Technology is evolving at a pace none of us has seen in our lifetimes. AI is reshaping how companies operate, how they serve customers, and how quickly new tools reach the market. Dentistry is no exception.
Yet one thing will never change, however fast innovation moves: the human element. In healthcare, it decides outcomes. Every company that serves dentists has a choice to make about whether to move closer to its customers or further away.
I shared this idea on the main stage at Solea Summit 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona, in front of close to 750 dentists, team members, and partners. My theme was the power of deep partnerships. Here is why I believe it matters for the entire dental community.
In healthcare, the person in the chair, the patient, is the point. Clinical judgment, trust, and comfort cannot be automated away.
Across most industries, companies have steadily put distance between themselves and the people they serve. The goal is usually efficiency, and sometimes a smoother customer journey. Some of that distance is welcome. Few of us miss waiting in line for a bank teller, and most travelers happily check themselves in at the airport.
Anyone who has repeated the word "representative" into a phone menu, louder each time, knows the other side of that trade.
Healthcare is different. As dentists know better than anyone, the work depends on clinical judgment and personal care, with live patients in their chairs all day long. The human element makes or breaks that experience. Every technology company serving dentists should never underestimate the importance of the human element.
A deep partnership keeps producing mutual value over time. It’s not limited to the partnership between a company and customer but spans an entire ecosystem, and certainly does not end at the point of sale.
At Convergent Dental, we see five relationships within this ecosystem that must work together:
Our employees. It starts with our own team. We are obsessed with positioning our people to succeed, and our culture is built on people who roll up their sleeves and “get it.”
Our doctors. We see every dentist who chooses Solea as the start of a relationship, not just a laser purchase but a partnership that grows deeper over time.
Doctors with one another. Some of the most valuable partnerships form between peers who learn from each other and build a doctor community.
Strategic partners. Convergent Dental partners with a wide array of companies from our exclusive distribution partner, Patterson Companies, to suppliers, contract manufactures and so many more that serve the dental community. Forming deep partnerships with each one is paramount to our success.
Dental office teams and patients. The partnerships that dentists build with their staff and patients are where the rubber meets the road. Our job is to support them.
In practice, partnership covers the full journey: online training, in-person hands-on training, a clinical coach in the office, responsive service when something goes wrong, and continuing education for as long as a doctor practices. It is a continuous circle, not a handoff.
Our aspiration is simple. When a dentist talks about us to their team, their peers, or their family, we want to have earned two phrases: no one cares more, and no one partners better than Convergent Dental.
Dentists tell us they want practical learning they can apply in their practices right away, shared insights by peers who use the same tools.
Many learning meetings across our industry are a fraction of the size they once were. Solea Summit has moved in the opposite direction. This year, nearly 750 people joined us, up from roughly 640 registrants in 2025. They chose from over 60 courses taught by more than 30 faculty members, nearly all of whom are practicing dentists.
When we asked attendees why the meeting keeps growing, they called it “the most practical, productive, and pragmatic dental meeting (they attend), one where sharing and learning take center stage.” These doctors share insights in the spirit of elevating an entire community. That is rare, and the credit belongs entirely to them.
They also told us the meeting makes “the most versatile tool in their armamentarium even more versatile.” New uses for Solea do not come from Convergent Dental. They come from practicing doctors who find innovative applications we could never have imagined. This year I challenged every attendee to leave with at least one new use. I expect many found more.
They describe proactive follow-up, fast problem solving, and a company that treats their success as its own. I would rather let our doctors explain it.
"Convergent Dental is a unique company with regards to how they onboard new customers and how they take somebody who's never had experience with an all-tissue laser, or even laser dentistry in general, and focus on creating an environment that sets that individual up for success." Timothy Anderson, DDS
"They followed up with me. I didn't have to initiate anything. They made sure I was using the laser. I was comfortable. Any hiccup I had at all, they fixed it immediately." Jay Patel, DMD
"When I bought my laser, our rep called me a week later, he called me a month later. He emailed me three months into it, and so he was just there for me. I felt that I had someone that was involved in my success." Darrell Chun, DDS, MAGD
"Convergent Dental truly believes that my success is their success. Their support has been never ending, unwavering." Christopher Blair, DDS
What stands out to me is that none of these comments are about product specifications or features. They are about setting up people who are caring for patients for success.
It holds up under stress. Author Spencer Harrison describes it well:
“Deep partnerships are relationships that continue to produce mutual benefits over time, even when the relationships come under stress. They create reservoirs of confidence, information and shared hope that can be drawn upon when opportunities appear or crises occur.”
Every relationship worth having is tested at some point. We know many Solea doctors use their Solea laser all day, every day, on nearly every patient, and some have patients who travel long distances to see them. When anything interrupts that, real people feel it. No technology journey is flawless, and I won't pretend otherwise. What matters is how we respond when challenges occur.
So here is the commitment I made to our Solea community of doctors, and one I believe every company serving healthcare should make. We will always evolve. We will always share. We will always learn. And we will never stop listening.
Innovation will keep accelerating. The companies that earn lasting trust in dentistry will be the ones that move closer to the people they serve, not further away. That is the human element, and it is the foundation of every deep partnership.