I recently sat down with Jay Kim, VP of Business Development at TruAbutment, for another episode of the Digital Dentistry Decoded podcast. We last spoke about a year ago, and let me be honest — a lot has changed.
The economy's been tough on dentistry globally. Labs are slowing down. Big companies are downsizing. But TruAbutment? They're bucking the trend and pushing forward with some genuinely exciting innovations.
What Jay shared with me has some pretty significant implications for how we approach full-arch digital workflows. Let me break it down.
The State of Digital Dentistry in 2024
Before diving into TruAbutment's new products, it's worth reflecting on where the industry sits right now.
The past 12 months have been challenging for many dental businesses. I've been fortunate to travel to all the major conferences this year, and I have to say — this year has been probably the most digital I've ever seen.
At IDS, traditional analog companies started pivoting to digital. AI is everywhere (sometimes genuinely useful, sometimes just a buzzword). And the scanner market? It's getting very interesting.
Jay put it well:
"The industry, in itself, generally is not doing so well. There's a lot of slowdowns in dental labs. A lot of big companies downsizing. A lot of funds getting concentrated into a few companies that will be able to survive what's coming."
Yet TruAbutment has maintained steady growth since 2015. Their 2024 growth matched their 2023 numbers — which is remarkable given the current climate. That cash flow is fueling some serious R&D.
The Scanner Market Is About to Get Brutal
Here's where things get interesting for the major scanner companies.
Chinese manufacturers like Alliedstar (now acquired by Straumann) are creating real competition at significantly lower price points. We've seen companies like Dandy release their own scanners. And Straumann — one of 3Shape's biggest distributors — now has its own scanning solution.
Make no mistake: 3Shape, Align, and the other major players are going to face some serious challenges next year.
"Companies that can't change with the times tend to get left behind," Jay explained. "There's gonna be a filter that goes on within one or two years, because the industry's moving so fast."
I've also noticed a clear trend toward iPad-based scanning. Medit has already moved in this direction, and I genuinely believe more manufacturers will follow. It just makes sense — accessibility, ease of use, and that wow factor when you hand the iPad to a patient.
Interestingly, both 3Shape and Medit have had to respond to the horizontal scanbody trend. We saw 3Shape make a partnership with TruAbutment, and Medit released their software and partnerships with horizontal scanbody companies. The industry is clearly moving in this direction.
Why I Think Traditional Photogrammetry Is Dead
Now, I'm going to say something that might ruffle some feathers.
I think photogrammetry is dead.
I have an Imetric iCAM. I don't use it anymore. After extensively testing horizontal scanbodies — we scanned a model around 600 times with various scanners — I'm convinced that modern scanners with horizontal scanbodies have solved the full-arch accuracy problem.
The stitching algorithms have improved dramatically. The large field of view windows make a real difference. And clinically? It works.
Jay was more diplomatic about it:
"I think photogrammetry is fine, and the technology that utilizes photogrammetry is awesome. The only problem with photogrammetry is that it's too bulky, too non-user-friendly, and too expensive."
He's right. That was always the roadblock.
The traditional photogrammetry companies will need to pivot — perhaps into iPhone scanning like PIC is doing — or they'll struggle to stay relevant.
What TruAbutment Has Been Building
For those who may not know, TruAbutment has grown well beyond their roots as a milling center for custom abutments.
As Jay explained: "We specialize in implant restorative solutions, especially custom solutions. Over the years, we've expanded to having developed our own software, we've added our own implant line, and we've come up with full-arch solutions, photogrammetry solutions that work for full-arch with different kinds of scanners."
They also have their own answer to the scanner market coming, connected to the T-Marker system — though Jay couldn't elaborate on details.
Their focus has been clear: "What can we do to emphasize digital, and what products are not presently available in the market?"
T-Markers - TruAbutment's iPad Photogrammetry Solution
This is what I was most excited to discuss with Jay.
TruAbutment has been teasing T-Markers for over a year now. I'll admit, I gave them a bit of flak about the timeline. But they've finally started taking pre-orders, with the first batch shipping in December.
So what exactly is T-Markers?
It's an iPad-based photogrammetry solution. You attach abutment-level scan flags to your multi-unit abutments, download TruAbutment's software from the App Store, and use your iPad camera to capture the implant positions.
As Jay described it: "It works exactly like the ioConnect, but you don't need to use the scanner to capture that data, just like you're using an iCAM or MicronMapper or those kinds of devices."
The kit costs $3,000, with a $99 monthly software subscription.
How T-Markers Actually Work
I had to ask Jay about the technical side. True photogrammetry requires two cameras for triangulation — so how does a single iPad camera achieve this?
"The way that our software utilizes that same type of algorithm and technology is by capturing on different angles using the same camera," Jay explained. "It captures a data set of a certain position vector, and then once you move the camera around, it recalculates from a different vector and utilizes that data as you would if you had multiple cameras shooting from different angles."
The software is apparently very lightweight and fast. They've been refining it for clinical scenarios that could cause problems — implants too close together, severe angulations, hidden markers.
Their solution? An "anchor points" algorithm that lets you scan in segments. If you can't place all the T-Markers at once due to spacing or angulation, you can:
Place T-Markers on the visible units
The software creates an anchor point on one marker
Stop the scan, remove those T-Markers
Place T-Markers on the remaining abutments
Resume scanning — the software identifies and adds the new data
This flexibility addresses one of the real limitations of horizontal scanbodies, where the width can prevent placement on closely spaced implants.
T-Markers vs. ioConnect: Which One Should You Choose?
TruAbutment now offers two solutions for full-arch implant scanning, so I asked Jay how they're guiding customers.
The ioConnect horizontal scanbody system costs around $3,000 as a one-time purchase. It works with your existing scanner and is incredibly simple to use.
T-Markers also costs $3,000, plus the monthly subscription. But here's the key difference — you don't need a scanner at all.
Jay's take:
"The ioConnect is going to be reliant on scanners. For those people who want to maintain that workflow utilizing their scanner, they'll be more interested in ioConnect. The T-Marker projection is basically stating you don't need a scanner."
For practices doing full-arch cases once every six months, ioConnect probably makes more sense. Buy it once, use it when you need it.
For practices doing multiple full-arches monthly, the T-Markers subscription model and scanner-free workflow could be more cost-effective.
The Accuracy Question
I pushed Jay on whether T-Markers is more accurate than ioConnect, especially since he suggested using ioConnect for provisionals and T-Markers for finals.
"I would say the T-Marker is, if you take the average, a little bit more accurate. But better than being accurate, it's more stable."
He explained that T-Markers operates in a controlled environment where TruAbutment has full control over the software and output. With ioConnect, accuracy depends on which scanner you're using.
And this is important — not all scanners are created equal for full-arch implant work. My own testing showed significant variation between the top scanners and the cheapest options, even when using horizontal scanbodies. Some budget scanners showed 200-micron discrepancies.
To be frank: if you're doing full-arch work, invest in a reputable scanner.
Bite Capture Product in Development
Jay also mentioned another product in the pipeline that addresses a gap in the current workflow.
When you're capturing implant positions with T-Markers and tissue with iPad scanning, how do you capture the bite? Currently, that's still a conventional method with wax rims or existing dentures.
TruAbutment is developing a solution: "We're coming up with a product that you could actually attach to the abutment level, and it expands and collapses, and you could tilt and angle, and you're able to use that to capture bite, VDO, and VDR."
This would allow you to capture vertical dimension and bite registration right at the abutment level, maintaining the fully digital workflow.
Dual Align Scanbodies: Solving the Bite Transfer Problem
This is a clever solution to a frustration many of us have experienced.
You deliver a provisional, adjust the bite chairside, and now need to transfer that updated occlusion to your lab for the temporary or final restoration. The current digital workflow typically involves rescanning and hoping your lab can align everything accurately using tissue landmarks.
The problem? As Jay put it, "Tissue is the worst enemy of capturing accurate data and alignment."
Dual Align Scanbodies are reverse scanbodies that attach to your provisional. Once you've adjusted the bite, you remove the provisional and scan it extraorally with the Dual Align Scanbodies attached. The software aligns this new bite data with your original ioConnect capture.
No relying on tissue. No guesswork on superimposition.
These are already available for practices using the ioConnect system.
iPad Scanning for Full Arches: Is This Really Possible?
Here's where Jay got cagey — and understandably so.
TruAbutment is developing full-arch scanning capability on the iPad. Not just edentulous arches (which makes more sense from an engineering perspective), but dentate arches too.
Jay couldn't share details due to NDAs, but his description was intriguing:
"It's mind-blowing how accurate this iPad is converting that STL file version of what it's seeing... If something like this works, then it has a very big impact on how the industry shifts and how people look at different kinds of hardware."
The vision is a complete iPad-based workflow:
Capture implant positions with T-Markers
Scan the full arch with the iPad
Design the provisional using DenTru 3.0 (also on iPad)
AirDrop to desktop and send to printer
If they pull this off, it's genuinely disruptive.
DenTru 3.0: Designing Dentures on Your iPad
TruAbutment's denture design software is getting a major upgrade.
DenTru 3.0 will allow you to design provisionals and temporaries directly on the iPad, integrating with the T-Markers and iPad scanning workflows. The aim is to keep everything on one device until you're ready to print.
This is scheduled for release in 2025.
TruAbutment Is Getting Into Printable Materials
The final piece of the puzzle.
TruAbutment acquired a company called Dentca a few years back — a CAD/CAM denture company that had developed their own materials and was white-labeling them to other major companies. They bought the company from Mitsui Chemicals specifically to develop printable materials.
The first release will be flexible materials for dentures and partials. Development has been on Asiga printers, with plans to expand compatibility to other platforms.
As Jay explained their vision: "We had ideas. We now have products, restorative solutions, data capture, design software, and then the end result — where you use a printer — was the section that we didn't really have a solution for."
Future materials will include denture bases, partials, All-on-X materials, composites, and teeth.
This positions TruAbutment as a complete ecosystem — from data capture to design to final output.
The Reamer Kit: Solving Printed Screw Channel Issues
One more product worth mentioning.
Anyone who's printed provisionals knows the frustration of a slightly constricted screw channel. The print looks perfect, but the screw won't seat properly due to minor anomalies in the direct screw or TiBase portion.
TruAbutment has a Reamer Kit that lets you ream out those channels to eliminate misprints. As Jay explained, it's "to use for printing out your provisionals and temporaries. You ream the direct screw portion or the TiBase portion so that you get rid of any kind of anomalies and misprints."
It's not for everybody, but if you're printing in-house, it solves a real workflow annoyance.
What This Means for Digital Full-Arch Dentistry
TruAbutment is clearly positioning themselves as a complete digital full-arch solution provider. They're not just making scanbodies anymore — they're building an ecosystem.
As Jay put it: "We're one of the companies that can't get enough people in hiring just because of the amount of things that we are doing — event-wise, product-wise, R&D-wise." He added that they're "actually ahead in R&D than the marketing. Marketing is trailing behind right now because we're putting out so many products."
The message is bold: you might not need a traditional scanner for full-arch work.
Will it play out that way? We'll see. But I appreciate that they're thinking through every step of the workflow and addressing real clinical pain points.
Jay summed up their philosophy well:
"Our perspective was to concentrate on digital. What can we do to emphasize digital, and what products are not presently available in the market?"
Looking Ahead to 2025
If Jay's roadmap holds, 2025 is going to be a big year for TruAbutment:
T-Markers shipping now (first batch December 2024)
Dual Align Scanbodies already available
Bite capture product in development
iPad full-arch scanning in development
DenTru 3.0 coming 2025
Printable materials launching 2025
Reamer Kit for printed restorations
Their own scanner solution connected to T-Markers (details TBA)
The broader industry is also at an inflection point. Scanner commoditization will pressure the major players. AI integration will separate the innovators from the pretenders. And 3D printing materials will continue their rapid evolution.
As Jay put it:
"Companies that can't change with the times tend to get left behind. There's gonna be a filter that goes on within one or two years."
I think he's right. And based on what I've seen, TruAbutment is positioning themselves to be on the right side of that filter.
Listen to the full conversation with Jay Kim on the Digital Dentistry Decoded podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts.
For more on digital dentistry workflows, scanners, and the latest industry developments, visit instituteofdigitaldentistry.com.
