Noah Levine

Dental schools around the country could soon be training students on 

3M ESPE's Lava™ Chairside Oral Scanner C.O.S. systems

 courtesy of 3M Community Giving, the company's charitable arm. 

The donations are being offered to schools meeting criteria including number of students, proximity to 3M facilities and a demonstrated ability to integrate digital dentistry into the curriculum. Along with the high-tech intraoral scanning systems, 3M ESPE will be providing support for the qualifying schools, in order to get them off and running with the technology as a part of their curricula. 

This program seems like a move that will benefit the schools, the dental students training on the systems, but also 3M. Instructors will have an exciting tool to introduce students to the efficiencies and possibilities of digital dental technologies, while students who have access to this technology during their education will benefit from being able to see and work with the detailed digital impression scans that magnify intraoral details and can enhance communication when working collaboratively on a case.

Of course, by making the company's digital impression system available to the dentists of tomorrow, 3M gains the advantage of a new wave of clinicians who are intimately familiar with the company's technology and ready to put it to use in the practices they join, start or purchase. The company has set it self up to be a leader in the industry's digital transition and this altruistic move helps to further that goal.

“Connecting universities with the desire to offer cutting edge technologies with the worldwide leader of dental innovations was a natural fit given our organizational goal of preparing students for future opportunities and 3M ESPE’s commitment to transform the dental industry. 

The Lava C.O.S. system will provide the basis for assisting universities to enter the digital age of dentistry

,” said Ian Hardgrove, senior vice president of marketing and sales and president ofthe 3M Corporate Giving Committee, in a press release.

Qualifying schools should certainly look to take advantage of this opportunity to give their students greater access to technology. Digital impressions have been shown to reduce remakes, and can be great tools for improved communication between dentists and dental technicians. Students who learn this technology at the start of their careers are likely to make it a part of their future practice, and more importantly than the benefit this might bring to 3M, this would be beneficial to the patients these future doctors will be treating.

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Dental schools around the country could soon be training students on 3M ESPE's Lava™ Chairside Oral Scanner C.O.S. systems courtesy of 3M Community Giving, the company's charitable arm. 

3M to donate Lava C.O.S. systems to dental schools

 is minimally invasive and immediately stabilizes loose 

 using a 90-minute patented protocol, often completed without a flap and using the patient’s existing denture.

: MDIs are designed for stability in soft and dense bone, which is essential for immediate loading.

: Attachment designs are available for custom retention, with three retention options as well as attachment designs that forgive up to 30 degrees divergence between two implants with no need for an angle correction inventory.

: The MDI system from 3M ESPE consists of 1.8, 2.1 and 2.4 mm wide titanium alloy implants at lengths of 10, 13, 15 and 18 mm and a retaining fixture that is incorporated into the base of a patient’s denture. Also available at these lengths is the 2.9 mm wide MDI Hybrid mini dental implant. To hold dentures securely in place, the O-ring in the retaining fixture snaps over the ball-shaped head of the implant. When seated, the denture gently rests on the patient’s gum tissue.

: 3M ESPE offers affordable one-day MDI certification seminars led by some of the most experienced small diameter implant clinicians in the world. To find a seminar in your area, visit 3MESPE.com/ImplantSeminars. 

Utilizing MDI Mini Dental Implants in your dental practice

The MDI system from 3M ESPE consists of 1.8, 2.1 and 2.4 mm wide titanium alloy implants at lengths of 10, 13, 15 and 18 mm and a retaining fixture that is incorporated into the base of a patient’s denture.Manufactured by: 3MModel: MDI Mini Dental Implants4.3 based on 3,298 reviews

The MDI Mini Dental Implant system from 3M ESPE is minimally invasive and immediately stabilizes loose dentures using a 90-minute patented protocol, often completed without a flap and using the patient’s existing denture.

The newest micro-pulse-arc welding system available, the compact Orion 100c was designed to meet the needs of the dental lab market. It features a smaller footprint to save bench space, an easy-to-use touch screen interface for quick access and adjustments of welding parameters, high-frequency agitation for welding difficult metals like 

, and innovative pulse arc technology to perform laser-like 

. Economically priced, it provides a solution to help users save time, increase profits, and maximize weld strength and quality. The Orion 100c offers two different weld modes: Pulse Arc and Micro. Whether a case requires high power for 

 or palladium, or precise welds around delicate ceramics, the new Orion 100c has the flexibility to weld with power and precision to provide the most high-tech, versatile and affordable welding solution on the market today. 

		Simple-to-use touch screen interface for adjusting power and settings

		Control over the weld time and ignition

		Applications: titanium bars, crown and bridge repair, fill holes, extend margins, add contacts, clasp repair and orthodontic applications

The newest micro-pulse-arc welding system available, the compact Orion 100c was designed to meet the needs of the dental lab market.

Tech Brief: Orion 100c – Power and precision

A pair of recently released market analysis reports point to the steady growth of digital technologies in use in the dental space, with a projection that the global market for 3D printing will hit $3 billion by 2018 and the dental CAD/CAM market will reach $540 million by 2016.

The 3D printing report from Global Industry Analysts, Inc., pins the growth on further development of 3D printing technologies, approaches and applications, as well as the declining costs of the technologies.

The report looks at the ongoing transition of 3D printing from niche rapid-prototyping to short run, mass production of final products in industries ranging from dental, to jewelry to aerospace and automotive. The company’s research points to the United States as the largest market for 3D printing and predicts the technology will help bring manufacturing back to developed nations as the 

 become competitive with the lower labor costs of the developing world.

Companies profiled in the report include 3D Systems Corporation, Bits from Bytes, envisionTEC GmbH, EOS GmbH, Hewlett-Packard Development Company L.P, MakerBot® Industries LLC, 

, among others. The report titled “3D Printing: A Global Strategic Business Report” includes market estimates and projections for segments 3D Printing Products and 3D Printing Services across geographic markets such as the US, Europe (France, Germany, Italy, UK, and Rest of Europe), Asia Pacific, and Rest of World.

For more details about this comprehensive market research report, visit: 

http://www.strategyr.com/3D_Printing_Market_Report.asp

In the other report from Millennium Research Group, the 

 is projected to grow significantly, with particularly strong growth in the chairside segment and Japan seeing stronger growth overall than Europe or the United States.

 will bring new competitors to the market, creating downward pressure on system prices. The report specifically calls out forthcoming systems such as 3Shape’s TRIOS scanner, along with new devices from Laserdenta, MHT (to be rebranded by Zfx and Clon 3D), Dimensional Photonics International and a.tron3d.

For more information on this market report titled “Global Markets for Dental CAD/CAM Systems 2012” visit: 

http://mrg.net/Products-and-Services/Syndicated-Report.aspx?r=RPGL22CC12

Market analysts predict growth in 3D printing and dental CAD/CAM

High-tech doesn’t have to mean bad for the planet. In fact, upping your practice’s use of technology is one of the easiest ways to lighten your environmental impact and make your practice more attractive to patients looking to lighten their own impacts.

Whether through reduction of waste, energy savings or simply by promoting an eco-friendly wellness model of care, all of the these product categories qualify as “green.”

Click here to see a slideshow of the product categories and thoughts on what makes each one "green." 

High-tech doesn’t have to mean bad for the planet. In fact, upping your practice’s use of technology is one of the easiest ways to lighten your environmental impact and make your practice more attractive to patients looking to lighten their own impacts. Whether through reduction of waste, energy savings or simply by promoting an eco-friendly wellness model of care, all of the these product categories qualify as “green.” Click here to see a slideshow of the product categories and thoughts on what makes each one "green." 

Which of these products is eco-friendly?

Shopping for new technology can sometimes feel like wading through a vat of alphabet soup. The number of new acronyms to describe features and metrics is imposing, and the pace at which new terms are introduced can be downright dizzying.

So to provide a helpful resource for those shopping for and using computing, mobile and video technologies I’ve compiled this technology glossary. The list will be updated as new terms become important. If there’s something you feel is missing from the list, feel free to send a note to me at 

 and I’ll work to add the missing pieces of the ever changing 

Here we have the basic breakdown of different device formats. All of these are a computer of one kind or another and in many instances the lines between these form factors are completely blurred by devices capable of transforming from one to another.

 What most people think of as a computer. Typically a tower with all the computer’s internal parts connected to an external monitor, keyboard and mouse, but more commonly an all-in-one design with the tower integrated into the monitor.

 A device designed to let a portable device power an external screen or set of speakers. A docking station can allow a smartphone to display video on a large screen or play audio through more robust speakers. Docking stations can also turn a tablet into a laptop via a keyboard it can connect to or a smartphone into a tablet via a larger screen it can be connected with.

 A regular old cell phone. Calls and text messages, but nothing more.

 A tablet focused mainly on providing a platform for reading digital books. Often these have mono-color E Ink screens that make them easy to read in direct sunlight.

 A device in between with narrowly focused online abilities but no true web browser or the ability to add additional apps.

A full-scale computer in a portable package. The latest laptops are as powerful as any desktop computer from just a few years ago while still being lighter and faster.

 A small, bare bones computer designed for basic tasks such as email and web browsing. Often these can be connected to HD TVs as well as traditional computer monitors.

 An acronym for Personal Media Player. Often tablet in format, these media consumption devices can be capable of playing only audio and video files or as powerful as a smartphone with full Internet capabilities but without the integrated cell phone.

. Ostensibly pocket sized and capable of connecting to the Internet via mobile and WiFi networks, handling email, taking digital pictures and video, tackling other computing tasks, and occasionally making phone calls.

 A flat computer with a touchscreen or stylus input and no standard keyboard or mouse. Apple’s 

 kick started the consumer market for tablets bringing these devices mainstream.

These are the nuts and bolts that power the 

 and determine how fast it can work, how much data it can hold and how it can connect to other devices.

 An acronym for Central Processing Unit. This is essentially the brains of a computer and the part that does the computations that actually power the software. Modern CPU speed is usually expressed in Gigahertz, and generally the more GHz available, the faster the processor will function.

 In computing terms this refers to a CPU that is actually made up of several linked CPUs for parallel processing capabilities and smoother computer operations.

 A serial bus connection format developed by Apple and used to connect peripheral devices such as external hard drives to computers. FireWire never caught on beyond Apple’s devices and is becoming less common.

 An acronym for Graphics Processing Unit. A specialized computer chip aimed at optimizing the processing of graphical information for smooth rendering of complex images such as detailed 3D graphics.

 The storage locker for computer data. Hard drives come in a range of formats and sizes, but have traditionally been based around a moving disc that uses magnetic signals to store information. Hard drives can be internal to a computer or externally connected to expand the amount of data that can be stored.

 A computer storage device that uses lasers to store and access data on external discs. CDs, DVD and Blu-ray discs are examples of optical storage media.

 An acronym for Random Access Memory. The basic memory capabilities of a computer today are often measured in Gigabytes. While RAM can be used as a metric to determine the speed at which a computer can operate, other factors including the processor speed and the operating system play a role, so a computer with 1 GB of RAM could actually be swifter than one with 2 GB, depending on these other factors.

 An acronym for Solid State Drive. A newer type of hard drive that does not involve any moving parts, which increases the reliability, reduces operating noise and increases the speed at which data can be saved and accessed from the drive.

 A computer set up to provide data and software 

 A serial bus connection for high speed data transfer developed by Intel and implemented on the latest Apple computers. Thunderbolt offers rapid data transfer to peripheral devices capable of connecting via the cable format.

 An acronym for Universal Serial Bus. This has become the standard port for connecting computing devices via a cable to transfer data. USB 2.0 is still the most common type of USB port, but USB 3.0, which allows for faster data transfer is becoming more common.

Understanding what sets one computer screen apart from another is among the most difficult tasks. The best practice is to see them first hand because saying one screen format is brighter or clearer than another is somewhat of a subjective comment.

 An acronym for Cathode Ray Tube. This is the older technology used for TV screens and computer monitors. The technology cannot be used in a flatscreen format and is growing less common in the technology world, but is still valuable for video monitors among other uses.

A video connection standard used to connect a computer to an external screen. DisplayPort is similar to HDMI in many of its capabilities.

 A proprietary type of screen technology commonly used in eReaders. It is designed to mimic the look of ink on paper, performs well in direct light and operates efficiently. E Ink displays do not handle video well due to their low refresh rate.

 An acronym for High Definition. This typically refers to displays with displays of 1,280×720 pixels (720p) or 1,920×1,080 pixels (1080i/1080p).

 An acronym for High-Definition Multimedia Interface. This is the standard connection for sending HD video content from one device to another. Many computers, laptops and even some smartphones are capable of connecting via HDMI cable.

 An acronym for Liquid Crystal Display. A common 

 technology used for computer monitors, HD TVs and smartphones. These can be thin with crisp images, but can have limited viewing angles.

 An acronym for Organic Light Emitting Diode. This screen technology used in computer monitors and smartphones is lightweight, energy efficient and offers good viewing angles, but doesn’t always have the best color balance and can be difficult to view in direct sunlight.

 A single point in the display. A single pixel is the smallest dot a display can render. Pixel density refers to how many pixels are fit into a square inch of the display. The higher the density the smoother the image rendering. A screen resolution displayed in pixels often has the number of pixels per side, thus multiplied together the two numbers equal the total number of pixels available in the display.

 An Apple brand name for a display with pixel density high enough that the average viewer will not be able to discern pixels from an average viewing distance.

 An acronym for Standard Definition. This refers to displays with less pixel density than HD screens.

 When presented as a number of inches, screen size is a measure of the screen at an angle from corner to corner.

 An acronym for Video Graphics Array. The 15-pin VGA connector is a standard cable connection for exporting video content from a computer to an external screen or a projector. While VGA screens support resolutions of just 640x400 pixels, the VGA connectors can be used for higher quality and even HD video connections.

The ways modern devices can connect to each other and the wider Internet without the need for cables is one driving force behind the spread of 

. However understanding what the terms, network standards and speeds really mean can be extremely difficult, especially because they are constantly evolving.

 This term refers to 3rd generation mobile communications platforms. Smartphones really took off when networks offered connections on 3G networks. To be considered 3G, a network technology must meet the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 (IMT-2000) specifications set by the International Telecommunication Union of peak data speeds of at least 0.2 Mbit/s. Most 3G technologies provide speeds far higher.

 This term refers to 4th generation mobile communications platforms. The International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 (IMT-2000) specifications for 4G networks require speeds of 100 Mbit/s, however current commercial 4G networks do not reach those speeds.

 Apple’s proprietary technology for wirelessly streaming audio, video and images from a computer or mobile device to a screen, set of speakers or other output device.

 A wireless technology that allows computing devices and peripherals to connect over short distances. Bluetooth can be used to send data or to connect a computer to a wireless mouse or keyboard.

 A network technology that carries voice and data transmission through the same system. Speeds on these networks can be around 1 Mbit/s

 Delivery of computer storage and other data-based services via a wireless network. 

 often refers to accessing stored media and content from servers located a great distance away.

 A 3G network technology capable of download speeds up to 14 Mbit/s, although average user speeds are often far slower.

 Technically a 3G network technology, HSPA+ networks are often marketed as 4G because they can be configured to allow download speed of up to 168 Mbit/s.

 Quickly becoming the dominant 4G mobile network technology, this is an acronym for Long Term Evolution. LTE download speeds can reach 300 Mbit/s.

 Viewing media such as audio and video from a remote server location.

 A wireless network allowing computers and other WiFi capable devices such as printers and hard drives to connect with each other. WiFi networks are commonly connected to the larger Internet, thus allowing all the connected devices to connect to other networks outside of the local WiFi.

 The first commercial network technology marketed as 4G, WiMax can provide mobile data speeds of 30 to 40 Mbit/s with fixed data speeds capable of reaching 1 Gbit/s

Tech Smart: Defining the tech world

TruFit™ Ultra Thin Gloves are made of a soft nitrile material for the ultimate comfort in examination gloves.
	
	

The thin nature of the gloves improves flexibility and reach for the clinician.
	
	

The nitrile material retains strength, allowing the glove to stay intact during clinical use.
	
	

 With two box counts-100 count or 200 count-these gloves accommodate different sized offices.
	
	

 Latex-Free nitrile allows the gloves to be used when latex allergies are of concern.

1. TruFit™ Ultra Thin Gloves are made of a soft nitrile material for the ultimate comfort in examination gloves.  2. The thin nature of the gloves improves flexibility and reach for the clinician.  3. The nitrile material retains strength, allowing the glove to stay intact during clinical use.

Top 5 benefits of Plak Smacker's TruFit Ultra Thin Gloves

With a minimum thickness of 3 mm, the material is far from ready for use in fabricating dental restorations, but French 3D printing service Sculpteo recently added ceramics to the materials available from their 

. The 3D printed ceramic crown might still be a long way off, but this certainly seems like a step in that direction.

Launched in 2009, Sculpteo operates as a general 3D printing outsource provider for rapid-prototyping and one-off model production. The company accepts 3D model designs submitted via the Internet or an iPhone/iPad app and produces the finished 3D products in a range of materials. The ceramic material joins the company's previously available range of colored plastics, resins and even a silver coated material.

Printing at Sculpteo is done on a range of 3D printing systems that should be familiar to the dental lab industry with printers from eos, 3D Systems and Objet being put to use in their shop. The company's business model is built around delivering finished products to customers, and the new ceramic material is glazed with a bright color and fired after being printed.

 is finding its way into a range of production industries, and the pace of development and implementation seems to be quickening. While the current state of 3D printed ceramics is relatively rudimentary when compared to what can be done with a traditional lab 

, it's not too hard to imagine a time when dental ceramics can be printed to full contour with all the internal details and translucencies incorporated into the digital design.

For specifications on their 3D printed ceramic material, click 

With a minimum thickness of 3 mm, the material is far from ready for use in fabricating dental restorations, but French 3D printing service Sculpteo recently added ceramics to the materials available from their production center. The 3D printed ceramic crown might still be a long way off, but this certainly seems like a step in that direction.

3D ceramic printing service launched

 takes full advantage of the speed and accuracy of advanced 

.
	
	Sophisticated, yet easy-to-use multiple and simultaneous restoration design capabilities enable users to work on as many restorations as they want-and at the same time.
	
	Design tools enable the user to work directly on the tooth when adding or removing material, rotating and positioning a restoration, or expanding or reducing tooth size to provide greater control and a more hands-on experience.

Intuitive work flow enables moving from one design step to another without the linear limitations of “next” or “undo” prompts. Also, moving backwards in the design process does not undo previous completed work.
	
	With newly streamlined restoration design capabilities, each step is clearly defined at the bottom of the CEREC 4.0 design window. This includes the current design step as well as which step came before and which step comes next. 

CEREC 4.0 Software takes full advantage of the speed and accuracy of advanced Bluecam digital imaging technology from Sirona.  Sophisticated, yet easy-to-use multiple and simultaneous restoration design capabilities enable users to work on as many restorations as they want-and at the same time.

Top 5 Reasons to Buy CEREC 4.0 Software featuring Sirona's Bluecam digital imaging technology

Clichés often come from a kernel of truth, so while there might be some room to argue over how many words it actually takes to equal a picture, there’s no doubt that images are valuable communication aids.

 to the work of a dental lab is certainly no secret. Whether the pictures originate chairside to assist in shade and value matching or at the bench as a way to send a query back to the doctor, they can help transmit vital case information.

Snapping pictures of your work as you go along is a great way to document your progress as a technician and can be a good resource for figuring out how to proceed if a tricky situation reappears in the lab. Well shot images of your cases also can become the centerpiece of marketing efforts for your lab.

 has made it easier than ever before to capture, share and capitalize on these images, and a range of new online tools, mobile apps and photo editing technologies are now making these digital pictures even more valuable, vibrant and ready to help your lab and your work show off in the best possible light.

Online photo archives are nothing new, but if you’re not already using a site such as 

 or even Facebook to create albums of your best work, you’re missing out on one of the easiest ways to get what you do seen by both current and prospective clients.

All of those sites provide free or low cost online storage and organization of images. This allows images from a specific case to be uploaded into an album and with Flickr or Picasa kept private or shared with just the doctor who submitted the case. That can be a powerful communication tool and cloud storage sites such as 

But the real power comes from the social nature of those sites (and that’s where Facebook comes back into the arrangement). Every one of those sites allow other users such as your clients, their friends and even your lab colleagues to link to your account and thus follow the images you post publicly. By regularly posting promotional images showcasing your best work you can market what you are doing with almost no effort.

 show up when anyone linked to your account logs into their account, and even better, they can share those images with other people they think might like them, making the growth of the people able to see pictures of what you can do completely organic. If you take a few moments to tag your uploaded images with keywords describing the picture and always including your lab and basics such as “dental crown”, “implant bridge” or “complete dentures” as the case may be, the images will be even easier for people to find via search engines.

This type of social marketing is an amazingly easy way to increase your visibility, and it’s just the basics. The latest in image 

 offer some real fun ways to take picture that set things apart from anything else online.

While the digital camera was certainly a huge innovation, it was mostly a change in the processing and storing of images. But a new imaging technology developed by 

 called a “light field” camera is something truly new. This tiny digital camera was launched late last year under the slogan “shoot now, focus later” because the digital images it captures can be refocused by anyone viewing them online.

The camera’s special sensor captures all the light available and the imbedded software processes this into an image that is truly interactive. Simply clicking on any area in the image can endlessly refocus the special Lytro image files. The focus shifts to that area and the rest of the image goes out of focus. Then another click and the focus is placed on a new spot or returned to the original focus.

There are many more Lytro images to view and play with at the company's website 

These images can be easily linked and shared online, and while the camera technology is still new, it is already capable of impressive macro photography capable of capturing close up shots to the show the type of detail key to displaying the work of a dental lab. These pictures could be used to provide a 

 of your lab, or a detail view of a complex case allowing the viewer to focus on just one area at a time.

As great as photography can be in showing off what a dental lab does, a picture is still a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional object. While 3D scanning is nothing new for labs, it’s not exactly suited for promotional photography, but there are now some interesting ways to show all sides of your work with one image.

. This recently launched company created a simple app for capturing 3D panorama images that allow the viewer to rotate an object 360º. The capture can be done via a free iPhone or iPad app and the results are amazing. For the best captures, Arqball sells a specially designed turntable for $60, which rotates the object at the precise speed for its software. But even without the turntable, it’s not hard to get great results. This “spin” of a classic “drinking bird” toy is something I created by manually rotating it on a cake plate on my kitchen table.

Numerous examples of smoother "Spins" captured on Arqball's rotating stage can be found on the company's website 

This could be a great way to show off a set of dentures, an implant bridge or even a crown, provided it’s not being shot against a white background. Arqball allows users to host 25 spin images on their site for free, with low cost accounts set up for people who want to have more. Showing off your work on your website’s 

 with an interactive image such as this could be a great way to introduce your skills to visitors.

Digital imaging should certainly be a part of what any lab does to promote its work and all of these tools provide a way for new and prospective clients to see, interact with and become fans of the work you do. Plenty of other novel imaging systems are certainly on the way.

Autodesk, the makers of the original AutoCAD software, have launched an online and app-based 3D modeling software suite called 123D which is basically a camera-based 3D scanning system. The concept is based on their software stitching together user submitted photos to create a 3D model. [Editor's note - the 123D website and service were discontinued in 2017.]

This would take something like a Spin to a new level of complete rotation to show off the top, bottom and every possible angle. However in practice the system has mostly generated 3D mapped-mush for many users. But while it might not be ready and simple to use just yet the idea is sound. 3D photos could be the next powerful imaging technology that can help in marketing your lab.

All of these things might be a tiny bit gimmicky, but sometimes it’s a gimmick that gets noticed. Photos can really help a lab stand out, and putting the cutting edge of photo technology to work for you is a great way to broadcast the quality and detail of the amazing work you do.