The combined console has become the default: 2025–2026 prophylaxis hardware trends

A pattern is now visible across three major launches

If you step back from individual product announcements and look at the prophylaxis equipment category as a whole between the 2025 International Dental Show in Cologne (IDS 2025, held 25–29 March 2025) and the 2026 Chicago Midwinter Meeting (19–21 February 2026), a clear pattern emerges. Almost every significant launch has pushed in the same direction: dual-function platforms that combine ultrasonic scaling and air polishing, controlled from a single console.

Three manufacturers illustrate the shift most visibly.

Acteon — OPUS

At IDS 2025, Acteon introduced OPUS, a platform that integrates ultrasonic scaling (building on the company's Newtron technology) with air polishing, in two switchable modes. Acteon's communication emphasises dual use — supragingival and subgingival — and a large tip library, with the system developed and manufactured at Acteon's facility in Mérignac, France. (Secondary source: Dental Tribune.)

NSK — Varios Combi Pro2

Also at IDS 2025, NSK launched the Varios Combi Pro2, an upgrade to its existing combined unit. Publicly disclosed features include a smart display screen, a Bluetooth foot control, and a titanium ultrasonic scaler handpiece. (Secondary source: MC Dental.)

Hu-Friedy — PWR Air

At Chicago Midwinter 2026, Hu-Friedy introduced PWR Air, a dedicated air-polishing device positioned alongside its existing PWR Piezo scaler. This one is the exception that proves the rule: Hu-Friedy has arrived at the same functional endpoint (one scaler + one air polisher available to the operator) by selling two devices in parallel rather than fusing them into a single console. (Primary source: Hu-Friedy.)

Other major players — Dentsply, EMS, Mectron, W&H and Woodpecker — each continue to offer combined or complementary systems in their current catalogues. For this trend piece we focus on the three launches with the clearest public communication in the last 12 months.

Why "one console" wins on ergonomics and training

The argument for a single platform is practical. In a typical hygiene appointment, the clinician alternates between ultrasonic scaling and air polishing within the same visit. A combined console replaces two footprints with one, reduces the number of power, air and water lines routed under the cabinet, and in principle shortens the setup and teardown time between patients.

Training is a second driver. A smaller number of control interfaces means shorter onboarding for new hygienists and locum staff. That matters in European markets where clinics routinely report recruitment pressure in hygiene roles.

An important caveat

"Easier to run" is not the same as "clinically superior." We are not aware of published evidence that a combined console produces better clinical outcomes than two separate, well-matched devices used in sequence. The case for combined systems is operational — footprint, workflow, training — not clinical.

Trade-offs clinics should think about before upgrading

The trend toward combined consoles brings three trade-offs worth considering before any capital purchase.

Trade-off	What to weigh
Single point of failure	If a combined console goes down, both scaling and air polishing go with it. A two-device setup degrades more gracefully — and a loaner of one device is typically easier to obtain than a loaner of a full console.
Powder and tip lock-in	Combined consoles tend to be optimised around the manufacturer's own powders and tip libraries. Switching later is harder than swapping out a standalone air polisher.
Capital concentration	Combined units are a bigger single ticket than either half in isolation. Consider whether your chair configuration and patient flow justify that concentration, or whether two mid-tier devices give you more flexibility for the same budget.

The market context

Commercial forecasters have been tracking steady growth in air polishing and ultrasonic categories. Precedence Research puts the global dental air-polishing system market at around USD 953.98 million in 2026, rising to roughly USD 1,603.54 million by 2035. Dentistry Today, citing Meticulous Research, reports a broader dental air polishing and ultrasonics combined category projected to reach USD 3.5 billion by 2035, with a cited CAGR of 6.8% over the forecast period.

These are third-party market-research estimates, not manufacturer figures. Exact numbers differ between research houses and scope definitions, but the direction and order of magnitude are consistent: the category is growing, and it is growing faster than the wider dental equipment market.

A sensible buyer's checklist for 2026

If your clinic is considering an upgrade in 2026, here is a compact checklist that is brand-agnostic and focused on the questions that actually affect daily practice.

Ergonomics in the real room. Ask for an on-site trial — not just a booth demo. Footprint, line routing and foot-control layout vary more than marketing suggests.
Powder ecosystem. Which powders are supported, what do they cost per gram, and is there a genuine second-source option?
Tip and nozzle library. Which supragingival, subgingival and peri-implant tips are available in your country?
Service network in Europe. What is the typical turnaround on a service call and on a loaner? Where is the nearest parts depot?
Reprocessing cycle. Which components are autoclavable, and how long does the daily end-of-day routine take?
Software and documentation. CE/MDR documentation, user manuals in your working language, and any regulatory updates during the device's lifetime.
Training package. Does the manufacturer include a structured onboarding for the hygiene team, and is refresher training available when staff turn over?

What to watch next

The more interesting question for 2026 is not whether the combined console trend continues — it clearly does — but whether any manufacturer moves beyond the "two modalities in one box" concept into something genuinely new: for example, closed-loop powder dosing, integrated biofilm disclosing or real-time treatment documentation. None of that is yet announced. We will cover it here when it is.