October 14, 2009
Received an email yesterday from Matt Roberts of CMR Dental and Team Aesthetic. Many of you recognize Matt as one of the best ceramist on the planet, and he’s been great at sharing his expertise through lectures and seminars at his laboratory in Idaho Falls. We’ve had a couple of our technicians attend his courses on Press-to-Metal and Model & Die techniques, and found the teaching to be insightful and practical.
Now, Matt has come up with a spectacular way to “reach the masses” – internet-based, video-on-demand, hands-on demonstrations which any laboratory of any size can afford. For as little as $175 you get ten days of unlimited viewing of your selected seminar. The video presentations are also unique in that they are filmed through a Global Surgical Microscope (I checked out the cost of one of these babies – a little over $20k) so what you see is exactly what Matt sees as he’s working on the demo cases.
The viewing is limited to your specific site, but since you have ten days to view and review, we are going to use them as “Lunch & Learns” for our technicians. Think about it – sit down with your sandwich and soda for half-hour each day of a single week, and witness a true master craftsman do his thing without ever having to leave your building. That is a remarkable innovation for our industry, and I wish Matt all the success in the world with this venture.
For more details, visit Matt’s website by clicking here.
October 13, 2009
I received an email from David Lesh, owner of Dale Dental, over the weekend which I think brings welcome news to the industry – Dale Dental has been signed to be exclusive distributor of Dentsply’s Compartis ISUS line of CAD/CAM overdenture bars and bridges.
If I remember correctly, Dale Dental was also the sole US distributor for what is now NobelBiocare’s BioCad system which I reviewed as part of my expose on the new and notorious Nobel Procera scanner. We used Dale a few times for BioCad bars, and were very pleased with the service and quality rendered. My gut tells me they will do an excellent job with this new product line, and I’m happy that I have another vendor rather than NobelBiocare that I can call on when the need arises.
If you would like to learn more about Dale’s arrangement with Dentsply and how ISUS may be of benefit to you, go to their blogsite by clicking here.
October 12, 2009
Back home from our training, I’ve had a little time to think about the potential impact on our purchase of the 3Shape D700 scanner -
1. With the new Abutment Module, we will now be able to offer milled custom implant abutments - titanium and zirconia – for most of the major implant platforms at a substantial savings to our clients. I like that we will have total control over the abutment design, as well as the enhanced ability to model the final restoration at the same time – all from one scan! I expect to be putting together some very attractively priced implant/restoration packages in the next few weeks…
2. We’ve already begun offering Full Contour Zirconia units using the High Translucency version of Crystral Zirconia. The latest iteration of the 3Shape program provides us with a host of new anatomical libraries , and some very useful modeling tools which I think will make this type of crown the go-to option in the posterior. I have to put a pencil to paper, but I think we will be able to offer a Crystal FZC at a great, stable price point which is extremely important given the recent run-up in the cost of gold alloys.
3. The improved Press Over application in the new software should make our Pulse Interface Press-to-Metal Crowns even better. Again, the improved anatomical libraries and modeling tools will allow us to fabricate exceptional restorations with less labor making us extremely competitive. When, you throw in that our Pulse Crowns come with 180- or 360-degree porcelain butt margins at no additional cost, it really becomes a no-brainer.
We expect to take delivery of the new scanner sometime near the end of October, and should put it into production almost immediately. Give me an opportunity to work out any little issues that may arise (there’s always something), and then watch this space for a fee schedule update. If you’re one of our clients, I think you’ll like what you’ll see!
October 8, 2009
Pleased to announce that our first day of training on the new 3Shape D700 scanner at Glidewell Dental Laboratory was a complete success. After a brief tour of the Glidewell and BioTemps facilities, we entered the CAD/CAM training room. We were provided with a very personal and in-depth review of the latest upgrade to the 3Shape software, including the new Custom Abutment module, and we were not disappointed.
As we have been using 3Shape to design most of our copings, frameworks and full contour restorations for the past year, we are familiar with certain aspects of the software, but 3Shape has added a great deal of functionality which I believe not only enhances the final output, but significantly reduces the time necessary to achieve superior results.
I am particularly excited about the Pressables application which allows you to simultaneously design a coping or framework with an “OverPress” pattern which enhances productivity while at the same time allowing one to take advantage of the monolithic nature of pressed ceramics.
In addition, the CAD/CAM module for custom abutments, with a few enhancements, could well spell the end of days for cast custom abutments – a development which I feel is long overdue in our industry.
Lastly, I would like to thank the folks at Glidewell who have been perfect hosts – gracious and informative beyond expectation. I plan on going further in-depth with my analysis of the 3Shape software when we return home. Training should be completed by tomorrow evening, and then we’re off to the Bicycle Club for some Texas Hold’em. Wish me luck…..I’ll need it.
October 7, 2009
We leave today for our 3-day 3Shape training course at Glidewell’s BioTemp Dental Laboratory.I am jacked about all the new upgrades to the software, as well as the chance to tour Glidewell’s facility. Will do my best to provide updates from the road, as time allows.
BTW – Had a very interesting meeting yesterday with Scott Hudson of Dominion Milling Center in Richmond, VA regarding Lava. After our conversation, I came away thinking Scott is some sort of milling savant – We’re sending him a few units to see if his milling protocols hold up under real-life scenarios. Will update you with the results next week, hopefully…
