10 Questions: Valplast talks innovation, why their partials work and overcoming challenges

01. Give us a brief overview of Valplast.

Valplast brand flexible partials and flexible denture base resin is the world’s first flexible partial denture solution. The product was introduced in 1953 to provide an affordable and durable esthetic removable denture.

02. What do you see as Valplast’s greatest strength?

Valplast provides a resin ideally suited to take advantage of all of the benefits of the flexible partial denture concept. The resin itself has exceptional strength, and the ideal degree of flexibility to provide patients with a comfortable, durable and beautiful restoration.

03. Can any dental lab use Valplast? Is Valplast for every type of case?

While Valplast is well-suited to nearly every patient needing partial replacement of missing teeth, and any dentist can work with Valplast without extensive special training, laboratories do require special training and special equipment to work with Valplast. The learning curve is very manageable, and with the new innovations we offer in digital dental technology, Valplast can provide services that accelerate the laboratory output and reduce the amount of steps required while also reducing some of the training time for technicians.

04. What have you heard from patients who have experienced Valplast partial dentures?

Patients comment on the comfort and the appearance of Valplast. They also are typically very happy to experience normal function of the Valplast denture without compromising their eating habits.

05. What differentiates Valplast from other offerings?

Valplast brand flexible denture base resin was developed specifically to realize all the benefits of the flexible partial denture. The product and the company behind it are completely dedicated to this concept. Valplast has never been modified since it was first introduced because it remains the standard against which all other offerings are measured. And it is backed by a company that considers flexible partials the gold standard of removable restorations.

06. How can dental labs increase the quality of their communication with dental clients?

Valplast offers published guides for the dental office that are also available for labs to use as guidelines in communicating with their dentist-clients to prepare for a successful restoration with Valplast. We also offer the expertise of our customer service staff to engage in case planning in collaboration with the lab and the dentist.

07. When it comes to innovation, what is Valplast doing?

Valplast is pioneering new ways to engage digital dentistry in the laboratory process. We have already introduced Precise-Fit Functional Trial Bases to make better use of rapid prototyping in creating the actual try-in, and we have developed new systems that will streamline the entire lab process in the fabrication of flexible full and partial dentures.

08. What challenges do today’s technicians face in terms of education?

We all recognize that dental technology education in our country is grossly under-provided. I proudly sit on the Advisory Committee for Citytech’s Dept. of Restorative Dentistry, one of the few accredited dental technology programs available in the U.S. We all recognize that our profession would benefit greatly for the benefit of patients’ health and dentists’ satisfaction if formal education in dental technology became the norm for laboratory technicians here, as it is in almost every other country. This commitment would help our industry remain innovative, productive and successful.

09. What can we expect from Valplast in 2013?

You may know that Valplast suffered huge interruptions in 2012, most remarkably from the devastation caused by Superstorm Sandy in late October.  We saw the challenges as opportunities to find new ways to be more efficient, to produce record amounts of our product, and to expand our operation internationally. In 2013 Valplast is already becoming bigger and better than ever, and you can expect to see Valplast in more places here and around the world.

10. Where can readers go to learn more about Valplast and its injection system?

You can visit Valplast.com to learn more about our injection system and overall flexible partial solutions. You also can find a distributor and find out more about the educational opportunities we offer along with details about becoming a Certified Valplast Lab or Technician. Alternately, feel free to call us at 800-843-2861. Finally, you can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.