Moving forward with innovation: taking dentistry to new frontiers / Nik Mohd Mazuan Nik Mohd Rosdy ... [et al.]

Background: The oral healthcare landscape is ever changing, and it needs new and innovative solutions more than ever. The continuous demand for improved quality treatment and prevention, efficient service and improved prognosis and outcomes requires the dental industry to be proactive in accelerating inventions and innovations for the betterment of oral health care.

Aim: To this end, the International Invention and Innovation in Dentistry Exhibition (IIIDentEx) was conceptualized and realized in the year 2019 as the first dentistry driven invention and innovation platform. To date, this programme is entering its fifth installment.

Methods: IIIDentEx is a platform for inventors, innovators, and designers to present their work to the public and network with potential collaborators and business partners/investors in the oral healthcare sector. The competition-based event was categorized into three skill-based categories, namely the professional category, the young inventor/ innovator category, and the junior inventor/innovator category. The competition was evaluated based on a set of rubrics which included novelty, commercialization value, clarity of concept, applicability and relevance of the product and effectiveness
of the product pitching or presentation.

Conclusion: IIIDentEx has become the leading dentistry driven innovation platform in Malaysia and is fast gaining an international presence.