Real Time ROI: Smile Line USA’s Micro-Vibes

The Lab

Gnathodontics Ltd. is a full service dental lab located in Lakewood, Colo. with about 60 employees. The lab specializes in complex combination cases, implants and cosmetic work. 

The Product

Designed especially for extremely thin and regular application of powder and paste opaques, and zirconia liners, as well as mixing porcelains and closing tears, the Micro-Vibes hand instrument features a battery-operated micromotor attached to an excentric weight. The weight and motor produce vibrations in the tip that can be directed and controlled. Opaque and spatula tips are available. The tool has a sleek, slim design that fits comfortably in the hand.

The results

Smile Line products have been part of the workflow at Gnathodontics Ltd. for several years, Fixed Restorative department manager Kevin Kelly, CDT, said.

“We love their porcelain trays and brushes, and  the Micro-Vibes has been a great addition that has helped streamline our opaque process. The Compo Cubo and the composite instrument set is also a great addition for the bench if you work with light curing composite materials. Smile Lines’s products are very stylish and are very practical at the same time,” he added.

So when he was searching for an instrument that would help increase efficiency and improve the application of paste opaques he figured Smile Line USA might have just the tool.

He was introduced to the Micro-Vibes two years ago at Lab Day Chicago and brought one back to the lab. The technician who handles the opaquing loved it right away, Kelly said.

“The Micro-Vibes has allowed us to apply paste opaques quicker and more evenly than with a conventional opaque brush,” Kelly said.

The double-ended attachment is available with two different sized ends. Kelly said this allows technicians to get into tighter interproximal areas on bridges without having to change tips. The device’s micro vibration helps eliminate bubbles and allows a smooth flow of material to the work surface.

Kelly said his opaquer loves the way it allows smooth, even application while being cleaner and faster than using a brush. She also commented that it has definitely helped her production, and it has helped eliminate bubbles in the opaque, with little to no learning curve, Kelly added.

The ceramists also found it to be a very useful addition to their instrumentation, using the Micro-Vibes to aid in the condensing of their ceramic materials.

“The ceramists also like the Micro-Vibes to vibrate porcelain into proximal steam tears of bridgework that may occur during the firing process,” he said.

Like the other Smile Line products used in the lab, Kelly and his team like the Micro-Vibes because of its innovative cutting edge design and the practicality of using it in the lab. In fact they’re always excited to find out about new tools available from Smile Line USA.

“Their catalog is a must in our lab, and the technicians like the way the products look and work on their benches,” he said.