Ken Schnepf

Combining 5-axis wet/dry milling with the wet-grinding technique, Amann Girrbach’s Ceramill Motion 2 can be used as a purely dry or wet system or in combination mode. In combination mode, the lab technician can easily change between wet and dry modes by exchanging the blank holder depending upon the indications for each case. This dental CNC system features 5-axis technology along with reliable precision components from Motion 1 such as the Jäger

 high frequency spindle. The system also is easily upgradable to accommodate future indications including models, templates and full-denture prosthetics. It is compatible with open CAD/CAM systems such as 3Shape

 and is part of the complete Ceramill CAD/CAM system. 

		5-axis milling for wide indication range

		Compact size to fit any laboratory space

		Modular and easily upgradable, ensuring forward compatibility

		Automatic tool changer with 6 tool places

		Speed boost for optimized processing times and maximum productivity

		Highly efficient blow-out function and tool cooling provided by integrated air nozzles on the spindle as well as a coolant unit in wet operation

		Tool-length measurer that includes calibration and broken tool detection

		Interchangeable blank holder according to material or indication

		Jäger® high frequency, precise spindle

		Suction cup for increased suction power and reduced water spray

Articles

Combining 5-axis wet/dry milling with the wet-grinding technique, Amann Girrbach’s Ceramill Motion 2 can be used as a purely dry or wet system or in combination mode. In combination mode, the lab technician can easily change between wet and dry modes by exchanging the blank holder depending upon the indications for each case.

Tech Brief: Ceramill Motion 2 – Wet or dry, oh my!

With the many furnaces available from numerous manufacturers, selecting just the right one can be a daunting task for any dental lab technician. There also are four categories of furnaces to differentiate from, each made to best handle varying tasks.

Having more than 30 years of component-level electronics experience, Daniel Serrago of IBEX Dental Technologies Inc., Richardson, Texas, literally knows all types of furnaces inside and out.

He’s agreed to share some of that furnace know-how with DLP. Serrago offered information about the differences between furnaces, features, specifications, latest developments in furnace technology and a check list to use before making a purchase.

After serving as a Master Radio Electronics officer as a U.S. Merchant Mariner back in 1979, Serrago maintained and repaired ships’ computer navigation, engine room automation controls and radio/satellite communications equipment.

That experience led him to establish Garland Dental Services about 16 years ago and later IBEX. Over the years, he has taken apart, fixed and put back together just about every kind of dental furnace that exists.

“As the owner of Garland Dental Services, I have repaired hundreds of furnaces of all makes and models over the past 16 years,” he said.

Furnaces are expensive and important pieces of equipment for lab technicians. Here’s Serrago’s breakdown of the types of furnaces available and the tasks they handle:

- Used to vitrify porcelain, the firing furnace is still the backbone of the dental lab industry when it comes to furnaces. Firing furnaces require excellent temperature and heat rate control. They frequently fire in a vacuum environment, so maintaining vacuum also is important.

 - Used to “burn out” casting and pressing rings, the burn out oven is a staple in the dental lab. Because of the rings’ ability to be burned out over a broader temperature range, less stringent temperature controls are required, and the oven doesn’t use vacuum.

 - Used for pressing today’s pressable porcelains and ceramics. Pressing furnaces have all the same control requirements as the porcelain furnaces with the addition of the pressing hardware and controls. Almost all of today’s pressing furnaces allow you to program porcelain firing programs as well.

 - Used to sinter yttrafied zirconia (yz), sintering furnaces are a unique class of furnace. They are required to operate at much higher temperatures than conventional firing or pressing furnaces. To achieve these temperatures, special ceramic heating elements and power control electronics are employed.

How any given furnace performs is what sets one furnace apart from another, Serrago said.

“All porcelain and pressing furnaces manufactured today are microprocessor controlled providing a variety of program capacities and features designed to make its operation easier, in theory,” he said. “While there are other differences worth noting, I believe that what truly sets one furnace model apart from another is its performance consistency, its ability to provide the technician with predictable results firing after firing. This critical factor is not determined by how many programs it can store or by where the Night Mode button is located.”

The design of the electronics and muffle is what produces predictable firing qualities, he said. And the combined performance of today’s furnace electronics and muffle designs varies greatly between manufacturers.

What features and specifications are most important is an individual choice for every technician.

“Unlike stereo systems or HDTVs, the important technical specifications defining the electronics and muffles used in today’s furnaces are simply never published,” Serrago said. “Features abound in today’s furnaces. It all comes down to personal preference. Do you truly need 200 programs or is it critical that you can place your favorite photos on the full color displays now available on some furnaces?”

Let how well the furnace consistently and predictably fires be the most important feature, he said. Then look at ease of use.

“How easy it is to program and to manipulate, edit, move, copy or change parameters on the fly?” Serrago said. “Equally important is the furnace’s dependability and the level and cost of maintenance and support from the manufacturer, especially after the warranty period expires. Some repair parts assemblies can cost upwards of 20% of the cost of a new furnace.”

When buying clothes or finding the latest fusion restaurant to dine at, there’s usually a new trend to consider. That isn’t the case with furnaces. Trends in furnaces have remained stable for quite some time. There really aren’t a lot of, excuse the expression, “hot” new features to boast about when it comes to furnaces.

In general, since the mid 1990s, firing and pressing furnace performance has changed very little, Serrago said. Firing accuracy, consistency and predictability has divided into two price-driven groups.

“While manufacturers on both ends of the divide have been adding features to expand ease of usability, those at the lower end have done little to advance furnace performance and narrow the performance gap with the high end furnaces,” he said. However, there have been some recent innovations in muffle and electronics designs that have produced products that have broken the traditional price versus performance gap.

The Programat Second Generation (G2) features Power Saving Technology, which allows the furnace to power down when in the stand-by mode resulting in reduced power consumption. The P700/G2, P500/G2 and the P300/G2 all contain 120 factory-set programs for Ivoclar materials and additional customizable individual programs for other materials. Both the P700/G2 and the P500/G2 have color touch screens and operating status displays. Ivoclar Vivadent’s Press/Firing combination furnaces, the EP5000/G2 and the EP3000/G2, feature Power Saving Technology, and CDS (Crack Detection System). This system immediately interrupts a press process if a crack in the investment ring occurs. The furnaces include 130 factory-set programs for Ivoclar materials and an additional 500 firing and 20 press customizable programs for the EP5000/G2 and 300 firing and 20 press for the EP3000/G2. All of the company’s firing and press furnaces have QTK (quartz tube kanthal) muffle technology for even heat distribution.

Why does your lab choose to use Ivoclar Vivadent’s Programat furnaces?

Our lab produces primarily Ivoclar restorative products, which means we follow the prescribed production parameters set forth by the materials. Using Ivoclar ovens creates consistency with our products. We can tell our customers our products should meet the manufacturer’s specifications for durability because we followed their instructions.

What are the biggest benefits of these furnaces?

Few manufacturers make both ceramics and the equipment to manufacture them. That relationship creates a level of accountability that isn’t present with other companies. It also creates a relationship with the company, and Ivoclar has been great to work with. Their technical support and customer service are terrific. Loaner furnaces always have been available when repairs are needed.

How do the furnaces fit into the everyday operations of your lab?

The low-profile clamshell design works well with the layout of our workbenches creating a more ergonomic function and a cleaner, less cluttered look to our laboratory. As owners of several dozen ovens, it makes sense to have them all be from the same manufacturer. It creates consistency throughout the laboratory and a familiarity with all our technicians, wherever they sit.

A component monitors flow of the glass and senses movement of the ceramic into the ring in real time in the ProPress SP Furnace. When the mold is filled, the table is lowered as quickly as possible. The fast press saves time and prevents or minimizes formation of the reaction layer. The furnace also can press split (cracked) molds and is thus can successfully press more units per ring, faster and more consistently.

Creative Expressions Dental Lab - Winterville, N.C.

Why did your lab choose to use Whip Mix’s ProPress SP furnace?

Certainly with any furnace, consistent firing temperatures are going to be the key factor. That’s going to be my first consideration, then ease of use while pressing and the simplicity of the programming. The determining factor in the accuracy of this furnace really goes back to the quality standards of Whip Mix itself.

What are the biggest benefits of the furnace?

With ProPress SP, one of the really great features is that when I take a ring out of the burnout furnace and it has a fracture in it, I actually have the option to tell the furnace to intervene. It will reduce the pressure and allow the ring to be pressed where it normally could be a failure. The ability of the furnace to sense a complete press is impressive and it works with all glass products on the market, including lithium disilicate. The average pressing time for lithium disilicate is 55 seconds or less, thus reducing reaction layer and divest times. The LED panel on the front of the oven allows us to monitor progress of all firing and pressing cycles. The consistency of desired results is the biggest benefit of this furnace.

Has the furnace been a solid addition to your lab?

Absolutely! Whip Mix’s quality standard is well known in the industry as well as their customer service. They’re very competitive for the quality and features you get. Whip Mix is the first place I’m going to look when purchasing a furnace. I have yet to buy a Whip Mix furnace that doesn’t meet the standards they advertise it to be. The SP furnace is a real production pressing furnace that’s extremely accurate. It’s a real workhorse and I believe it’s the best pressing furnace and the best value on the market.

With the many furnaces available from numerous manufacturers, selecting just the right one can be a daunting task for any dental lab technician. There also are four categories of furnaces to differentiate from, each made to best handle varying tasks. Having more than 30 years of component-level electronics experience, Daniel Serrago of IBEX Dental Technologies Inc., Richardson, Texas, literally knows all types of furnaces inside and out.

Find out what's hot in furnace technology

	With the ability to print highly accurate ultra-thin 16μ layers, Objet’s Eden260V™ 3D printing system helps to provide labs with the ability to rapidly manufacture stone models. The system produces models with exceptionally fine details and smooth surfaces. The 3D-printed dental models guarantee a high level of precision in the placement of dental restorations that is difficult to achieve using freehand traditional techniques. The choice of materials opens opportunities for a wide range of applications by producing models and parts with varying properties in terms of flexibility, elongation at break, and color. The same high accuracy, detail and surface quality are maintained regardless of material choice.

		Print stone models, veneers, delivery trays, surgical guides, orthodontic appliances and more

		Produce parts faster with optimal accuracy and resolution

		Eliminate manual work and improve efficiency

		Easy-to-remove support material enables sophisticated geometries at any angle

		Uses environmentally stable, fully cured materials

		3D printing resins are supplied in sealed, ready-to-load cartridges, requiring no contact

 With the ability to print highly accurate ultra-thin 16μ layers, Objet’s Eden260V™ 3D printing system helps to provide labs with the ability to rapidly manufacture stone models. The system produces models with exceptionally fine details and smooth surfaces.

Fine detail in 3D

	Its technological core has been left in tact, but several enhancements to Renfert USA’s line of Basic sandblasters, such as PerfectView, provide a larger and clearer view of the working area. Focused blasting prevents sand from shooting past the object and instead targets it with more grains per surface area in the effective range. Daylight LEDs mean a larger spectrum of light to see more. More wavelengths are reflected or absorbed, which strengthens contrasts on illuminated objects. Offering 4,800 Lux, the more diffuse the light, the less shadows are produced, the more direct the light, the more unevenly areas are illuminated. The unit also sports a modernized, yet familiar new look that includes a large glass flap to provide a larger working area.

 Its technological core has been left in tact, but several enhancements to Renfert USA’s line of Basic sandblasters, such as PerfectView, provide a larger and clearer view of the working area. Focused blasting prevents sand from shooting past the object and instead targets it with more grains per surface area in the effective range.

More in clear view

	Williams and Harris Dental Laboratory, Richmond, Va., staffs 6-8 employees. Tim Lucero described the lab as a full-service lab that has been in business for more than 30 years.

	This lab has used the same alloys for many years and the metals get collected in a very specific way-a system which hasn’t changed over the years, Lucero said. And while metal prices and the lab’s metal invoices have been soaring in recent years, the lab’s scrap returns were relatively flat.

	What made this predicament concerning to Lucero was the scrap quantities submitted were similar, the collection methods were the same, and the alloys were the same. The scrap return in nominal dollars should have been increasing as well.

	Scientific Metals adopted an innovative approach toward scrap refining services. The company refers to its model as the Amazon.com of the scrap metal refining industry. By virtually ­eliminating reps, the company drastically reduces its costs and passes these savings to the lab through scrap returns. The same way Amazon.com offers its customers big savings on everything from books to electronics by eliminating its biggest cost input-bricks and mortar, Scientific Metals offers labs big savings on their scrap returns by eliminating its biggest cost input-labor.

	“It’s only logical that if our costs go down, then so do the costs to the labs,” said Dave Weinberg of Scientific Metals. “And with lower costs come higher scrap returns. We save money by virtually eliminating reps. The money saved gets passed on to the lab in their scrap return. Pretty simple. This model explains why numerous dental associations have endorsed our services, including four state dental associations.”

	After trying Scientific Metals for the first time, Harris and Williams saw their scrap return increase dramatically-as much as a 50 percent increase. Lucero said his suspicions that the lab wasn’t receiving an accurate scrap return had been brewing for a considerable time. So as metal prices continued to soar to historical highs, his scrap returns were nothing near historical. He was determined to get to the bottom of this.

	“Something didn’t feel right and I needed to find out what that something was,” he said.

	Lucero decided to send in exact quantities of the same material to his current refiner as well as to a few other refining companies. This first round of experiments didn’t solve the puzzle.

	“I wasn’t completely satisfied at this point,” he said.

	He found Scientific Metals after reading about the company in a dental magazine and was at his wits’ end when he decided to once more send in the same 3 oz. of material he had been sending to the others.

	“The difference in dollar amount was huge, in percentage terms, it was even more remarkable,” he said. “I even called back the company a few days later to confirm the initial weight of what I sent in to make sure I didn’t send them more than I did the others. When they confirmed it was about 3 troy ounces, a combination of relief and frustration overcame me. Relief in that I finally felt comfortable that I was getting paid for everything that I was sending in, but frustration that it took me so long and probably cost the lab a lot of money to get to this point.”

 The Lab  Williams and Harris Dental Laboratory, Richmond, Va., staffs 6-8 employees. Tim Lucero described the lab as a full-service lab that has been in business for more than 30 years.  The Problem  This lab has used the same alloys for many years and the metals get collected in a very specific way-a system which hasn’t changed over the years, Lucero said. And while metal prices and the lab’s metal invoices have been soaring in recent years, the lab’s scrap returns were relatively flat.

Scientific Metals refines dental scrap

	The E4D dentist CAD/CAM system scans, designs and mills restorations right at the dental office. Intuitive and easy-to-use, the system’s ergonomic design and efficiency suits the modern dental practice.

	GET IT DONE NOW: The system can produce same-day inlays, onlays, full crowns and veneers, which results in increased productivity as well as convenience for patients.

	You’re in control: Complete control over the final restoration assists the clinician to create restorations that provide form, fit and function.

	TIME TO LEARN: Basic Training on the use of the E4D is provided for two members of the practice at the E4D University in Dallas, Texas, followed by a third day at your office. Learn the complete clinical chairside operation, see the system being manufactured, meet the software engineers and members of the customer support team.

	ADDED PLUS: E4D Studio, a stand-alone design center, and E4D Labworks, also are offered to complete the dentist – laboratory communication and workflow circle connected by the E4D Sky™ Network, which communicates for additional restorative opportunities. (Available with DentaLogic software version 2.0.

 The E4D dentist CAD/CAM system scans, designs and mills restorations right at the dental office. Intuitive and easy-to-use, the system’s ergonomic design and efficiency suits the modern dental practice.  GET IT DONE NOW: The system can produce same-day inlays, onlays, full crowns and veneers, which results in increased productivity as well as convenience for patients.

Applying E4D in your practice

 multi-size kits so that the practice always has the correct size and shade on hand for all pediatric patients. The professional kit includes 36 anterior crowns in regular or short length. With 20 years of experience, NuSmile has provided more than 2 million  successful pediatric restorations.
	
	NuSmile provides a better 

 than stainless steel crowns so patients and their parents are happy with the results.
	
	With 

 the crowns can be placed without worrying about replacing them. Offering easy placement in a single appointment enhances the practice’s efficiency.
	
	Anterior crowns are 

prefabricated with both point angles slightly square

 so that the distal point angle may be slightly rounded in the operatory to make a right or left side crown. Right or left crowns are available at no additional charge, if preferred.
	
	Extra Light Crowns are NuSmile’s original pedo shade. Light Crowns were developed to provide a 

 Provided in both anterior and posterior multi-size kits so that the practice always has the correct size and shade on hand for all pediatric patients. The professional kit includes 36 anterior crowns in regular or short length. With 20 years of experience, NuSmile has provided more than 2 million  successful pediatric restorations.

Crowns to make kids kings

	On the surface, a little growth in your laboratory business may seem like a great thing. However, if you’re like most dental lab owners, who see themselves more as artists than business owners, growth can become a bad thing, unless you quickly cut through the top layer and develop a plan to manage it.

	Even artists need to consider the cost of their materials, time spent to complete the work and how to market their skills if they want their labs to be a success. These and other factors are essential in setting appropriate prices for services, volume of customers to accept and other critical business management concerns.

	While the artistry of your work is what brings customers in the door, it’s your business plan that will keep your lab and you happy and healthy. Here, lab owners, an educator and a small business marketing specialist agree it’s essential to objectively examine how you run things and plan, plan, plan.

	“The single universal theme I see in small- and medium-sized labs, is lack of business acumen,” said Mark Murphy, DDS, Vice President of Clinical Education for DTI-Microdental Laboratories, who has looked at hundreds of dental labs over the years.

	“I understand it, because we didn’t go to business school. We’ve been on a quest to create a solid business model for 20 to 30 years, and it’s still evolving,” Murphy said. “Remember it’s a business and not a craft. It can be a craft if you have another source of income, but if you don’t, then business principles apply.”

	Lee Culp, CDT, Chief Technology Officer for DTI-Microdental Laboratories, is the perfect example of an artist who thoroughly understands the business part of the equation, Murphy said. While making beautiful teeth is very high on his priority list, he doesn’t think it makes sense to spend a lot of money on equipment unless it can pay for itself and then some.

	“I think we spend too much time chasing technical, clinical education and not the business end of it,” Murphy said.

	“I always say we’re a lot like a restaurant,” said Dena Lanier, president and owner of The Lab 2000 Inc. in Columbus, Ga. “On any given day, we don’t know if we’re going to get one case in or 100 cases in.”

	The cost of overtime is a potentially bad side effect of growth, warned Lanier. It’s very important to know how much you are paying in overtime to determine how many customers might be too many.

	“You might pay out what you get in overtime,” she said. “You can lose all your profit.”

	“When you look at the payroll, and people are in overtime, look at what product is kicking us into overtime and how can you network,” Lanier added. “You can do domestic outsourcing. We do it all the time with milling centers.”

	“In this economy, do a lot more networking,” she said. “Work collaboratively with other labs in the area. Find labs that are not as busy and say, ‘Hey, you do a really good product.’ You could make some money and they could make some money.”

	“It’s the same thing with new products that come out,” Lanier said. “Rather than buy all the new technology, find someone who has it and you can still offer that product.”

	Murphy agreed. “Where a lab owner does find themselves in growth mode, especially unpredictable or unexpected growth, first think, what can I outsource through one of the strategic alliances available to us today,” he said. “The capital expense or HR expense of adding people is far greater. Outsource first, then hire second. Even if those units aren’t as profitable, it’s still far less expensive. It gives you time to plan and prepare and see if growth is continuous or temporary.”

	So even if those units are not as profitable, it’s much less expensive for you to pay $50,000 or $60,000 to outsource than to spend $150,000 for the equipment, Murphy said.

	Ordering teeth, acrylics and other supplies all factor into the equation, Lanier said. “Sometimes too, if you grow from month-to-month and you’re trying to feed off a bad month, and then you have a good month going, $50,000 comes in to pay the bills, then all of a sudden, you’re swamped,” Lanier said. “You’re paying out a lot, but there’s not as much coming in.”

	From a growth strategy perspective of trying to manage under pressure and constraints, look at what processes in your organization can be outsourced- at least until the point in time where you could justify adding staff, said Kris Bovay of Voice Marketing Inc., a firm that helps small business owners build their own business and marketing plans. For example, invoicing, bookkeeping, pickups and deliveries, front office reception, and human resources (including hiring new staff) are all good candidates for outsourcing.

	“Does your business have an enterprise-wide management information system?,” Bovay said. “Do you know what the order backlog is on a ‘live’ real-time basis? Do you know what orders are in danger of being late? Do you know your on-time success rate? Do you know who your key customers are? (If you’re going to be late on orders then you need to decide how to manage your most important customers).”

	While his father wasn’t in the dental profession, he offered Tom Zaleske, DLP Benchtop Editor and owner of Matrix Dental Laboratory in Crown Point, Ind., this sound business advice: “You can get so busy, you can go broke,” Zaleske said. “With growth comes collections, management of business, etc. Most lab owners don’t even ask for a credit reference. That kind of growth-uncontrolled growth-can hurt you.”

	Zaleske has been speaking at seminars across the country for 7 years to help dental labs. He best describes his lab as a niche lab or a laboratory that does comprehensive work.

	“I’m fortunate that I get to meet all different types of people with all different types of business models and learn how they do things differently than I do,” Zaleske explained. “I hear the tenor of the profession.”

	The most prevalent business model in the industry is the one-to-three-man laboratory, Zaleske said, which is much like his own lab. “I speak for that with a caveat. We are not a boutique laboratory. We don’t do hair and we don’t sell clothing. What we do is fill a niche. If I had to call myself something, it would be a niche lab or a laboratory that offers comprehensive fabrication.”

	“The first step is to identify the root cause of your issue-define, measure, analyze, improve and control (DMAIC, used in Six Sigma business management strategy),” Bovay said. “If defining the problem points to growth as the cause of your business challenges then you need to understand and deal with the ‘hot spots’ first. Make sure you talk to your key customers as part of this process; listen to the voice of the customer in building a stronger organization.”

	For example, if your issue is that you don’t make your promise dates on time, talk to your customers and find out if there is a way to improve the workflow between the dentist’s office and your dental laboratory, she said. Then examine your internal workflow and find out where the bottlenecks are; work on eliminating those bottlenecks and improving productivity.

	“By including your customers in the problem solving process, they will understand that you are working to resolve the issue and improve service-that will move your growth issue from being negative toward being a positive and learning solution,” Bovay said.

	There’s no question that having a plan is the most important part of keeping a little growth from becoming a bad thing as well as providing a clear path of where your business is headed.

	“If you are at capacity, you have no desires to grow the physical plant and you are both at manpower and physical facility capacity, you may not be able to assist core clients as well as you could,” said Murphy, who added that with a plan, “you really could figure out a way to grow.”

	Most dental labs don’t bother with a strategic vision plan, but they need one, Murphy said. They tend to think they’re too busy because the phone is ringing and they spend most of their days with a firehose in their hands instead of a magic marker and a business plan.

	“The best way to proceed and not strike out and go back to the drawing board is to decide who it is that you want to be and what for,” Murphy said. “Picture what your situation will look like in 3, 5, 10, 15, or 20 years and develop a business plan to handle it. Revisit the drawing board and have a business model to support it.”

	Every fall, DTI-Microdental Laboratories helps each of its managers write a strategic business and spending plan for the coming year, Murphy said. They plot and plan what resources they need. Will they need equipment? More technicians? Then a budget plan is developed around those needs.

	“Then you don’t get forced into making decisions willy-nilly or emotionally,” Murphy said. “We create some structure and discipline.”

	Laboratories don’t look at their numbers because they don’t keep track of one day to the next day, Lanier said. “Keep score. Every time a unit comes in, we keep score. Then I know how to gauge.”

	Thanksgiving is a busy time for the laboratory industry because patients stay close to home and they may need a crown if they are going to see their families for the holidays, Lanier said. Other busy times of the year can include in January when people file their tax returns and get their refunds and have the money for dental work. Electronic filing has changed that trend from April to January. The end of the year when patients are trying to use up the deductibles on their health care plans is another predictably busy time.

	Have short- and long-term plans. For the immediate short-term, “Focus resources on the problem area or areas,” Bovay recommended. “For example, hire temporary workers, look at overtime, and/or outsource some functions. Additionally, reach out to your customers as quickly as possible and tell them you understand that they are unhappy and explain what actions you’ve taken to immediately resolve the issues.”

	From a longer-term perspective, “Build a plan that focuses on overcoming the constraints in your processes, improving your productivity and service by reducing ‘touch points,’ and increasing quality,” she suggested. “And make sure you communicate your plans and your progress with customers, employees and other stakeholders.”

	“When I first started out, I’d get calls from multiple doctor practices,” Zaleske said. “Suddenly, every doctor wanted me to do their work. But I didn’t want that because then that would constitute too great a percentage of my work. I just didn’t want to lose control of my business, which is especially important if you are a 1-to-3-man lab. They can dictate when things are done. Be extremely careful not to be at the mercy of that practice. Be more selective about those who you take on.”

	Define parameters and profiles for specific types of doctors who you want to work for, he suggested. Create a wish list of what you want to charge, the demographics of the practices you want to work for, age of the doctor, type of practice, what area of the country they are located in. Any specific that matters to you as a business owner.

	“I like to bass fish. I watch fishing tournaments. It’s like a bass limit,” Zaleske said. “You can only catch so much. Once I have plenty of fish on my boat, I’m culling. Take out the ones who maybe are not so good to work with.”

	“It’s a constant culling process,” he added. “Are you accepting new doctors? Well, it depends on the doctor.”

	Having set fee and policy schedules to provide up front will eliminate a lot of the problem customers from the start, Zaleske said.

	“Everybody has to choose what is a better fit for their business model, and then target market that demographic,” said Zaleske, who prefers working with second generation doctors because he does removable prosthetics.

	“I have to be extremely comfortable with who I’m doing business with,” Zaleske said. He wants to know he can work with a dentist without modifying the way they each work.

	Instead of immediately sending a fee schedule, Zaleske recommends sending a policy schedule to clients. Include how much time you need to complete the work, shipping and receiving policies and always include beautiful pictures of your work. Zaleske puts his images on a CD or sends them electronically in a Dropbox folder.

	A policy packet establishes a working relationship up front, Zaleske said. Also include your policy for collections. Standard business practice is 30 days from the statement.

	“You’ve got to market in good times and bad times,” Lanier said. “If you constantly have your name out there all the time, then they’re (the dentists) going to send you work.”

	She sends out postcards to dental practices on a regular basis. One says, “Hot, hot, hot: buy 5 e.max, get the 6th free.” The postcards were personally delivered locally by Lanier along with a bottle of hot sauce, Red Hots candy and Hot Dorritos with the items all put together in a box.

	Last year, Lanier purchased plastic bowls for $1 at Target, filled them full of ice and delivered cups of ice cream to local practices. “It’s just to let you know I’m here and thinking of you,” she said. “It’s very simple and it cost less than $5 to do.”

	For Halloween, it was postcards that said, “It’s spooky to send your work to anyone else,” and “Mummy says send your work to us.”

	September means the start of football season and school, so Lanier will theme her marketing around those events.

	Consistency is the most important part of marketing, Lanier said. Drop off chocolate chip cookies at a practice you want to do business with one week. Then, the next week, bring coffee at the very same time. Keep that up for as long as eight weeks, and you’ll get new customers.

	“We can’t market to the general public, but there’s 150,000 dentists we can market to,” she said.

	The problem with small laboratories is they get a ton of accounts and then they stop soliciting for business, Zaleske said. “That doesn’t work real well because then the doctor retires, changes practices, closes up his practice or moves on. It’s better to have a lot of food on the table and wrap it up, put in the refrigerator and save it for later than to be scraping for crumbs.”

	You can always keep taking calls from potential new clients, but you may not necessarily be taking them on, Zaleske said.

	“Everybody has to choose, select who is better for them and then do target marketing,” he said.

	Participate in your industry association and ask them for information on best practices-learn from others, Bovay recommended. Also develop a network with non-competing dental labs from other geographic areas. For example, build a peer network of about 6 or 7 other labs from different cities. Share information on how you’ve managed growth, customers, employees, new technology, etc. You can introduce efficiencies in your operation much more quickly if others have already tested them.

	“Join or build a peer group or network either within your industry (but in non-competing locations) or outside of your industry,” Bovay said. “Make contact directly or work with your local dental association and ask them to help you get in touch with other labs. You can learn a lot from others.”

	Consider working with a business consultant; to build your growth plan and to help you manage your growth, she added. Look for a specialist in business development.

	“I think lab technicians take great pride in bragging that they fired their doctor,” Zaleske said. “I think it’s really bad to fire clients. Let them make their own decisions.”

	On the occasion when you might have a difficult client, put in some extra time to work with them, Zaleske suggested. If a doctor isn’t adhering to time allocation or timely payment practices, take the time to reinforce what’s in your policy packet and avoid creating an adversarial relationship.

	“Be discerning about who you do or don’t want to work with,” Zaleske said.

	The importance of having the right people working for you is key to successful small business growth, Bovay said. Make sure you hire people with the right attitude and behavior to work in your organization.

	“Build your business to support a learning culture and environment,” she said.

	So in the end, the art of molding a little bad growth into good means applying sound business management practices to your dental laboratory.  

, of Voice Marketing Inc., has worked with small, medium and large businesses for more than 25 years. Her work experience includes a number of management positions in large Forest Industry companies; the Director of North American Specification Sales for a large multi-national paper manufacturer; General Manager of a mid-size printing industry company; and owner of a business and marketing services company. Kris has a MBA, with a specialty in communications, from Royal Roads University in Victoria, B.C. She works with small business owners to improve processes, to develop and implement business and marketing plans, and to build successful businesses. You can e-mail her with questions at: 

 started her business in dentures and partials in 1980. She later went to work for her husband, Dennis, as office manager and director of sales. After offering her advice on how she would run a lab, her husband suggested, “Why don’t you get your own lab and leave me alone,” she said. So, that’s exactly what she did. Today, 

 boasts 27 technicians. Dentists from Maine to Texas use the company’s services. She is President of the GDLA, State Component leader for NADL, and also serves on the business committee for NADL and is President-Elect for the Southeastern Conference of Dental Labs. Additionally, Lanier was recently named one of Dental Products Report’s “Top 25 Women in Dentistry” for 2011.

, serves as Vice President of Clinical Education for DTI-Microdental Labs where he oversees sales, marketing and clinical education for 18 dental laboratories across the country. He is the lead faculty for Mercer Advisors and serves on the Board of Directors of the Pankey Institute, IdentAlloy Council and the Foundation for Dental Laboratory Technology.

, owner of Matrix Dental Laboratory, Crown Point, Ind., has more than 25 years of experience in removable prosthetics and regularly lectures on providing high quality service to dentists and their patients. He also is Benchtop Editor for Dental Lab Products. He can be reached at 

 On the surface, a little growth in your laboratory business may seem like a great thing. However, if you’re like most dental lab owners, who see themselves more as artists than business owners, growth can become a bad thing, unless you quickly cut through the top layer and develop a plan to manage it.

The art of molding bad growth into good

The SideKick MP multi-platform customized patient education program includes a full load of procedure illustrations and a Smile Imaging module. The Movie module allows continuous play looping of movies. It also can help track what you show to patients and has the ability to e-mail whatever they saw chairside.

: Compatible with PC and Mac computers; network servers, the Internet, tablets and smartphones.

: Add your own procedure images and movies by just dragging and dropping them into the program. Then choose to size them from icon to full-screen.

: Includes very clear audio/video operational instructions.

: Translates text and informed consent in 50 different languages. 

Tech Brief: Applying SIDEKICK MP in your practice

Recent developments and enhancements to the components of the solution allow Delcam to offer a complete implantology system. The system includes the tools and software needed through the complete process. It supports the design of custom abutments to implant bridges and dental bars with a management system to track each stage of the process. A range of scan adapters compatible with leading implant brands are used with high-accuracy open-architecture white-light scanners to capture the location of the implants in the model of the jaw. This information is used for the design of the restoration and the generation of the programs for the milling machine to yield high accuracy restorations.

		DentMILL generates milling instructions

		Delcam Dental Manager oversees the process for laboratories to track and access all files and transactions from initial scan through CAD modeling and manufacturing

Recent developments and enhancements to the components of the solution allow Delcam to offer a complete implantology system. The system includes the tools and software needed through the complete process. It supports the design of custom abutments to implant bridges and dental bars with a management system to track each stage of the process.