Dental Lab Products

With high quality 3D printing more accessible than ever, digital model production makes a lot of sense, and Florida-based Sun Dental Labs is putting such a solution into action by combining 3D printing technology from 3D Systems with the digital scanning and design systems from 3Shape.

Against the peaceful backdrop of the Teton Mountain Range in Idaho Falls, Idaho, family-owned Treasure Dental Lab offers services to dentists across the nation.

Jim Tobolski had been looking for the right dentist for some time but just hadn’t “latched onto one.” That is before he started visiting Dr. Edmond Suh’s Supremia Dentistry in Wake Forest, N.C. When Jim first stepped foot inside the practice, he liked the atmosphere, the look and the friendly staff. But when he had his first crowns put in using Dr. Suh’s E4D Dentist System, he was blown away.

This week's episode of DPR Friday brings you an inside look at a few of the Pride Institute "Best of Class" honorees. This feature will appear each month leading up to the ADA Annual Session, allowing the technology panel to explain why they chose this year's winners.

A number of noteworthy new products for dental lab technicians have recently been posted on www.dlpmagazine.com. Among them are the cover products for the July 2012 issue of Dental Lab Products magazine that’s in the mail to subscribers. The cover products have been chosen because of their innovation or perceived impact on productivity and bench artistry. These products are:

As a full time general dentist, as well as a practice management coach and consultant, CAD/CAM technology is a subject that has been of significant interest to me. I incorporated CAD/CAM into my practice more than 10 years ago, and have been a proponent of the technology and its efficiency ever since.

Back when it was founded in 1987 the company was known as Implant Innovations Inc., but a lot changes in 25 years. Now as it prepares to celebrate its 25th anniversary, the company goes by BIOMET 3i and has grown from the small firm founded by periodontist Dr. Richard Lazzara and engineer Keith Beaty to a global company with more than 1,000 employees.

You’ve been thinking about adding new technologies to your practice, maybe a laser or chairside CAD/CAM, but you just haven’t made the move. You like the idea of it, but you’re just not sure it’s worth the investment.

In an effort to make it easier for dental labs and production centers to incorporate their laser sintering systems, AMT Inc. has secured financing plans through Highland Capital Corporation to allow dental labs to lease the production systems for 60-month contracts.

It’s all in the family at Brabant Dental Laboratory-the family of employees, that is. The lab, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, has changed hands just twice in that time, and in both instances ownership was passed to dedicated employees. The Sacramento-based lab was founded in 1937 by Joseph Brabant, a denture technician who expanded the business into one of the first full-service laboratories in northern California.

Dental technology is moving at a very fast pace and products are changing all the time. Convenience is key, and in this current economic situation, we all want to be more efficient with our materials to cut down on our overall costs. Everyone is searching for ways to save time but still achieve the best possible results. The following procedure shows how one porcelain powder can be used to achieve outstanding results. This system is very simple to master and easy to work with. Case Study

Staying competitive in the current economy has increased the need for an alternative to gold-based restorations. I am constantly thinking of ways to use my CAD/CAM system to streamline and improve productivity while maintaining and ensuring quality.

Don’t let its lack of sophistication fool you into believing this product has no value. That should be the “tag line” for a pair of products I stumbled across last year and started using in my removable prosthetic laboratory shortly afterward.

With a minimum thickness of 3 mm, the material is far from ready for use in fabricating dental restorations, but French 3D printing service Sculpteo recently added ceramics to the materials available from their production center. The 3D printed ceramic crown might still be a long way off, but this certainly seems like a step in that direction.

Giving the public a peak into the company's production process, ClearCorrect LLC, recently announced that 3D printers from Objet Ltd. are an integral part of the production of the company's clear orthodontic aligners.

DPR Executive Editor Stan Goff interviews Digital Clinic about the Digital Patient Engagement System at CDA. With this cutting edge technology, released by Henry Schein Dental, dentists are able to connect their digital signage in their lobbies to their social media marketing campaigns in real-time.

In promotions news, Wieldand Dental Systems kicked off the month of June announcing the promotion of Stanley Maragos to the position of Vice President. He had previously served as the company's General Manager.

The state of the dental laboratory industry always has been evolving, with some areas evolving faster than others depending on the needs and focus of labs, whether those needs be to increase productivity, quality or both. We have seen porcelain, impression materials, die-stone and other staples make dramatic advancements. But while these advancements enabled us to improve our product, our techniques largely remained the same. We waxed, invested, cast, completed temporaries, baked and stained porcelain the way it had been done for many years. 

Featuring data covering material use and restoration trends in American dental laboratories, the 2012 U.S. Dental Laboratory Market Assessment and Trends Report was recently released by The Key Group. With data compiled from more than 300 U.S. laboratories, the report covers crown & bridge trends, digital technology adoption, implants, dentures and outsourcing.

Straumann® CARES® System 7.0 software gives users full flexibility to choose their workflow-validated or external (open)-through a single system. The validated workflow provides direct access to precise, high-quality materials and restorations through Straumann’s centralized milling facilities and pre-set design parameters. Customized abutments for Straumann bone level and tissue level implant platforms are available in Zr02 and Ti materials.

If you’re not communicating with your lab technician, you’re losing money.

The DPR Technology Census has been a cornerstone of the DPR Editorial Calendar for a number of years. Part of what makes the tech census a must-read year after year is the fact that it helps dentists benchmark themselves. It's not always about what technology is available, but who is using it, who plans to use it, and what barriers to entry exist.

Japanese dentist Hideki Watanabe has invented a sculpted pot that will automatically stir its contents as they heat up. Watanabe came up with the design for the Kuru-Kuru Nabe (the "Round and Round Pot") while experimenting with dental plaster at his dental practice.

Internet use worldwide is continually expanding as more social media sites pop up, and companies continue to expand their presence on the Web. Smartphones are getting smarter, and many people have opted to purchase tablets such as the iPad, all of which allow instant access to the Internet and a universe of Web-based apps. This activity creates opportunities but can create a multitude of challenges for those who have websites.

Sisters Anita Cranford and Elise Holasek, owners of Norman, OK-based Identical Dental Laboratory, share common DNA, a commitment to quality, a thriving dental lab business and even more; the two are identical twins.

In this CDA 2012 video interview, Laurel Lubin from Henry Schein Practice Solutions talks about the latest release from Dentrix, the Dentrix G5 practice management software. "G5 brings improved efficiency and enhanced security," said Lubin. "We are very excited about a new partner program that we have created. It will allow third-party vendors to have integrated tools to create G5-friendly software."

Dental Products Report Executive Editor Stan Goff talks with CMO/Director of Business Development for Carestream Dental Dr. Edward Shellard about the new CS 7600 digital intraoral radiography system at CDA 2012. This compact system was introduced earlier this year at the Chicago Dental Society's Midwinter Meeting.

Dental Lab Products Managing Editor Noah Levine talks with Vident Product Marketing Manager, Peter Newell, about the VITApan Plus Denture Teeth Line. "The VITApan Plus is an extension to the VITApan, which has been in the market for over 30 years," said Newell. "The anatomical, as well as the ergonomic look of the characterization of VITApan Plus is what really sets it apart in the marketplace."

Dental Lab Products Managing Editor Noah Levine talks with Ted Smudde, Managing Director for Candulor USA Inc., about the top denture cases from the KunstZahnWek "Art of Denture" Competition North American show. "We had 50 people who registered to participate in the competition," said Smudde. "We were pleasantly surprised by the quality in the final results."

In this live CDA video interview, Executive Editor Stan Goff talks with J Rousek Toy Company Vice Chairman Allan Pietrasanta about dental toys and give-aways and