Dr. Robbie Hughes is a powerhouse in digital dentistry. He built a clinic, education and lab business from the ground up, powered by digital workflows. Robbie’s had a sneak peek of the new exocad service TruSmile Video (available as an early access program in the US and EU and coming soon to additional regions). He calls it a game-changer and a great feature worth waiting for. Robbie shares why he’s so passionate about digital dentistry and where he sees the industry headed.
Q: What sparked your journey into digital dentistry?
A: My journey started in 2013 with my first intraoral scanner and attending Christian Coachman’s digital smile design course. This course opened my eyes to digital workflows and how they enhanced communication with patients and labs. By 2014, my practice operated almost 100% digitally.
Q: How did your practice evolve into its current multifaceted model?
A: This happened naturally. As the practice grew, we rebranded, relocated, and created a patient-centered facility incorporating digital innovation. Bringing the lab in-house and establishing a strong social media presence led to the creation of our lab and training business, Avant Garde Dentistry.
Q: Why did you decide to move into the education side as well?
A: Many clinicians were asking me about digital workflows, the patient's experience, and even about marketing. That's where the base of Dental Excellence Lab and Avant Garde Dentistry came from. We created courses to teach these workflows, supported by our lab services, to help other dentists adopt proven digital strategies.
Q: What’s the key benefit of digital workflows?
A: The big thing about digital is the predictability, proposed solutions and results. I see that in my business daily because all my clinicians follow the same process. The first two appointments are key—the data acquisition and how you use the data to plan and communicate with the lab and the patient. This initial planning step helps motivate the patient towards the ideal treatment plan 90 percent of the time. Then we reverse-engineer the process and execute it. That brings high levels of predictability and reproducibility into our treatment workflows.
Q: Much of what I'm hearing from you is the power of standardization—everyone sticks to the plan and that’s what reaps benefits.
A: Yes, this allows full team communication as well. We bring in different specialties across the team. As the restorative dentist, I drive the treatment plan, but then the implantologist can come in and look at the plan and say, ‘This is where we want the final tooth position to be.’ You have the CBCT superimposed. If you've got enough bone, you're happy where you want to place the implants. There's our potential guide for planning. You're happy to go ahead with that. He'll sign it off. The periodontist might see where we want the new gingival heights and the zeniths to be. They'll look at the plan. Give me the surgical guide for that. So everything is driven through the same plan at the same time. And then the patient journey becomes really efficient because we all know when we're going to step in at a particular time and that journey can be mapped out and sequenced to align with the appointment times. That's all done at the very beginning. It's all front-ended. The patient then approves the plan, and everything becomes straightforward at that point.
Q: What role does Smile Creator play in your workflow?
A: Smile Creator simplifies planning with AI-driven tools for 3D smile design. The software enables dentists to craft initial plans and hand them to labs with clear communication, improving collaboration and outcomes. And it's straightforward. We're not asking dentists to be elite CAD designers. With programs like Smile Creator, adopting these new bits of technology can dramatically improve case planning.
See how Robbie uses exocad software like Smile Creator in his workflow.
Q: What’s the impact of TrueSmile Video on patient experience?
A: TrueSmile Video is a game changer. Dynamic, accurate smile simulations motivate patients and align expectations. It’s a rewarding tool for showcasing realistic outcomes before treatments begin. The power of that video is probably the most rewarding part of dentistry for the patients and dentists. That's before we execute the treatment.
Q: Do you think TruSmile Video increases case conversion?
A: I was never a fan of simulations. Sometimes we can create expectations for the patients, which we cannot deliver. But the way Smile Creator moves from STL, to smile design, to the video of the patients—the TruSmile Video simulation is very close to reality. We use that to communicate with the lab so they can see our design dynamically. And we use it to motivate the patients and get initial insight from patients. TruSmile Video is a very powerful tool, and the uptake of treatment plans and the motivation for patients even earlier now in their journey is very exciting for us.
Q: Would you advise a colleague to invest in exocad software?
A: Yes, definitely. exocad software integrates seamlessly with other digital tools, enabling comprehensive interdisciplinary treatment planning. The adaptability and innovation make exocad essential for advanced digital dentistry. For me, the benefits are clear. Investing in exocad software is a no-brainer when we think about comprehensive treatment planning. It's all there with the click of a button.
Q: Advice for practices not leveraging digital labs?
A: Digital dentistry is a revolution. When we collect data efficiently, we can communicate better with the lab and the patients, making it a seamless process. That's the benefits and the power of all these new tools we have now. Dental practices that aren't using digitally acquired data to work with their labs will fall short on how they plan for patients, how they motivate patients towards the right options, and how they work and leverage their lab partners.
Most practices are moving into digital dentistry, but now we're talking about advanced digital dentistry. And I think that's where everyone needs to elevate to, and the key to all of that is the digital lab. Partnering with high-quality digital labs early on as you invest in and adopt this type of technology and train your teams will elevate how you treat patients. The labs are really the hand-holders in this process.
Q: What’s your favorite tooth?
A: The central incisor—it’s the foundation of our smile designs.
Q: Favorite place to go for a weekend?
A: I love London. We have a satellite clinic in London. That's probably still one of my favorite cities.
Q: How do you unwind?
A: Spending time with my family, especially watching my son play football. I spend most of my weekends on cold fields watching football games, but that's my new passion. I'm almost reliving my football life through him.
Q: What’s on the top of your playlist at the moment?
A: There's a song my daughter walks around singing every day called “Please Please Please” by Sabrina Carpenter.
Q: What advice would you give your younger self?
A: Slow down. I’ve achieved a lot but could have afforded to take things less seriously and still gotten to where I am.
Q: One word to describe exocad?
A: Linchpin.
Dr. Robbie Hughes qualified from the University of Liverpool in 2008 with honors and an array of prestigious awards for distinction grades and exceptional clinical performance. Very early in his career, Robbie set his sights on promoting excellence within the private dental sector, with a very special interest in cosmetic dentistry.
Robbie boasts extensive post graduate learning, including training alongside industry leaders worldwide. He has post graduate certificates and diplomas in implant and restorative/aesthetic dentistry in additional to his vast knowledge and experience with digital smile design/digital dentistry, smile makeovers, full mouth reconstructions, orthodontics and composite bonding techniques. Robbie values ongoing continual professional development and considers it a key factor in his successes so far alongside a very forward-thinking approach to business development and the customer journey. Follow Robbie’s work on Facebook and Instagram.
by Caitlan Reeg
Writer at exocad
Caitlan Reeg spends her days telling the world about the innovations her colleagues create. She’s passionate about healthcare, technology, and the ways the two interact to improve our lives. A former journalist, Caitlan has worked on staff at Dow Jones Newswires in Frankfurt and at the national public radio program Marketplace in Los Angeles.
