Top 5 Digital Esthetics Articles of 2017

As 2018 quickly approaches, we decided to take a look back and highlight the articles that made an impact this past year.

You, our readers, were most interested in new product launches and advancements in technology, the best states to work as a dental technician and reasons for dental labs to be optimistic, among others. 2017 was a fascinating year for the lab industry, and we’re excited to see what the New Year will bring.

Click through the slides to see the most popular Digital Esthetics articles of 2017.  

10 things we saw at IDS 2017 that blew us away

By Lauren Krzyzostaniak

The recent focus in dentistry has been on digitizing and streamlining the design and manufacturing process, and evidence of that was everywhere at IDS. Processes in milling and printing are getting better, materials are getting stronger and more esthetic, communication between the dentist and lab is getting easier, and investments in new technology are getting much more affordable.

There are so many new products, materials, and technologies to consider in a piece like this, and it’s hard to even know where to start. There were 2,305 companies on display at IDS this year, and while there was no way to see all of them, we did our best.

Here are 10 things we saw at IDS that blew us away.

To read the full article, click here.
 

The top 10 states to be a dental technician

By Robert Elsenpeter

Americans take a lot of pride in where we live. Some of us have an almost religious connection with our local sports teams, we staunchly defend our regional accent as the “normal” one, and we even have a weird connection about what we call our soft drinks (is it “soda,” “pop” or do you just call everything a “Coke”?). We decided to heat up those border battles even more by ranking the best places to live and work as a dental laboratory technician.

To read the full article, click here.

7 MORE of the craziest impressions you’ve ever seen

By Ryan Hamm

In 2015, Digital Esthetics published an article on 10 of the craziest impressions we’d ever seen - and we were truly shocked at some of the bad, confusing and just plain weird impressions we saw!

Since that article, we’ve continued to be on the lookout for more shocking impressions. And it’s time to show you what we’ve found! One big takeaway is that traditional impressions are not alone in how crazy they are - as more dentists incorporate digital impression systems, we’re seeing more and more crazy digital impressions.

To read the full article, click here.
 

10 denture decorations for Halloween

By Kristen Mott

Dental lab technicians pride themselves on skillfully fabricating crowns, bridges, dentures, and other fixed or removable appliances. Precision and accuracy are key when it comes to their work.
However, when it comes to Halloween, the opposite rings true. The more distorted and deformed the teeth, the better!

We’ve rounded up some of the best denture decorations for Halloween. Whether you’re looking for some grisly veneers to complete your costume or you need some inspiration for when it comes time to carve jack-o’-lanterns, we think you’ll enjoy these spooky options.

To read the full article, click here.

10 reasons for dental labs to be optimistic in 2017 and beyond

By Robert Elsenpeter

There are, as the aphorism says, two types of people in the world: Those who see the glass as half-full and those who see it as half-empty.

For dental laboratories, there are plenty of reasons to see that glass as half-empty - increased competition, off-shoring and consolidation of the marketplace, among others. But while it’s easy to be pessimistic these days, there’re plenty more reasons to be optimistic and welcome the future.

To read the full article, click here.