Okon Dental Lab owners balance new technology with timelessness when choosing new products

At Okon Dental Lab, every smile is individual; no two are alike. Owners Stan and Shellie Okon are passionate about creating beautiful smiles that work for each patient. Like an artist, they start with a blank canvas and then customize the elements to create unique works of art. There are so many nuances that they consider before creating materials, like what face type a patient has and what kind of smile they want to see. Each creation is a genuine masterpiece.

To get the very best aesthetics and quality for each patient, Stan and Shellie Okon only work with the best materials, the best lab technicians and the best dentists. They lead by example, demonstrating the high-level of quality that they expect from themselves and their staff. They take the time to mentor their staff and to let them know when a job is done well. When doctors call with positive feedback on a case, they make sure to pass the feedback on to the technician who worked with the patient. Okon also utilizes a formal system of grade cards, which provide statistics and feedback on the outcomes of every case.

As early adapters, Okon strives to use the top and latest materials while appropriately filtering out materials that have been brought to market ahead of their time. Stan and Shellie have learned to balance state-of-the-art with timelessness. From the beginning, Okon has partnered with Vident's VITA product line, using their shade devices and materials for their beauty and reliability.

Branding is important to Okon Dental Lab and the VITA product line has always stood out as a top quality brand that has earned their respect and the respect of the industry. In Stan’s experience, VITA products have performed the best, which is why they consistently use VITA’s VM9 all-ceramic veneering materials on their frameworks, preferring to work with materials that they can rely on.

Over the years, Okon has witnessed dramatic changes in the materials and technology that are available in the dental lab industry. The quality, ease of use and material choices are much greater now. The benefit of these improvements is the ability to achieve even greater life-like, natural results. Okon works with some very large cases, including full mouth reconstructions. While many of the cases are very challenging, they are also very rewarding, especially when Stan and Shellie are able to witness a true transformation in the patient’s smile.

Recently, Stan worked with a patient who wanted a whole new smile. Getting married in less than a month, the patient wanted to have a very real, natural-looking smile for her big day. To top it off, she worked in a dental office and was marrying a dentist, so she wanted to make sure that her smile was representative of the quality dental work that her office provided. The patient had very aesthetically pleasing lower teeth, but had particularly small upper teeth with several gaps. The challenge was to provide the patient with better proportion on her top teeth, while matching the shade, value and opalescence of her existing teeth. Stan chose to use VITA VM13 porcelain to create her natural look. Not only was the bride-to-be ecstatic with the final results, many of the patients in her dental office noticed her beautiful smile and asked where they could get one just like it.

Through his many years of extensive experience and knowledge, Stan has become a well-known advocate for his industry. As the president of the Dental Lab Owner’s Association of California, he is able to help fellow dental technologists maintain a passion for the profession and help them to run a profitable and sustainable business. Stan feels it’s important to give back to the profession and the education community. By helping future professionals maintain the craft and artisanship of dental technology, while still running a profitable business, Stan is able to do just that.