Top 10 Digital Esthetics web articles of 2016

Here at Dental Esthetics, we're always excited to bring you news from the cutting edge of dental technology. Our promise to be "Technologically minded and esthetically committed" means that we want to bring you everything you need to stay competitive in this market.

As we look back on what we published 2016, we wanted to bring you the most popular articles from Dental Esthetics so that you could see what people were interested in, and also to give you another opportunity to learn (or re-learn) about what makes this industry so great. We're sure you'll find something here that sparks your interest, or makes you think "Wow, I should look into that more!" That's what we're here for, and we're excited to keep bringing you great content in 2017!

Up next: The most popular articles of 2016

The hidden danger of the gray market

By Ryan Hamm

Imagine you're an average patient who's just gone in for a fairly standard procedure-maybe you got a new crown, or a small bridge. Your dentist placed a crown made of zirconia instead of gold, and you're happy about it-it's much cheaper than a gold restoration would have been, and your dentist explained how strong it is and how long it will last. Plus, it looks great.

You head home, and in the next few days, you start to get headaches. You feel run down, and you're not really sure what the problem is. You wonder if you could be having a reaction to something you ate, or something you were exposed to. You trace back the last few days to see if anything had changed in your diet or activities. Nothing comes to mind, however, except … you just got a crown made of zirconia. And you wonder:

What's in my mouth?

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What the future holds for 3D Printing

By Robert Elsenpeter

Fortunetellers have any number of schemes to predict the future. They might use tasseography (reading tea leaves); ceromancy (interpreting patterns in wax drippings); or even alectromancy (watching a rooster peck at grains).

But foretelling the future of 3D printing isn’t contingent on fringe chicanery. All it takes is the input of industry leaders-leaders who have seen where 3D printing has been; know where it is going; and-in some cases-are helping guide it.

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Understanding the latest advances in digital dentistry

By Robert Elsenpeter

When smartphones came out about a decade ago, they were a novelty. It was fun to have the internet in your pocket. It was cool to have pictures and movies at your fingertips. But smartphones have moved beyond mere novelty and are now a necessity.

Such is the case with CAD/CAM and digital dentistry. A decade ago, it was unique for labs to be able to produce restorations using a scanner, computer and mill. Now, however, it is becoming necessary for the business. The new workflows made possible because of this technology are likely to become standard in the very near future.

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What labs NEED to see in Chicago: Part 1

It’s that time again: The dental world will converge on the Windy City to see the latest products, solutions and innovations that will change workflows and expectations. From Cal-Lab to Chicago Midwinter and Lab Day to Spectrum Day, every part of the dental team will find something revolutionary.

To bring you all of the innovations you need to know about from this year’s Chicago events, we worked with many of the leading innovators in the dental industry to find out what they’re showing off. In the following pages, you’ll see a snapshot of some of these game-changing new options.

Did you stop by? Click here to see what you missed!

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3D printing the future of dentistry

There may be no technology more hyped than 3D printing. It seems like every week there’s a news report about some new and amazing creation that was made with 3D printing or metal sintering technology.

And to be sure, these results are incredible! But we wondered how that technology is changing dentistry. What’s out there for the dental professional looking to see how 3D printing is making an impact in the operatory, the laboratory and beyond?

Click here to find out more about 3D printing!

The state of the dental lab in 2016

By Robert Elsenpeter

A recent Dental Lab Products survey sought to learn the level of satisfaction that lab owners, technicians and other employees take in their careers. Answers ran the gamut, but respondents said that they gravitated to the industry because of a love of both art and science; career satisfaction is somewhat low; and money-like any career-seems to be the biggest source of stress.

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CAD/CAM software options streamline workflows, saving time and money

By Danielle Toth

CAD/CAM software opens new doors for labs of all sizes.

These software options allow labs to bring many functions in-house, streamlining workflows and saving time and money. They also enable closer collaboration among technicians and dentists.

We've assembled nine CAD/CAM software products with various capabilities. We hope this list helps you find one that keeps your lab running smoothly. 

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Introducing Digital Esthetics

By Ryan Hamm

Digital represents where we think the dental world is going. Notice I didn’t say the “lab” or the “clinical” world-digital tools are making those terms less and less meaningful to describe how dental work is actually done. That’s one of the biggest changes that technology has brought to the dental world. It’s no longer possible for work to be siloed off in either lab or clinical workflows; instead, dental technicians need to know digital impressions are taken and how final results will impact patient care, while dental practitioners must understand the lab-based CAD/CAM process and the evolution of digital materials. What the digital workflow has done to dentistry (and what it has enabled dentistry to do!) is revolutionary-and there’s no going back.

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5 reasons to use digital impressions

By Terri Lively

The patients love them. Many labs prefer them. They are easier for clinicians and staff to take. Digital impressions have multiple benefits for a practice. Here are five reasons clinicians should give them a look:

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How technology is changing the game for implants

By Robert Elsenpeter

There’s no doubt: Implant dentistry is booming. Thanks to advancements in technologies, materials and procedures, the restorations are more popular than ever. According to the American Association of Implant Dentistry (AAID), three million people have dental implants, and that number grows by 500,000 every year. Further, the AAID estimates the dental implant and prosthetic market in the U.S will reach $6.4 billion by 2018.

Labs are able to deliver more for their doctors. Doctors are able to perform the surgeries quickly, more easily and less expensively than ever. And, as a result, more patients want the restorations, leading to more work for the entire dental workflow.

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