Ryan Hamm is the former Editorial Director for Dental Products Report and Digital Esthetics.

Ryan Hamm

Nobel Biocare has long been one of the leaders of dental implantology-in fact, they are celebrating the 50th anniversary of P-I Brånemark’s first implant patient this year.

	We recently spoke with Joe Day, their Vice President of Marketing for North America at Nobel Biocare, about the history of the company since Brånemark’s landmark case, how Nobel Biocare works well with labs, what's happening in the dental implant world and more. Read on:

01. Nobel Biocare celebrates the 50th anniversary of P-I Brånemark’s first implant patient this year. Looking back, which of your innovations do you feel stand out? 

	As the pioneer of dental implants and science-based evidence, we have long played a unique role contributing to innovation within the dental implant industry and will continue to do so. We were the first to bring industrial production of dental implants and individualized CAD/CAM restorations. We introduced the first comprehensive concept for 3D treatment planning and guided surgery. We own the one-and-only All-on-4® treatment concept for efficient and reliable full-arch solutions, and our NobelActive® implant system continues to be a game changer where we see more and more companies trying to replicate it each year.

02. How do you feel customers-and, by extension, patients-benefit from those innovations? 

	We don’t develop individual products but entire solutions that provide fully functional, natural-looking results that aspire to last a lifetime. Our clinicians, lab customers and their patients can be confident all our components are designed to complement each other in a precisely harmonized system to meet the requirements of long-term clinical performance and cost efficiency.

03. One recent innovation from Nobel Biocare is a 

. What does that offer the dental professional? 

 consists of a selection of wide-platform implants, new anatomically designed temporary components and a full-contour zirconia implant crown, which is available with an angulated screw channel design. These components are an impressive lineup when a patient needs to replace a molar tooth and can’t open his or her mouth very wide. The increased access then provides a real solution to a real problem. But, of course, it is also a great solution whenever you need to angle the screw access hole for any reason and, as you said, it’s 100 percent cement-free. Even the titanium adapter is mechanically retained. 

04. How important is it for dental professionals to avoid “mixing and matching” random components in implant dentistry?

	That is a very serious issue in the industry today. We firmly believe not all products are created equal. All dental professionals should be very careful they are using products that were designed and tested as complete systems whether they are all from one company or not. A key aspect of performance assessment is that a system is only as strong as its weakest link and that the performance of any component depends not only on the component itself but also on its interactions within the system. For this reason, we conduct research and testing not only on individual components, such as implants, abutments and screws, but always on the entire system too.

Technique: One workflow to solve four common implant problems

05. There are a lot of implant options out there. How is Nobel Biocare’s approach to customers any different from others? 

	We are driving innovation in a way that our customers can provide solutions that their peers can’t. One such innovation is the restorative component in our posterior solution, a full-contour zirconia implant crown that takes advantage of our unique angulated screw channel concept. Our Omnigrip tooling is something that has to be seen to be believed with a screw that literally sticks to the screwdriver.	 

06. Where do you think the biggest opportunities in implant work exist for dental labs? 

	One of the biggest opportunities for dental labs that we see is getting involved in the treatment process much earlier than they might be used to. Many labs come in near the end and are often forced to adjust to a situation in ways they might not prefer. Our integrated and efficient digital workflow brings in dental labs using the NobelProcera® 2G Scanner at the planning stage with new scanning capabilities. This new feature adds value as a treatment partner by providing intraoral model surface information that assists with the clinician’s diagnostic treatment plan.

07. How is Nobel Biocare a great option for labs? 

	Our more efficient second-generation scanner delivers direct access to our comprehensive assortment of NobelProcera restorations; and, with our new open access program, users of the 3Shape Dental System who have integrated into the global NobelProcera production network gain access to NobelProcera’s high quality CAD/CAM abutments. And, open access won’t stop there, as more products are on the way.

An example of an All-on-4 case (warning: shows actual surgery!)

08. How does Nobel Biocare ensure its customers are properly trained and receive education in working with Nobel’s implant systems? 

	Our comprehensive training programs cover every step of the treatment workflow and every stage of professional development. Hands-on sessions play a key role in our training courses both at our smaller events and larger symposia. We believe in peer-to-peer training through expert professionals, and our customers can access them close to home or around the world. Just in North America, we deliver more than 10,000 dental educational programs annually to help dental professional treat more patients better and more efficiently.

09. Which issues discussed at conferences or in the media do you think could be solved through more extensive training and education? 

	We are learning from both scientific study and customer experience that the use of cement has become an increasingly discussed topic. While a cement-retained restoration is a great solution when restoring natural teeth and it can be a perfectly fine solution when done properly on implants, more extensive training and even simple awareness is needed. We are working on providing industry-leading screw-retained solutions so our customers don’t have to even worry about cement-related issues.

Infographic: Dental implants by the numbers

10. In your own words, what is Nobel Biocare’s final goal for your customers? 

	We focus our knowledge and expertise on supporting our customers with a shared goal: treating as many patients as possible in the best possible way. Everything that we do aims to empower dental professionals to treat more patients better.

	This article originally appeared in the May 2015 issue of Dental Lab Products. For more great insights, make sure you're subscribed to DLP by 

Articles

Nobel Biocare has long been one of the leaders of dental implantology-in fact, they are celebrating the 50th anniversary of P-I Brånemark’s first implant patient this year.
We recently spoke with Joe Day, their Vice President of Marketing for North America at Nobel Biocare, about the history of the company since Brånemark’s landmark case, how Nobel Biocare works well with labs, what's happening in the dental implant world and more

10 Questions - New innovations and implant solutions from Nobel Biocare

 is a new material option available from 

, such as strength and a long-term success rate, with a stated significant increase in translucency (49 percent translucency).

This combination is engineered to make the material ideal for anterior and posterior applications, including  up to three-unit bridgework in all tooth positions.

Reportedly highly biocompatible and requiring only a feather-edge prep, 

 is said to be the ideal restorative material for today’s dentistry, offering the translucency of a 

 while retaining the strength of zirconia (720 MPas). The material is formulated for technicians who no longer want to choose between traditional zirconia and lithium disilicate; cubeX

		Suitable for a variety of indications, including single crowns and three-unit bridgework in all tooth positions 

		Available in 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 mm discs

		Engineered to provide the strength of zirconia and the esthetics/translucency of lithium disilicate

For more information, contact DT Technologies, a division of Dental Arts Laboratories, Inc. at 

 cubeX2 cubic zirconia is a new material option available from Dental Arts Laboratories. The cubeX2 material combines the positive properties of zirconia, such as strength and a long-term success rate, with a stated significant increase in translucency (49 percent translucency).

This new zirconia is engineered to blow your mind

Core3dcentres has been busy with its education series, Core3daCADemy, educating lab professionals all over the country about the ways going digital can help their labs. We recently spoke with Tim McKimson, global engine?ering director and general manager at Core3dcentres USA, to learn how Core3daCADemy is changing the game:

has been offering services and education in the U.S. for quite some time now. What was it about the U.S. lab market that made you want to help out?

Core3dcentres was actually formed by a group of dental lab companies with an extensive history in the industry. So we realized early on that many laboratories may not have the money, or desire, to invest to bring the latest equipment in-house to manufacture the wide variety of CAD/CAM restorations available today. Instead, we made the investment in high end “best-in-class” machinery and people to provide these products to the individual laboratory, allowing them to offer a full line in turn to their practitioner clients. This allows our customers to play in the CAD/CAM sandbox without them having to make the investment.   

What was it that led Core3dcentres to launch Core3daCADemy™?

Since we have been in the forefront of the digital dental movement, we were getting a lot of calls into our tech center about how to create efficient designs for today’s technologies and how to handle certain data they were receiving from their dentist clients. Some of these calls were not even from our own customers but referred to us from other companies. As it seemed that we were becoming the “go-to” people in the digital laboratory arena, we thought it would be appropriate to develop classes to address some of these needs on a broader scale and scope. Hence, Core3daCADemy was born.

What do you feel has been the most successful aspect of the aCADemy™?

 classes offered in Las Vegas and in Calgary. This is a three-part structured set of courses running from 

 that will take students from the basics to implant design to a full-arch smile design. It seems like everyone, no matter how long they have been involved in dental design, gets some “ah-ha moment” where they find a new technique that they didn’t know existed in the software. The popularity of this series, our on-going monthly webinar series and our “Traveling Core3daCADemy,” offering customized education at individual labs themselves, are all growing rapidly as the word spreads. In fact, we have just launched the aCADemy in Toronto, Ontario, as well so the demand for quality hands-on laboratory education is certainly there.

Conversely, where have you felt challenged in the education component and adjusted your focus?

Having the structured classes mentioned above is great. One of our challenges was to get out the word when new products and/or equipment enter the market. So we decided to set up the webinar series I just mentioned that informs the listener about these new products, technologies and techniques. These webinars are hosted by Core3dcentres, but many times the presenter will be an industry leader. We host these on the third Wednesday of every month. The webinars are free, interactive and you can listen from the comfort of your home or office or wherever.

How has Core3dcentres refined its focus in terms of services?

Besides understanding all the intricacies of milling, we need to be involved in the complete digital workflow. So, as a company with a full digital solution, we have to have a smooth workflow covering all the possible intraoral scanners to all lab design software to all materials to milling or printing. We are constantly educating our personnel and adjusting our product line to keep abreast of the latest updates in material, technology and technique. This is another area that we cover so the individual lab doesn’t have to. Even for us as specialists in the field, the pace of change can sometimes seem overwhelming.  We put a tremendous focus and effort on forming partnerships with the leading manufacturers of equipment, materials and software. This allows us early access to products or releases coming out.

What have you seen in the industry in the last few years that have changed what Core3dcentres is offering?

Custom Ti abutments and hybrid abutments on printed models. Now that more and more doctors are getting intraoral scanners, the need for an impression is going away. So, we have seen a big growth in taking an intraoral scan, creating a printed model with an analog and sending that with the custom abutment to the lab for finishing work. This is a very efficient method.

Where do you see the dental lab industry going in 2015-2016?

Materials seem to be making a move early this year; a whole bunch of companies were announcing in Chicago and at IDS in Cologne. These are both in the milled and printed sector. Core3dcentres, as I mentioned earlier, usually gets in early on this material development workflow so as these products are released we have already validated the process.

For more information, call 888-750-9204 or visit 

 Core3dcentres has been busy with its education series, Core3daCADemy, educating lab professionals all over the country about the ways going digital can help their labs. We recently spoke with Tim McKimson, global engine?ering director and general manager at Core3dcentres USA, to learn how Core3daCADemy is changing the game:

How Core3dcentres is equipping labs for the future

When Paul Cascone, senior vice president of research and development at Argen, speaks to a potential dental lab customer, he always leads with the benefits of digital technology.

“I tell them it can broaden their offerings, eliminate inventory, cut waste and significantly boost their productivity,” he says. Those advantages can be powerfully persuasive for the laboratories who are listening.

For years, the manufacture of dental prostheses has been based on the lost-wax method, which has roots in 5,000-year-old investment casting techniques. In this approach, dentists rely on a molded impression of the damaged tooth (or teeth), a careful sequence of production steps and painstaking hand finishing-and remake levels tend to be high. But during the last decade, digital tools and technology have been cutting time and cost from workflows, enabling the dental lab business model to evolve towards greater efficiency and precision.

The transition to digital begins with the impression. Where a physical mold of a patient’s teeth serves as the starting point for a lost-wax casting, the digital equivalent is an image of the teeth taken in the mouth with an intraoral scanner (although scans can also be made from physical impressions). The resulting CAD (computer aided design) 3D model can be used to create a restoration in several ways. 

One path is via a computer-controlled milling machine (CAD/CAM dentistry). In this subtractive manufacturing approach, the digital file of the model guides the cutting of either a solid ceramic or composite-resin block into a prosthesis matching the shape of the teeth. Another path is selective laser melting (SLM), a technology in which 

 is an industry leader. In this additive manufacturing (AM) process, which utilizes selective laser melting, the CAD model guides production that adds on layers of material, rather than cutting it off and throwing it away (as with milling). The automated sintering process starts with the system depositing a thin layer of metal powder onto a build platform. A laser, guided by the CAD model, then traces a cross-sectional outline of each patient-specific dental unit, melting and hardening the material into a 20-micron-thick layer. This cycle repeats, adding on layers one at a time, until the restoration is fully formed. 

The benefits of AM technology for laboratory customers are many: Steps in the traditional workflow can be skipped; virtually any geometry can be created; waste is reduced; the resulting restorations are accurate and as durable as those made with lost-wax casting; and, while fine detail can be captured in both the subtractive and additive processes up to certain limits, there is no added cost with AM for sculpting more complex tooth geometries. 

“When a lab customer is interested in switching to a digital process, of all the production tools we can offer them we always recommend that they take advantage of our selective laser melting capabilities,” says Cascone.

“We were one of the first U.S. companies in the dental industry to use SLM technology,” Cascone says. That was in 2007, and the system Argen purchased, after considering other AM processes, was an EOSINT M 270 from EOS. Up until that time, according to Cascone, digital STL files were only being used to mill all-ceramic restorations. “We wanted to use the available CAD data to meet the need for strong, precise-fitting porcelain-on-metal restorations,” he notes. “Our new SLM system gave us the flexibility to manufacture the metal base.”

In the U.S., several types of metals-nobles, high nobles and base alloys-are used widely by dental labs and dentists. While base materials predominate, Argen wanted to offer digitally produced precious-metal products to the domestic market. So, they decided to develop their own noble alloy (containing 25 percent palladium) suitable for laser sintering. Of importance in their research efforts were characteristics such as biocompatibility, porcelain compatibility, thermal properties, mechanical strength and corrosion/tarnish resistance. Thousands of possible metal combinations were evaluated, followed by field testing of the best candidates. The result: Argen is now a leader in SLM Noble substructures.

With a first success in hand, the company decided to undertake another development project to meet the marketplace’s broad spectrum of needs. This effort involved an even more durable high-noble alloy (made with 40 percent gold and at least 20 percent of another precious metal such as platinum or palladium). “It was challenging, but we were successful,” Cascone notes. “We invest heavily in R&D with a focus on increasing the variety of porcelain-on-metal units for lab customers who want to go digital. 

“Now we offer nobles, high nobles and base alloys in the digital workflow, and we can make bridges of different sizes from all three classes of metals. What’s next for R&D is a high palladium noble alloy plus 

, the unique composite made from a gold-platinum-palladium alloy combined with almost pure gold, which gives the restoration both great esthetics and high strength. We’re also gearing up to produce partial dentures.”

The SLM system’s software also automatically labels each patient’s unit and generates supports on the models prior to manufacturing. These hollow supports allow for easy removal from the build plate once the run is complete and, during finishing, they are eliminated along with excess material from each restoration. The unit is then shipped to the lab customer for bonding with ceramic. “The additive manufacturing operation is straightforward and quite robust,” says Cascone. “Quality is high, tolerances are constant and the process is reproducible. Our lab customers are impressed, not only with the savings in time, but also with the consistency and accuracy of the product.”

Currently, SLM systems are gaining popularity for dental applications, and in some countries this technology has almost completely replaced casting. In the U.S., dentists are increasingly requesting products that force labs to get involved with digital workflows, Cascone explains. But those labs still have a choice about how fast and fully to embrace digitalization. 

If they are thinking about all-ceramic units, they can either invest in a scanner and milling machine, or they can just purchase the scanner and outsource the rest. “Lab size and work volume may dictate their decision,” says Cascone, “but we advise them to at least purchase a scanner and get started.” 

If the goal is porcelain-on-metal restorations, there is a different set of considerations. “In the past, we provided the alloy for our customers to cast into restorations,” Cascone says. “Now with our selective laser melting services, we supply copings and frameworks to the customer 95 percent finished. They can now concentrate on the important esthetic and functional aspects of applying the ceramic. This represents a change in their business model, but they’re really excited about the change.”

For the dental laboratory, taking the digital path can be a game changer, according to Cascone. In a small lab, a scanner can help them expand their product offering. In a large production lab, the whole scale of the operation can be transformed. “A skilled technician using traditional hand operations can make about 20 units in a day,” he explains. “If you take that same person and train them to use a scanner and software, output accelerates to 80 units a day. That’s why labs are switching.” 

After hearing about the digital workflow, how long does it take a laboratory to decide to switch? “If it’s a lab that doesn’t have a scanner, then typically there’s a little more conversation,” Cascone says. “If it’s a lab that already has one, they’re usually ready to send us the digital data immediately.” 

 When Paul Cascone, senior vice president of research and development at Argen, speaks to a potential dental lab customer, he always leads with the benefits of digital technology.

How Argen can help you with noble metals—without casting

 Anterior is a highly biocompatible zirconia material from 

. Due to its high translucency, it is reportedly ideally suited for use in the anterior tooth region.

Moreover, it is also appropriate for use in the posterior tooth region. 

 Anterior can be used for partial and single crowns, inlays, onlays, veneers and bridges (with a maximum of three elements).

11 ways to get better esthetics-no matter your lab size

According to a test procedure for determining the flexural strength, carried out at the University of Pennsylvania, Prettau

 Anterior has been able to achieve a value of 670 MPa. Contrary to glass ceramics, it distinguishes itself not only through higher bending strength, but also through its processing method, since neither water cooling nor diamond drills are required. The material is 

 Anterior is also engineered to be highly translucent and esthetic. In combination with the Colour Liquid Prettau

 Anterior Aquarell especially developed for this purpose, the ICE Zirkon Malfarben, fully anatomical restorations are now also possible in the anterior tooth region. In this way, the problem of ceramic chipping in the anterior tooth region can be avoided. Prettau

 Anterior is a polychrome (multi-colored) material. This means that a Prettau

 Anterior restoration can be colored in several colors already before the sintering process. Finally, Prettau

 Anterior is sintered at only 1,500° C, reportedly resulting in shorter sintering times.

How Zirkonzahn is helping labs embrace a digital workflow-the right way

		High translucency due to optimized microstructure of the zirconia

		Reportedly boasts 200 percent higher bending strength, thanks to the elimination of the veneer ceramics

		Is said to be especially suited for implant cases, cases with reduced available space or restorations with gingival reconstruction

 Prettau® Anterior is a highly biocompatible zirconia material from Zirkonzahn. Due to its high translucency, it is reportedly ideally suited for use in the anterior tooth region.

A new, super translucent zirconia for ideal esthetics and strength

	Whether the millions of people who sit in a dentists’ chair each year know it or not, dental technicians are a key part of the workflow that gets restorations into their mouths. There are over 100,000 dentists in the United States-and yet, all of those implants, crowns, bridges, dentures and more come from only 35,320 dental technicians.

the most recent report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

 (and don’t reflect self-employed dental technicians, so the actual number is likely somewhat higher). The report drills down into some great data about the dental lab world. Want to know how much lab technicians make, on average? Want to know where most technicians call home? Want to know where dental technicians make the most? Read on …

How much are dental lab technicians making?

: In the United States, of the 35,320 people who identified as “dental laboratory technician,” the average annual wage was $40,140.  That’s over $7,000 less than the national average yearly wage among all job-holders. On average, dental technicians made $19.30 per hour, which is more than three dollars less than the national average (at 

, anesthesiologists made a stunning $118.42 per hour on average!).

Must read: What dentists want labs to know

	Compared to the rest of the dental team, dental technicians fall somewhere near the middle- to lower-end. At the top, dentists make a little over $82 per hour on average (around $171,000 annually), while Dental Assistants make (on average) $17.43 per hour or $36,260 annually. Dental hygienists make more than dental technicians, with a hygienist making $34.60 per hour on average (which works out to $71,970 annually).

dental technicians who work in dentists’ offices

 make a bit more than the national average-$19.69 per hour ($40,960 annually). Technicians who work in a more traditional lab setting and say their industry is “medical equipment and supplies manufacturing” actually make less than the national average for dental technicians, at $19.03 per hour.

	So where are dental technicians making the most money-and where are they just barely getting paid?

Next page: Where in the U.S.A. is the money?

	California has (by far) the most dental technicians of any state in the United States. 4,600 technicians work there, compared with 2,900 in Florida and 2,200 in Texas, the second and third most, respectively. Of California’s nearly 5,000 dental technicians, over 1,000 of them work in the Los Angeles area. The region with the second-highest density of dental technicians is Atlanta, though Georgia does not rank in the top five of number of dental technicians. Comparatively, North Dakota only has 170 dental technicians state-wide, and Montana only has 180! 

Related: The top 5 dental lab trends of 2014

	There is not necessarily a correlation between how many dental technicians there are and how much they are paid. For instance, though Alaska ranks in the bottom 10 states in terms of number of dental technicians (only 70 report living in The Last Frontier!), the technicians laboring in Alaska make, on average, $26.05, nearly seven dollars above the national average. On average, dental technicians in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut and Montana also make significantly more than the national average. For instance, in the Rochester, N.Y. area, dental technicians make an average hourly wage of $28.84 (an average annual salary of just under $60,000).

	So what does all of this mean? Well, the good news-salaries in 2014 were higher 

! There was about a $1,500 increase in annual salary for dental technicians. And in the

 before the most recent survey, salaries for dental technicians have risen roughly $2,500.

The List: 10 implant trends you NEED to know

	But there’s also some not-so-good news. If the trends are accurate, the U.S. government is also reporting shrinkage in terms of the number of dental technicians out there. In 2009, there were 40,480 dental technicians. 

 there were over 45,000 dental laboratory technicians in the United States. That number fell to 36,790 in 2012-2013, and fell to 2014’s 35,320.

 bad news-that could mean people retired, or it could be a sign of increasing mergers in the industry that come with transitions for some technicians to managerial or specialty roles. But it does suggest there are fewer technicians than before-which might mean there’s more work to be had, or that there isn’t enough work to support the number of laboratory technicians. Over a five-year period (2009-2014), the number of general dentists rose from 

, so there should still be dental demand, but perhaps the advent of 

 and other clinic-side technologies put the number of dental technicians in flux. The next few years will be telling.

Important read: How to counter business threats by going digital

	Additionally, it’s interesting to see that Montana and Alaska both remain on the 

 for dental laboratory technicians from 2009-2014. Perhaps there’s a need there that isn’t quite being met-there are so few technicians that pay seems to be higher in those states than elsewhere with very high concentration of laboratories. 

 to see where your region ranks for pay-and if there are other regions close by that might have greater demand.

	Overall, this snapshot of the wage and labor landscape is a mixed bag for the dental laboratory industry. It shows an industry working to reverse a decline, trying to stop a loss of 10,000 industry jobs in the last decade. It also shows an industry that’s growing slowly in terms of pay. Finally, it shows the lab technicians position on the dental team is somewhere in the middle in terms of wages.

Another perspective: Why you don't have to be afraid of chairside CAD/CAM

	The lab industry will need to grapple with these realities, and figure out what equipment, services and education might be necessary to stem the tide of job constriction and to continue the growth of salaries. With some continued hard work, and the rapidly growing number of dentists, perhaps dental laboratory technicians can reclaim the market and remind the entire dental team how valuable technician work really is. 

. Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this photo under the terms of the 

, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled GNU Free Documentation License.

Dental Lab Products looks at the hourly and annual salary numbers for dental lab technicians in the United States.

Hourly and annual salary numbers for dental laboratory technicians

Whether the millions of people who sit in a dentists’ chair each year know it or not, dental technicians are a key part of the workflow that gets restorations into their mouths. There are over 100,000 dentists in the United States-and yet, all of those 

 and more come from only 35,320 dental technicians.

	Whether the millions of people who sit in a dentists’ chair each year know it or not, dental technicians are a key part of the workflow that gets restorations into their mouths. There are over 100,000 dentists in the United States-and yet, all of those 

Compared to the rest of the dental team, dental technicians fall somewhere near the middle- to lower-end. At the top, dentists make a little over $82 per hour on average (around $171,000 annually), while Dental Assistants make (on average) $17.43 per hour or $36,260 annually. Dental hygienists make more than dental technicians, with a hygienist making $34.60 per hour on average (which works out to $71,970 annually).

So where are dental technicians making the most money-and where are they just barely getting paid?

California has (by far) the most dental technicians of any state in the United States. 4,600 technicians work there, compared with 2,900 in Florida and 2,200 in Texas, the second and third most, respectively. Of California’s nearly 5,000 dental technicians, over 1,000 of them work in the Los Angeles area. The region with the second-highest density of dental technicians is Atlanta, though Georgia does not rank in the top five of number of dental technicians. Comparatively, North Dakota only has 170 dental technicians state-wide, and Montana only has 180! 

There is not necessarily a correlation between how many dental technicians there are and how much they are paid. For instance, though Alaska ranks in the bottom 10 states in terms of number of dental technicians (only 70 report living in The Last Frontier!), the technicians laboring in Alaska make, on average, $26.05, nearly seven dollars above the national average. On average, dental technicians in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut and Montana also make significantly more than the national average. For instance, in the Rochester, N.Y. area, dental technicians make an average hourly wage of $28.84 (an average annual salary of just under $60,000).

So what does all of this mean? Well, the good news-salaries in 2014 were higher 

But there’s also some not-so-good news. If the trends are accurate, the U.S. government is also reporting shrinkage in terms of the number of dental technicians out there. In 2009, there were 40,480 dental technicians. 

Additionally, it’s interesting to see that Montana and Alaska both remain on the 

Overall, this snapshot of the wage and labor landscape is a mixed bag for the dental laboratory industry. It shows an industry working to reverse a decline, trying to stop a loss of 10,000 industry jobs in the last decade. It also shows an industry that’s growing slowly in terms of pay. Finally, it shows the lab technicians position on the dental team is somewhere in the middle in terms of wages.

The lab industry will need to grapple with these realities, and figure out what equipment, services and education might be necessary to stem the tide of job constriction and to continue the growth of salaries. With some continued hard work, and the rapidly growing number of dentists, perhaps dental laboratory technicians can reclaim the market and remind the entire dental team how valuable technician work really is. 






Whether the millions of people who sit in a dentists’ chair each year know it or not, dental technicians are a key part of the workflow that gets restorations into their mouths.

	One of the things I’m continually amazed by in the dental lab world is the commitment to artistry from the average dental technician.

Whether the technician works by herself at a benchtop in her basement, or he’s one of 75 technicians sharing a wide-open workspace at a megalab, the lab technician is an artist to the core.

11 ways to get better esthetics in your lab work

It’s also been interesting to see that artistry shift and mold to new digital tools. What was once traditional work done with brushes and sculpting tools can now be done with a mouse, keyboard and milling machine. It’s akin to seeing the animation industry shift from tradition, hand-drawn work to full 3D animation from computers. It’s not the artistic integrity or ability that’s changed-it’s just a shift in tools.

The continued artistry of dental lab technicians has led the editorial team at Dental Lab Products to hone in on a new way to focus on esthetics and technique in the dental world. We want to provide a place for dental technicians, dentists who deeply care about esthetics for their patients and dentists with in-office labs to talk about artistry, to learn more about the cutting edge tools and techniques shaping the industry, and to find partners equally committed to beauty in dental art.

For now, Modern Dental Artistry (MDA) is a newsletter-it will be anchored by some of the best techniques and step-by-step articles that have appeared in Dental Lab Products magazine and on the DLP website. It's taking the spot of the Technique Geek newsletter you're used to receiving every month, but we think you'll be happy with the switch. We’ll also be highlighting products and industry news that are of particular interest to artist technicians and other dental professionals committed to esthetics. Look for the MDA logo on those stories!

We’ve got big plans down the road for MDA, but we hope you’ll join us in this first step. Sign up for our enewsletters and get the MDA newsletter delivered to your inbox every month. And, of course, tell us what you think! We’d love to hear from the artists who make beauty happen at their bench, each and every day.

 One of the things I’m continually amazed by in the dental lab world is the commitment to artistry from the average dental technician.

Introducing Modern Dental Artistry

	During our annual pilgrimage to the California Dental Association spring session in Anaheim and Lab Day West in Garden Grove, Calif., some new products caught the eyes of our editorial team.

	Here’s a look at those products, and a few of the things we liked about them … and why we think they might make a good addition to your practice.

	This is a fully digital CMOS intraoral camera that sends data directly to your computer rather than to a digital converter as some other cameras do. We were impressed with the picture quality and also the “plug and play” ease with which it seems dental professionals will be able to use it.

	We asked Suni’s Don Jackson to give us a tour of the new camera and here’s what he said:

Next page: A new core build-up material ...

 is the first core build-up material from Kettenbach. The fluoride-containing, dual-curing composite was developed for the fabrication of radiopaque core build-ups and core fillings and for cementing root posts.

Related: Kettenbach's chairside veneer solution

	The product is said to represent the next generation of core build-up materials. This dual-curing core build-up material with unique Active-Connect-Technology (ACT) reportedly ensures a reliable bond with all common adhesives without an additional activator.

Learn more by clicking here to read the full release …

Next page: New compatibility for an intraoral scanner ...

	Friday at Lab Day West, 3M ESPE announced that its 

 is now more compatible with 3Shape, Dental Wings and exocad users, a major step forward for labs who have these popular CAD options and want to accept files from doctors who use True Defintion scanners. To facilitate this shift, 3M™ Margin Marking Software is now fully integrated with CAD/CAM design platforms 

. The software (for exclusive use with the 3M True Definition Scanner) is available to subscribers of the 

, the secure data management platform for all 3M Digital Impressions. Access to the 3M Connection Center allows labs to quickly and seamlessly receive digital impressions created on 3M True Definition Scanners. For more information on the 3M True Definition Scanner, visit 

Next page: Upgraded management software ...

	Dentrix G6 from Henry Schein Practice Solutions

	According to Henry Schein Practice Solutions, 

 G6 offers customers new features that enhance the user experience and enable practitioners to adopt paperless practices.

Must read: The top 3 features of Dentrix G6

	To help practices further automate daily tasks, such as scheduling, charting, treatment planning, billing and reporting, Dentrix G6 features upgrades to its financial analytics and accounting and billing tools that will make it easier to manage patient information. In addition, Dentrix G6 offers enhanced functionality to the existing eDex service, which allows easier access to patient information by enabling business and personal contacts to be merged and accessible on a single platform. Dentrix G6 also features a new “click to chat” button in the Help menu so customers can receive real-time answers to their questions from the Dentrix support team.

Learn more by watching our exclusive video interview here …

Next page: A new cordless prophy handpiece ...

 back at Chicago’s Lab Day in February, but they were showing off the new scanning solution at both CDA South and at Lab Day West. The scanner itself features a clean, modern design, and the “cloud” portion of the name means the machine is constantly analyzing designs to choose the best and most efficient suggested design. It makes design as automated as possible and brings Glidewell’s experience to labs of every size.

	Labs can also rely on Glidewell to mill their designed restorations if they want, or they can mill in-house. The scanner also becomes an open option with an additional subscription fee. For more information, visit glidewelldental.com.  

The new CloudPoint scanner and workflow from Glidewell Laboratories.

			A video posted by Dental Lab Products (@dentallabproducts) on

 reportedly offers high efficiency and the latest technology. With an emphasis on durability, the 

 is fitted with a specially designed rotor’s head that is said to demonstrate significantly longer service life than conventional models.

	It also features Bien-Air’s CoolTouch+ heat-arresting technology, ensuring that any contact with the patient’s inner cheek does not result in burns.

	Learn more about this handpiece in our exclusive video below …

Next page: The latest in protective varnish ...

	Ivoclar Vivadent’s Fluor Protector S is a fluoride-containing protective varnish for treatment of dentinal hypersensitivity, exposed cervicals, and sensitivity after tooth whitening.

Ivoclar Vivadent's recent product announcements

	The innovative formulation is designed to ensure immediate availability of fluoride that is safe and suitable for all ages. It requires no mixing, stirring or measuring. The unique 1.5 percent ammonium fluoride formula is said to allow the varnish to be completely homogenous and maintain excellent flow and wetting properties. It reportedly even flows easily into hard-to-reach interproximal areas. 

Next page: A cutting edge new zirconia option ...

A photo posted by Dental Lab Products (@dentallabproducts)

	This one is cheating a little bit-we’ve run releases about this new material, had it in the print magazine and even saw it in person at both Lab Day Chicago and IDS 2015. But now, cubeX

 zirconia (manufactured by Dental Direkt and available in the U.S. from 

and available for all kinds of restorations.

	We heard lots of buzz about how strong and esthetic it is-any material that combines high esthetics and the strength of zirconia in a package that can be dry milled is sure to generate a lot of conversation. It will be interested to see how this material (and other super translucent zirconia) will shape the lab market throughout 2015 and into next year.

	This new camera from DEXIS is reportedly easy to use and includes a higher resolution sensor, dual capture buttons, one-touch focus, and a detachable cord … all contained within an aluminum housing. DEXcam 4 also integrates easily with DEXIS™ imaging software.

Looking at the latest products and solutions unveiled at Lab Day West and CDA South in May 2015.