November 29, 2009
Always nice to wake up on a Sunday morning; check your email and the first thing you read is a letter from Ivoclar bemoaning the fact that due to the precipitous drop in the US dollar versus the Swiss Frank, the price of e.Max Press Ingots and e.Max CAD will increase 19% as of January 2010.
So, if you were thinking that our government’s policy of letting the dollar free fall against other currencies isn’t going to affect American Industry, you have another think coming. We’ve already witnessed a substantial run-up in commodity prices. Now, our manufacturing base is going to have to pay artificially inflated prices for imported components or raw materials (like e.Max ingots).
This could get ugly. We’ve already been racking our brains exploring ways to hold the line against rising costs – using CAD/CAM technologies to reduce labor; advocating the use of all-ceramic restorations to mitigate the effect of rising alloy prices; and now we have just signed an agreement to purchase an Origin Milling Machine from Utah-based B&D Dental. We should take delivery over the Christmas holidays.
The Origin Milling Machine is a versatile 5-axes machine which can mill a variety of materials including zirconia, chrome cobalt (NP) alloys, titanium, PMMA (Castable and for Temporaries) and VitaBlocs. Its this versatility that makes the Origin solution so attractive versus other machines on the market. Not only will we be able to protect our cost structure with respect to zirconia-based restorations, but we will also be able to offer some new restorative options - Were you aware that Titanium is classified by the ADA between High Noble and Noble alloys, and is subsequently recompensed for at a higher value than Noble or Predominantly-base restorations? Something to think about as our European suppliers hike prices, and gold approaches $1200/oz….
More about the Origin Solution in future posts…
November 26, 2009
As part of my arrangement with our sponsors, I have invited each of them to write a guest post with a subject matter that is pertinent to our target audience, and further explains the types of products and services available from their companies.
The first sponsor to take advantage of my offer is Mr. Cal Brown of The Monitor Group. His article on Virginia Tax Credits should be interesting to our clients as a potential way to save significantly on state income liabilities. Non-residents who find the article of interest may want to contact Cal to see if a similar program is available in your state. The article is followed by a short bio.
(For what its worth, I think Cal modestly failed to mention that he is a deeply-principled, genuinely nice guy…)
VIRGINIA TAX CREDITS
Cal Brown, MST, CFP®
The Monitor Group, Inc.
McLean, VA
If you are a resident of Virginia, you may be able to save up to 20% on your 2009 Virginia tax liability by purchasing Virginia tax credits. Generally, if you will pay $10,000 or more in VA state income taxes this year, it is worth your time to look into this tax break.
Virginia tax credits are given to landowners by the Commonwealth of Virginia in exchange for conservation easements. Conservation easements are permanent restrictions placed on land, primarily in rural areas, which limit future development of the land.
Landowners often are not able to use all of the tax credits they receive. State law was recently changed and Virginia now permits credits to be sold to other taxpayers. One of the firms which specializes in these types of transactions and is facilitating tax credit purchases is Virginia Easement Exchange, located in Purcellville.
Questions You May Have
What is the benefit in dollars to me?
As an example, if your 2009 Virginia tax liability is estimated to be $10,000 and you purchase $10,000 worth of tax credits for $8,000 in 2009, you will save $2,000 on your 2009 Virginia income taxes. A tax credit is better than a deduction because a credit is a dollar-for-dollar reduction in tax liability, whereas a deduction merely reduces income.
When should I purchase the credits?
Tax credits to be used for 2009 must be purchased in 2009. The credits are sold at a discount and Virginia Easement Exchange expects the amount of the discount to decrease as the end of the year nears. We believe it is best to make the purchase as soon as possible to obtain a larger discount.
What if I purchase too many tax credits?
Tax credits can be carried forward for ten years from the origination of the conservation easement.
Is there a maximum amount of credits I can purchase?
Yes. An individual can purchase up to $50,000 of credits in 2009. A couple can purchase up to $100,000 of credits.
How will my Virginia tax return be affected?
The Virginia Department of Taxation will issue a letter to you to acknowledge the transfer of the credit, which you will simply attach to your Virginia tax return. You enter the credit as a payment of state taxes.
How will my federal tax liability be affected?
The difference between the face amount of the credit and your purchase price will be taxed as a short-term capital gain. For example, if you purchase $10,000 worth of tax credits for $8,000 in 2009, you will have a short-term capital gain of $2,000. The gain can be offset by a capital loss carry-forward. There is no gain or loss for Virginia income tax purposes; only on the federal return. The full amount of the credit is deductible on Schedule A of your federal return as state tax paid in the year the credit is purchased. Thus, if a credit is purchased in 2009, it will be applied in 2009. This could affect Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) in the year applied.
How would AMT be affected?
Typically the main reason taxpayers have an AMT problem is due to high state income taxes. In the year the Virginia tax credit is applied, it is possible, but by no means certain, that state taxes paid could trigger some AMT. However each situation is different and many factors affect AMT.
What are the fees involved?
Virginia Easement Exchange charges a fee to the seller of the tax credits. You, as the buyer of the tax credits only pay the quoted price with no additional fees.
What can go wrong?
The appraisal or conservation use of the property for which the conservation easement is awarded can be questioned by the IRS. Virginia Easement Exchange has a great deal of experience with these credits and takes a conservative approach. They work with appraisers they trust and farms which are not difficult to value, particularly those in Loudoun and Fauquier Counties. As a buyer, you would sign a credit purchase agreement with the seller and if the seller breaches the agreement, they are responsible for complete indemnity to you.
What if I don’t live in Virginia?
It is possible your state has a similar program. You should contact your CPA or tax preparer and ask about it. In fact, you might query more than one tax professional in your area—if it does exist in your state but your tax preparer is unaware of it, it might be time to change…
Cal Brown CFP®, MST
Vice President of Planning
Cal has 25 years of experience in the financial services field. He is a member of the Financial Planning Association and Chairman of the National Capital Area Chapter (FPA-NCA).
The Washingtonian magazine recently named Cal as one of the top 33 financial planners in the greater Washington, D.C. metro area. Mr. Brown has three professional contributions published in the Journal of Financial Planning and has authored articles appearing in Wealth Manager and Financial Planning magazines. He has appeared on CNBC, Fox 5 DC, the PBS “Morning Business Report,” WAVA-FM (Washington, D.C.), and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal. He has also been quoted in Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine, U.S. News and World Report, Smart Money Magazine, CNNfn, Financial Planning magazine, Mutual Funds magazine, and Investment News.
Cal manages all planning efforts and special projects including conducting financial analyses for clients, is a member of The Monitor Group’s Investment Committee, and serves as a relationship manager for many of the firm’s clients. Cal is also responsible for the firm’s operations in the President’s absence.
He received his Masters of Science in Taxation at American University in Washington, D.C., and graduated cum laude from the University of Arkansas with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.
November 25, 2009
Received a technical bulletin from Ivoclar yesterday which was, in effect, a rebuttal to 3M’s recent webcast that denigrated the methodology and conclusions of the NYU study that Ivoclar is using to promote e.Max while simultaneously taking not so subtle digs at Lava.
The letter, signed by Ivoclar VP-Technology George Tysowsky, attempts to make two points. The first point relates to Ivoclar’s contention that zirconia-based restorations are virtually doomed to failure - They sight a DPR poll in which 64% of dentists and laboratories have experienced chipping of the veneering ceramic on zirconia-base restorations.
I’ll bet that if you polled dentists and laboratories, 99% would report chipping of the veneering ceramic on PFMs. And, the 1% that say they haven’t are either lying or they haven’t been in business very long. I’m not saying that the chipping isn’t an issue, but let’s put it in context. Also, please don’t use Rella Christensen’s flawed study in which 81% of veneered zirconia restorations failed – its been pretty well reported that there were no real controls over framework design and firing processes. See my previous post on the subject by clicking here.
In addition, the NYU study (which I believe was funded by Ivoclar) showed a failure rate of zirconia-based restorations of over 50%.
No offense, but this is Horse#$&!.
We’ve been doing zirconia restorations for 8 years with a failure rate of less than 1%. Does it happen? Absolutely, but in almost every case I can trace the problem back to poor framework design (Hey, nobody is perfect!) If I had a failure rate even 10% of Ivoclar’s number, I would quit using zirconia, or I would be broke from doing remakes.
The other point in Ivoclar’s missive relates to 3M’s charge that lithium disilicate’s strength degrades in a wet environment (I believe the oral environment might qualify…). If I read between the lines, 3M’s supporting evidence for this statement relates to Ivoclar’s first foray into the market with lithium disilicate, Empress 2. Ivoclar wants to make clear that e.Max is not Empress 2.
Okay.
However, if you read the wording of the technical bulletin closely, Ivoclar doesn’t come right out and say, “e.Max does not degrade in a wet environment.” Instead, they talk about how e.Max has been “optimized”. I’m willing to bet e.Max degrades in a wet environment – maybe not to a clinically significant degree, but it happens.
Its funny – I like both e.Max and Lava. Haven’t had any significant problems with either product. I feel like these recent “attack” ads from both companies are reminiscent of a political campaign. I long for the good ol’ days when a product stood on its own merit, and didn’t try to belittle the competition.
Seriously, I couldn’t imagine running an ad stating that a competing laboratory, well… sucked. I would suggest to both 3M and Ivoclar that they stop trying to maul each other. I get enough of this kind of stuff every November, already…
November 24, 2009
As stated previously, I spent the weekend in CA at the IDEA educational facility with Otto Prandtner listening to his ideas on how to create an esthetic implant restoration. The following is a brief outline of his presentation -
1. One of the keys to success is an inter-disciplinary approach involving the restorative dentist, surgeon and technician. Otto (and Dr. Lamb) was careful to draw the distinction between an inter-disciplinary (ID) approach versus a multi-disciplinary (MD) one. MD implies that all three persons treat the patient, but there is very little interaction between the participants. The ID approach calls for each specialist to meet the patient, and then discuss any options prior to commencing treatment. Ideally, the restorative dentist should “quarterback” the process with advice from the surgeon and technician. I like this approach as all too often it seems restorative dentists and technicians are left to devise intricate solutions to situations created by surgeons placing implants in less than ideal positions – seemingly without regard to the degree of difficulty in satisfying the patient’s expectations. We do more than our fair share of implant cases, and it is rare that we are invited for a pre-treatment consultation. And, don’t get me started about the marketing ploy by which surgical practices provide free restorative components to their referrals. It irritates the hell out of me to have to fabricate a cast-to custom abutment when a shaded zirconia abutment would provide the patient with a much better result simply because we’re instructed to use these “free parts”.
I will now step down off my soapbox…
2. Otto went into great detail concerning the design of a custom abutment as it relates to tissue support and the final restorations. He believes strongly in contouring that portion of the abutment that extends from the interface up to the margin placement for the crown in manner as to simulate the root structure of the missing tooth. In other words, don’t expect a crown replacing #9 that is fabricated on a cylindrically-shaped abutment to look natural. In the anterior, abutments should be almost triangular in shape to mimic the root structure of the natural tooth and create a platform for a pleasing emergence profile. Once the correct shape is achieved, correct margin placement is just as vital to your success – facial margins should be positioned 1.0 mm sub-gingival; mesial and distal proximal margins should be between .5 and 1.0 mm sub-gingival; and the lingual margins can be placed at the height of the crest of gingiva. Care should be taken that any contouring of the abutment structure to “push” the tissue in any specific direction should be done in the 2mm of tissue apical to the crest of the gingiva.
3. Mr. Prandtner expressed a preference for one-piece screw-retained zirconia abutment/restorations in the lower anterior region with the implant being placed slightly towards the palate. He has found this type of restoration beneficial in such circumstances where the mesial-distal width is too small to allow for adequate wall thickness of a custom abutment and a coping and veneering ceramic. Otto also noted that care should be taken anytime ceramic is baked directly to an abutment as errant particles of porcelain may find their way to the surface of the interface which would cause degradation that could lead screw loosening.
Below are pics of the case we completed during the hands-on portion of the course -
Shaded Zirconia Custom Abutment
Lava Crowns with Creation Zi-F
Close-up
Personally, I would have liked to close up the interproximal space between the centrals, but after 14 hours on Friday and another 11 on Saturday, I just didn’t feel like doing another bake – Sue me.
And, BTW – We were instructed to make the centrals longer at the patient’s request…
November 23, 2009
Spent the weekend in Foster City, CA (just outside of San Francisco) at the IDEA educational facility attending Otto Prandtner’s course on Achieving Esthetics with Implants -
IDEA is the manifestation of Dr. Bob Lamb’s concept for a “pure” continuing education experience. There is no corporate sponsorship of the courses, and no company representatives are allowed on campus. The training facility is first-rate, combining a small, intimate presentation room featuring top-notch A/V equipment with a state-of-the-art laboratory setting complete with Kavo benches and Global microscopes. And, did I mention the virtual four-star on-site “restaurant” which caters every meal for the participants during the course including evening hors-douvres and a nice selection of wines with dinner? The staff does a great job of anticipating every one’s needs and assisting with any special requests. You really feel like a pampered guest.
Which is good because if you’re thinking about attending a course, be prepared to live – and work – on campus…
Our day began with the shuttle picking us up at the hotel promptly at 7:25am. A short drive to the IDEA facility, and we were sitting down to a wonderful breakfast followed by the morning lecture.
Let me say that Otto Prandtner is one of the best technicians I have ever seen. Some of his case presentations were truly magnificent, and demonstrated not only world-class artistic ability, but also a complete understanding of the all the processes involved in achieving the results including tissue management, surgical techniques and every facet of the laboratory techniques. He is also an incredibly nice guy, which make him a refreshing voice when juxtaposed against some of the egomaniacs who currently dominate the lecture circuit.
That being said – the morning lecture lasted for 4 hours – without a break. Lunch followed, and then we were in the laboratory until we broke for dinner around 7:45pm.
That’s a long day.
And, Saturday wasn’t much different.
Tomorrow, I will post a more detailed review of the informational aspect of the course. In the meantime, please know that I would highly recommend an IDEA course for anyone interested in learning from the best of the best. For more info, click here.
