particularly for visually oriented students. Supervisors similarly saw scanner integration as helpful for preparing students for modern clinical workflows.

Participants also identified persistent challenges: limited equipment availability, restricted access, set-up time, equipment reliability and variability in supervisor training. The study emphasised that digital methods should not eliminate the teaching of conventional techniques, since graduates still need to understand and use analogue approaches when clinically appropriate. Successful implementation requires appropriate infrastructure, staff training, technical support, equitable equipment access and sufficient opportunities for students to practise. The findings support broader integration of intra-oral scanning into undergraduate dental training, and highlight substantial commercial opportunity for scanner manufacturers and dental education technology providers focused on institutional-scale procurement.

The commercial signal is a growing dental school procurement opportunity for intra-oral scanner manufacturers, with institutional-scale purchasing constrained by infrastructure, integration and equitable access requirements. Expect Align Technology (iTero), 3Shape (TRIOS), Dentsply Sirona (Primescan), Planmeca (Emerald), Medit (i-Series) and Carestream (CS 3800) to sharpen their dental education positioning and institutional pricing strategies through the rest of 2026 and 2027.

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