The 200 attendees* at How to Control the Future Before the Future Controls You, co-sponsored by Vident and Nobel Biocare, received a digital, handheld device so they could provide instant feedback to questions posed by Moderator Mark Murphy, DDS, FAGD. Their answers were immediately displayed on a large screen at the front of the room.

One striking statistic: 87% of attendees said an undue amount of pressure is keeping them from raising their fees. Given the price erosion trend in our field, this number didn't surprise panelist Richard Harrell, Vice President, DSG. "There is significant pressure across the industry on our average selling price," he said. "From the impact of offshore, new technology and dental group practices, there's a lot of constriction on what we can sell our products for."

Given that reality, the discussion focused on how to diversify in order to boost sales, increase efficiency and client loyalty, and cut costs. In addition to offering in-lab...