DS World 2025, held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, is upon us.
With the theme "Empowering Connection" and celebrating CEREC's 40th anniversary, Dentsply Sirona delivered multiple major announcements that signal a significant strategic pivot in the chairside CAD/CAM landscape. This wasn't just another incremental hardware update; this was Dentsply Sirona's calculated response to the rise of 3D printing and a bold move to reclaim its position in the evolving digital dentistry landscape.
I am here at the event with over 3,000 clinicians who have joined Dentsply Sirona to learn about everything they are releasing. Here's everything you need to know. Enjoy.
The Milling Machine Trio - Something for Everyone?
Dentsply Sirona introduced two new milling machines alongside their existing CEREC Primemill, creating a clear three-tier strategy that directly addresses the different needs and budgets of practices. We now have CEREC Primemill, CEREC Primemill Light and CEREC Go.
CEREC Primemill – The Premium Flagship
The original Primemill remains the premium option with four milling spindles, making it ideal for practices that frequently switch between materials. With multiple burs loaded simultaneously, it handles everything from zirconia work with fine burs to robust glass ceramic milling with thicker tools. Personally, this mill has been my go-to for chairside milling in my practice since its release.
CEREC Primemill Lite – The Mid-Tier Solution
The new Primemill Lite, announced at the show, features two milling spindles and targets practices focused primarily on glass ceramics, such as eMax. Think of it as the modern evolution of the MCX line – more affordable than the flagship while maintaining the excellent and easy-to-use Dentsply Sirona milling technology.
CEREC Go – Dentsply Sirona's response to 3D Printing
Here's where things get really interesting. At DS World, Dentsply Sirona announced the CEREC Go.
Priced at $25,000-$ 30,000 USD, CEREC Go represents Dentsply Sirona's most economical milling option to date and also a direct challenge to the 3D printing revolution. This composite-only milling machine is designed specifically to compete with resin printing workflows.
The Battle Lines Are Drawn.
3D printing has disrupted dentistry by promising accessibility and lower entry costs. Printers like the SprintRay Midas offer affordability at around $11,000 USD, plus the cost of wash and curing equipment, which can cost up to $ 7,000 USD. This brings the total to nearly 18,000. The pricing of the CEREC Go is certainly more affordable than ever before for a CEREC mill, but still more expensive than printing. Would you pay more for milling?
It is important to note, as I've extensively covered in my blogs, on social media, or on the iDD podcast, 3D printing introduces technique sensitivity and workflows that many practices underestimate. Post-processing of printed crowns can be inconsistent and messy, especially when it comes to washing resins - do we wash, dip, spray, or shake them? For how long? etc.
CEREC Go is Dentsply Sirona's answer to the undeniable hype. While you can't mill zirconia or eMax, you gain access to research-backed composite blocks, such as GC Cerasmart and Vita Enamic, which require minimal post-processing and have stronger flexural strength than many 3D printed resins. The company also announced milling times of 2-3 minutes for inlays and onlays with their new fast milling mode for hybrid composites. Add to this no resin handling, no isopropyl alcohol, and no post-processing variables that can affect strength and aesthetics. Milling blocks also have the inherent advantage of near-endless shelf-life and a broad variety of shades.
Both technologies have their place, but CEREC Go makes a compelling argument for milling's inherent advantages. To me, it's fascinating to see a juggernaut in the industry respond in this way to 3D printing.
Granted, milling has its own arguable drawbacks: larger machines, more noise, and it remains more expensive. Additionally, milling multiple units can take longer compared to printing. With a more affordable milling machine option now available, the decision between printing resins or milling them may have become more interesting.
Oh, and CEREC is moving to the cloud and will be integrated with TRIOS scanners... but more on that below.
New Materials by Dentsply Sirona
Alongside the milling hardware, Dentsply Sirona announced two key material additions:
CERCON 4D Zirconia – Expanding their zirconia portfolio for enhanced esthetics and strength, the company says this material mimics the biology of natural teeth with a dentin core and an enamel layer. It’s interesting to see that material innovations for blocks continue as well. Until multi-material printing becomes possible in dentistry, it’s an inherent advantage of industrially manufactured blocks.
CEREC Swift – A partnership with GC Cerasmart, bringing a proven composite block directly into the CEREC ecosystem. This is particularly significant for those considering the CEREC Go.
CEREC on DS Core - The Cloud Revolution Finally Arrives
The most transformative announcement to me was CEREC on DS Core – Dentsply Sirona's long-awaited move to cloud-based CAD design. While DS took a bold early move with DS Core to migrate everything to the cloud beginning in 2022, others, such as Exocad, arguably pushed their CAD capabilities to the cloud earlier.
What does CEREC on DS Core mean? The implications are massive:
- Design anywhere - you can scan with your CEREC scanner and then design your restorations on any web browser. Your scanner cart can finally be freed up - especially in busy practices.
- Scan on the cloud, design on the cloud, mill locally – The complete cloud workflow if you use Primescan 2
- Cross-scanner compatibility – TRIOS scanners can now send scans directly to DS Core and then use CEREC for design (available on the Advanced DS Core subscription tier at $229.95/month)
- STL export capability – Finally! CEREC users can export restorations for 3D printing or external manufacturing
I've been beta testing CEREC on DS Core for several weeks, and the user experience maintains the familiar ease of use of CEREC while gaining cloud flexibility. In my opinion, the CEREC AI-driven design proposals continue to be among the best in the industry for chairside dentistry. The new UI is also a nice update and rethink of the CEREC design process.
Note: CEREC on DS Core functions well, providing a familiar experience similar to our standard CEREC, but CAM is not yet available in the cloud. It is coming, but for now, be aware that to go from design on DS Core to sending it to your mill, you still need the CAM software installed on a computer. The company stated that they are working hard to get everything operational on the cloud soon.
Subscription Tiers and Pricing
CEREC on DS Core is included in two of the four subscription levels:
- Standard Subscription: $99.95/month with basic CEREC features
- Advanced Subscription: $229.95/month, unlocking TRIOS integration, STL export, and expanded manufacturing capabilities
It’s essential to note that DS Core tiers do include a range of additional functionalities, including X-ray diagnosis, aligner simulation, storage, and HIPAA-compliant sharing with clinicians and patients, as well as running cloud-based equipment such as Primescan 2.
The 2 more basic tiers, “Light” ($19.95/month) and the free “Access” tier, have more limited functionalities. Think of the free “Access” Tier as an upgraded replacement of Sirona’s legacy Case Connect Centre, which is mainly used to send cases to labs.
AI and Diagnostics: The Intelligence Layer
DS Core isn't just about CAD, even though for many clinicians, this will likely be the most exciting thing. Dentsply Sirona is developing a comprehensive digital platform that encompasses clinical applications, such as CEREC and AI diagnosis, as well as connecting and operating equipment, including Primescan, CBCTs, Mills, and Printers.
Their focus is on integrating technologies with each other rather than focusing on single applications. This makes sense given the unique breadth of the company’s portfolio, but also means there is a lot of complexity to be resolved.
At DS world, they also announced:
AI Diagnostics powered by partnerships with Pearl AI and VideaAI for automated pathology detection and treatment planning assistance.
Diagnosing CBCT images directly in DS Core from any screen through a web browser on the cloud. Together with the fact that DS Core is also certified as a primary storage solution, the company's pitch is to simplify IT complexity and costs.
Smart View Technology – Advanced AI simulations that can visualise jaw structure, individual teeth, and nerve canal mapping. According to Dentsply Sirona, this is the only 3D platform providing actual nerve canal visualisation rather than approximations.
All of these features are included in the “Standard Tier” of DS Core at no additional cost.
So, the DS Core Standard basically combines CEREC, IOS, and Imaging capabilities in one package. It’ll be interesting to see how this unfolds further as more functions move to DS Core and what the response from clinicians will be.
Subscriptions are making a comeback across the entire market, and I expect basically all major digital companies to follow suit in some way with the development of platforms and cloud services.
The Strategic Picture
Looking at these announcements, Dentsply Sirona is trying to execute a "CEREC for Everyone" strategy that directly responds to market pressures:
For budget-conscious practices: CEREC Go offers the renowned CEREC chairside milling reliability at a price never before seen from Dentsply Sirona. The company is pushing it as a “Digital Class 2” machine with a speed of “90 seconds inlays”. This follows a trend in the industry, particularly among 3D printing companies, to replace complex Class 2 cases with CAD/CAM technology instead of using large composites. An interesting fact is that this essentially means returning to the origin of CEREC, 40 years ago, which began with a focus on inlays.
For Established Practices: Primemill Lite offers a lower cost Primemill for those wanting to mill zirconia and emax / silicates. The main drawback of this compared to the original Primemill is the need to change burs when switching between zirconia and silicates frequently.
For Connected Workflows: DS Core is heavily pushing cloud-based design and cross-platform integration. It is fascinating to me to see how the company is fully committed to cloud solutions, and that, in their eyes, this is the future of dentistry.
Market Implications - The Fight for Digital Dentistry's Future
These announcements represent more than product launches; they're Dentsply Sirona's battle plan for maintaining relevance in a rapidly evolving market.
They took an early leap of faith into the cloud, and from what they’ve told me, adoption is steadily growing as they continue to release more and more functions to DS Core. Apparently, more than 50,000 dental practices and labs use DS Core already, and there are more than 60,000 scanners, CBCTs, Mills and Printers connected to it.
Over the past few years, 3D printing has rapidly captured the attention of the entire industry by promising an affordable entry into digital workflows. CEREC Go attempts to directly address this by offering "indirect restoration performance at direct restoration speed" – minimal post-processing, research-based materials, and consistent outcomes. This entire battle between these 2 types of manufacturing is fascinating to me.
Dentsply Sirona's position is straightforward - for complex shapes like splints, guides, printing is better. However, for restorations, printing is best used for temporaries, and milling with proven materials is recommended for your finals.
CEREC on DS Core finally brings Dentsply Sirona into the modern era of connected workflows. The ability to design in the cloud from both Dentsply Sirona and 3Shape scanners and export STL files removes many longstanding ecosystem barriers. CEREC is opening up (somewhat) after all these years.
Lastly, by integrating AI diagnostics, segmentation, and advanced visualisation, DS Core wants to position itself as more than just a cloud patient or CAD platform – it's the company's attempt to create a comprehensive clinical decision support system.
In Summary - Strategic Evolution or Desperate Response?
Dentsply Sirona's DS World 2025 announcements represent one of the most significant strategic pivots I've seen from the company in years. Whether this constitutes visionary evolution or a reactive response to market pressure depends on execution, and to be frank, how the market responds to all of this and if clinicians buy into the vision.
The technology is sound; CEREC's design algorithms remain industry-leading for simplicity and efficiency. The milling quality is proven, and the cloud transition was inevitable. The pricing is relatively competitive, particularly for CEREC Go, which is Dentsply Sirona's most affordable printer yet.
The real test will be market adoption. Can CEREC Go convince practices to choose milling over 3D printing? Will the DS Core subscription model provide sufficient value? Are clinicians ready to move to the cloud?
The bottom line is this: these aren't just product updates. They're Dentsply Sirona's answer to one of digital dentistry's biggest challenges. Whether they succeed in reclaiming market share or at least being in all the discussions depends on how well these solutions address real-world practice needs. The digital dentistry landscape just became significantly more interesting.
What are your thoughts about these releases? Leave them in a comment below.