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

Ryan Hamm

 to a wider user set, a system that had previously been fairly closed is now available to a larger user base than ever. 	 	 	To learn more about this shift-and what it will mean for labs-we spoke with Jorge Pages, the Senior Marketing Manager of Digital Solutions at Straumann.	 	Pages told us about his role in development of Connectivity options, how it will move the lab industry forward and how it allows labs and doctors to work with their preferred partners.

Straumann has emphasized a theme of “connectivity” lately with its CARES solutions. Can you explain how connectivity fits into the CARES workflow?

CARES workflow was originally a closed system. Our CARES scanner and software are used to design patient specific abutments, copings and crowns. Those projects are sent to our centralized milling facility, for original Straumann customized abutments. In the past, the CARES system was the only one that allowed this access.

connected Dental Wings to our milling center.

 In April 2014, we launched connectivity for 3Shape Dental System labs. With those moves, we’ve exponentially increased the number of labs with access to Straumann’s centralized milling.  

We realized we were preaching the message of original on original, but we had a large group of laboratories without access. In order to live up to that commitment, it was clear that we needed to expand access.

It’s a matter of choices-giving the doctor access to our original implant to abutment connection through the lab of their choice. We now cover the lion’s share of the digital labs in the country that want to use our original customized components. 

What were you hearing that led Straumann to emphasize connectivity?

As an example, a Straumann dental territory manager recommends three labs in the area that have invested in our scanner. If the doctor prefers to work with a different lab that provides the service and esthetics he likes, the rep is put in the position of trying to pull him away from that relationship. Ideally, with access to so many new labs, this example will occur much less frequently.

It makes it an easier transition for the doctor, and it makes the lab happy. For me, this creates a much easier path to our goal of providing original components and superior outcomes for the patient. I want to point out that Straumann also has a service called 

so that even non-digital labs have access to our customized abutments. 

Our tech support line is ringing off the hook! We’re actually concerned about keeping up our usually high service level but this is just temporary and in my mind, a good problem to have! I believe our efforts have paid off, meaning the market understands original on original is the best choice for the patient. Labs no longer have to make an additional investment to satisfy the demand for original customized abutments.

What other types of “connectivity” will Straumann be highlighting in 2014 and into 2015?

Earlier this month, we announced connectivity from 

 to our CARES visual software. 3M True Definition owners perform an intraoral impression, send the digital file to our CARES lab scanner for the design of a customized restoration. The 

are used by the clinician during the scan-it accurately captures the position and implant platform. This connection is exclusive to CARES Scanner labs. The lab can order a high-quality model from 

How will connectivity further the digitization of the dental lab industry?

We’re a very strong player in the implant market and we are committed to the digital workflow, as are implant companies like 

 among others. I believe this commitment from the stronger players in the industry will pull everybody else along whether it’s through investment in digital technology or making use of the many services that are available, like our Scan & Shape service.

This article originally appeared in the May 2014 issue of Dental Lab Products. For more great articles about products in action, click here to subscribe to DLP's newsletter: 

Articles

 With the recent announcement that Straumann had teamed up with 3Shape and 3M ESPE to offer their CARES system to a wider user set, a system that had previously been fairly closed is now available to a larger user base than ever.    

What Straumann's new connectivity means for labs

	Perhaps no topic continues to occupy the dental lab world more than trying to successfully navigate the digital revolution. 

is a company trying to help labs make that transition smoothly and well. We spoke with Mark Ferguson, the Dental Solutions Integrator at Core3d, about how outsourcing can help labs of all sizes, how labs can go digital even if they don’t have the finances or human power, and how Core3d can help lab techs make the digital leap.

Who is Core3dcentres? Can you explain a little bit about why Core3dcentres was initially established?

Core3dcentres® is a facilitator of digital relationships for the global dental industry including digital communications, design and manufacturing solutions. A global partnership on four continents, Core3dcentres was established in October 2009 by a group of leading labs and milling centers around the world in response to a dramatically changing laboratory market: A struggling global economy, reductions in patient dental insurance coverage, price competition from offshore manufacturing, local price compression and the involvement of suppliers in the manufacture of restorative components and the end product. CAD/CAM, up until then, was limited to closed systems milling zirconia copings. At Core3dcentres, we could see where the market was going: open architecture, full contour, monolithic restorations, generic abutments, etc. To succeed, we needed the flexibility to advance and expand our offering, so we moved to an open architecture industrial milling platform. Under this scenario, our customers could select their own scanner and CAD system, and we could provide the most flexible, precise and productive restorative workflow solutions for their needs. Spearheaded by our education division, 

®, and supported by authorized vendor milling partnerships, Core3dcentres is able to offer our customers one of the broadest portfolios of products in the dental industry. We can process every restorative material for every clinical indication. We’re supporting all the biggest branded materials, and we have our own internal brands too. Our company functions as a one-stop-shop for our customers and we can provide them with pretty much any digital solution they could possibly need.

What is your role at Core3d? What’s your background in the lab world?

My role at Core3dcentres is Dental Solutions Integrator. I test new versions of software; fine tune material files; and teach our courses in Las Vegas as well as travelling to outside labs providing on-site training. My background in the industry is as a cosmetic full mouth technician. I got into the lab industry through my father’s technician, Lee Culp. My first job was with Matt Roberts, where I learned so much of what I still use today. For the past 11 years, I have been in Las Vegas where I was the Crown & Bridge, CAD/CAM manager at 

, on LVI’s campus. When Core3dcentres was created, I was moved over due to my CAD/CAM knowledge. I have been a beta tester for several CAD/CAM software companies, and since being at Core3dcentres, have been exposed to the highest end of dental manufacturing.

As someone who is so experienced with digital dentistry, what would you say to a lab-especially a smaller lab that might be worried about the initial cost-that is concerned about taking the digital plunge?

I would say to test the waters as you begin to integrate digital into your lab. In today’s landscape of digital technologies, the people and companies you choose to partner with can either build you up or let you down. I use scanners as an example of this. There are a number of non-dental suppliers out there but I don’t expect them to give the lab customer the support a dental company would. Getting all the info and making an informed decision is the best advice I can give. Choosing a level of involvement is next. I don’t think labs can avoid digital today. But digital involvement can be anything from sending models, right up to purchasing a milling machine. You have to decide where you fit in, what you want to do and finally, what is that the most profitable course of action for you. 

In your experience, what kind of options do labs have who just don’t have the capital-either financial or employee-wise-to make an investment into a digital system? 

Certainly starting by sending models to an outsourcing partner is a great step to take. I caution people as I say this. We get models every day that say “zirconia crown.” That doesn’t give enough info on what you would like to see. The more info you give to the person doing work for you, the better that person can achieve the goals you have for the case. I relate it to a doctor sending impressions and a script saying “crown.” Supply your outsource partner with the same level of information you would like to receive yourself and you’ll get superior results all-around.

As far as employee-wise, bringing in a CAD system can really make the technicians more productive, and with the right partner, allow you to become a full service laboratory “without the investment.” Of course, there is a learning curve-and continuing education is key. This brings back into focus the company the lab chooses to partner with. Are they prepared to train the technicians based on the work they are expecting to use the system for?

How can Core3dcentres help labs make those jumps from “I am not doing anything” to “I want to go digital but don’t know how” to “I’m ready to partner with someone for either outsourcing or for my own system?”

At Core3dcentres, we look to partner with labs to help grow their business. We can certainly take your model work and design cases to your specifications or explain the difference between different systems in terms of price and in terms of versatility. For new customers, we are happy to go over designs we have done for them live and explain details of a case before we process it. This can also serve as an intro to design software, and the versatility that it can provide your lab.

If someone can’t quite make the numbers work to invest in their own system, how can outsourcing help?

Outsourcing is like adding a piece-work technician. By sending model work, the lab can expand their material offering to their dentists dramatically, without purchasing a new material system. It can free up time to use for reconnecting with dentists, marketing, or even just free time. You move from a fixed cost scenario to a variable cost scenario with far more productivity and product range. 

What makes Core3dcentres different than other milling centers? Why does it make sense to partner with you?

In terms of production capabilities and expertise, Core3dcentres has hired the proper people with the proper experience to do different jobs in our milling centers. We have experienced CNC machinists running the machines, an aerospace engineer as the global director of our engineering team, dental technicians designing and quality controlling cases, all supported by a precision manufacturing platform. We have also partnered with companies to make sure we are able to provide a wide range of products and services. From being an 

Ivoclar Vivadent Authorized Milling Center 

for the milling of their parts for custom abutments, to 

 for their SLM product range, this all opens a wide range of expertise and product at your fingertips channeled through the experts at Core3dcentres. Several additional partnerships are in the works and will be announced soon.

At the same time, through education and the support of Core3dcentres as your outsource partner, you can become a “materials expert” over time to your dentist clients as opposed to just a “supplier,” setting you apart from your local competitors, again without having to invest in all those systems in your own lab.

Core3dcentres recently launched a new education initiative. What is the goal of that, and how can lab techs get involved?

We were very fortunate to find Emily Bradley to run the Core3daCADemy with her extensive past experience in laboratory education. We have worked together to deliver the most comprehensive digital dental educational curriculum in the market today. We have held courses in Las Vegas and Calgary, as well as customized curriculums we have brought on-site into laboratories themselves. From my experience, the labs that have CAD/CAM in the lab don’t use it, mostly because they were not properly trained. Unfortunately, this situation covers a lot of labs. We started the Core3daCADemy with this in mind, delivering a set of courses that build upon each other, to make sure labs are getting the most from their systems

This article originally appeared in the May 2014 issue of DLP. To learn more about upcoming products, subscribe to DLP's newsletter: 

 Perhaps no topic continues to occupy the dental lab world more than trying to successfully navigate the digital revolution. Core3dcentres is a company trying to help labs make that transition smoothly and well. We spoke with Mark Ferguson, the Dental Solutions Integrator at Core3d, about how outsourcing can help labs of all sizes, how labs can go digital even if they don’t have the finances or human power, and how Core3d can help lab techs make the digital leap.  

Helping every lab go digital

is designed to improve the efficiency of your lab. Save space and investment costs and at the same time utilize the advantages of the 

and the intelligent control of the two workstation extraction. 

The Silent TS2 switches on at the pre-set suction level and opens the respective valve as soon as one of the two possible users, e.g. a handpiece, is activated. If a second user is started, the second valve opens and the motor output is automatically regulated to a higher level, so that the suction power set previously is the same at both suction channels. If one of the two users is switched off, the Silent TS2 has an individually adjustable run-on time after which the respective valve closes the suction channel. The motor output is automatically lowered to the set suction power. 

		Automatic re-adjustment ensures constant suction power: if a second user is switched on or off, the motor output is automatically increased or decreased

		A modular construction enables a tool-free motor exchange in only two minutes

		A volume flow of 3,300 L/min. for high suction power and effective health protection

		Three-level suction setting guarantees precise adjustment to different materials

		Targeted, noise-reducing measures: the operating noise is only 51-59 dB (A)

		Possibility of easy, precise calibration of the automatic switch-on of the two suction channels individually-even critical micromotors are clearly detected

		The finely adjustable filter level detection enables optimal adaptation to different extraction materials, thus extending the service life of the dust bag

		Effective health protection by the two-stage filter system (Class “M” filter material according to DIN EN 60335-2-69/A1 with 99.9% separation efficiency)

		Optional external exhaust air duct provides targeted discharge of exhaust air, ensuring improved air quality and less heat and sound build-up at the workplace

This article originally appeared in the March 2014 issue of Dental Lab Products. For more great articles about products in action, click here to subscribe to DLP's newsletter: 

 The new Silent TS2 is designed to improve the efficiency of your lab. Save space and investment costs and at the same time utilize the advantages of the Silent TS and the intelligent control of the two workstation extraction.   

How to save space and increase efficiency with the Silent TS2 extraction system

	Want your lab to move forward and reach new heights of success? 

Through their product solutions, support and education, ETI has positioned themselves as a leader in the lab industry. John Just is the Director of Technical Support and Training at ETI Digital Technology, and a dental technician with more than 40 years of experience at the bench. With so many labs eager to enter into a digital workflow, we recently talked to him about how ETI Digital Technology can help, what digital can do for labs and how a CAD/CAM system can change everything.

What kind of experience do you bring to ETI Digital Technology?

I have been a dental technician for more than 40 years, having owned my laboratory for 27 of those years. I have lectured internationally, including at universities, with regards to Digital Dentistry and using CAD/CAM in the dental laboratory. I have also led classes all over the world. My experience gives me the added advantage of being an expert in the field of digital dentistry, along with my extensive background in implantology. This gives our ETI customers and laboratory partners a peace of mind and confidence that what we sell, we stand behind.

What kind of workflow do you recommend to labs? How can they work with ETI Digital Technology to attain that workflow?

At ETI Digital Technology, we focus mainly on assisting the small- to medium-sized labs, as they have been the last to join the digital dentistry world, and it is also difficult for them to transition from their conventional workflow to a new digital workflow. I show them how easy it is to go through this transition and change, while being the same laboratory their dentists have come to work with. The hardest part is always trying to figure out what to do with the dental technician whose position has been taken over by digital dentistry. The reality is that we guide the laboratory owners to re-train, instead of lay off, their employees. To achieve this, a waxer or a metal finisher is re-trained to scan, design and mill. With their current knowledge and experience in dentistry, this makes them perfect for the new position while providing higher profitability for the overall lab business in the quickest turnaround times.

The 30 multi-die plate used to scan copings with a Dental Wings system. 

What have you seen labs achieve with the Dental Wings 7Series Scanner?

The 7Series Scanner is a full 5-axis scanner that requires no scan powder and has the ability to scan and design 30 ready-to-mill units in 15 minutes. The 7Series Scanner’s capability has so totally transformed the laboratory business that many are still in shock. The labs are not required to put all 30 units at once to utilize the multi-die scanning feature. They have the flexibility to scan and design from one to up to 30 units at once. The biggest issue is teaching a dental technician how to type! With this scanner in place, labs are also capable of providing a variety of restorations to their clients, i.e. abutments, partial frameworks, Prettau bridges, implant bars, post & cores with crowns and creating their custom anatomy very simply, without any brain strain. For many labs, this has opened many doors and opportunities they could not have imagined just a couple of years ago.

How have they been able to take a scanned file and convert it to tangible results with the Roland DWX-50 mill?

 is amazing. It’s a complete, simultaneous 5-axis, with a small footprint and doesn’t have many requirements-it goes and goes. Just a few years ago, this type of mill would have cost $60,000 to $80,000 and been a dream. However, with the Roland DWX-50 milling machine in-house, this potential has become a reality, especially when you consider all the work it can do. Depending on whose CAM software the laboratories buy (of course, we recommend the UNIQUE CAM Software I helped to develop), you can mill a full contour crown in seven-to-12 minutes, depending on the crown and the required anatomy. Our custom milling tools allow the milling machine to mill 700 crowns or copings without having to change the tools. This type of machine, with the special additions that ETI and I have brought to it, brings digital dentistry down to earth, where the laboratories realize how extremely quick the return on investment is.

How has this changed and improved labs’ workflow?

This change in workflow has allowed laboratories to go back and make money. ETI Digital Technology has helped laboratories that once only looked to see if they could pay bills to realize they can make money. We showed one lab their outsourcing bill per month was nearly $11,000. They had considered this “just the cost of doing business.” When we showed them that by bringing Dental Wings and 

 into their lab they would be putting $9,000 a month back into the lab’s income, they were amazed to the point of being speechless.

How has this changed what labs are able to accomplish?

Dental Wings and Roland now allow the small laboratories to be like the big labs but still able to offer the customer attention at a smaller lab. If needed, they now can make a crown in one day. The only limitation is the designer’s imagination and the available materials, which are changing daily and opening more opportunities and doors for the laboratories.

How does this improve labs’ bottom lines?

I’m not sure a lot of labs really look at the bottom line, but they should look at it through digital glasses. They’ll be able to at least triple a lab output without adding more employees, offer more and better prostheses without adding more employees and machinery and have more time to enjoy things in life. That’s really the main point: having more time to have a life outside the laboratory. Most lab techs are used to 12- and 16-hour days and more, but this enables them to do that same work in four-to-five hours. I would hope they would take the added time and income to enjoy life better and help their employees. A lab came to our booth in Chicago and asked some questions with regards to abutments. I showed them cases I had done and they figured they would only have to do 10 abutments a month to pay for the entire system, scanner, CAD, mill and CAM, and they are currently doing 10 or more abutments per day that they have to outsource. So they saw more units per day, more income and more profit.

How does ETI Digital Technology continue to work with labs after they’ve developed a digital workflow?

ETI Digital Technology offers continual education courses and hands-on classes in digital dentistry. We also provide co-marketing support for our laboratory partners. At ETI, once a laboratory purchases a system from us, they are not just a customer, they are our partner. Their success is equal to ours, so we are dedicated to ensure they are well-supported in ongoing marketing of their laboratory, as well as technical support. All our laboratory partners have my personal cell phone number so they are never far from an answer and technical support. Our website is filled with answers, product information and videos that I made to help in situations where a review would be needed. Our whole team takes education and training courses from our manufacturers so we are always up-to-date and knowledgeable about what we support, sell and promote with confidence.

So what’s coming up for labs in the digital world?

Seeing what is coming forward in the digital age is so exciting, especially new materials and milling advancements that you cannot even imagine. Just look at a smart phone: seven or eight years ago, to do all the things it can do today would have cost tens of thousands of dollars. The technology was not even available, and yet now we have a device that can take photos, videos, surf the web, has four or more processors inside, talk and video talk, just to name a few. Can you imagine what the future is going to bring to those laboratories that have embraced the digital age? Make a crown in an hour without using an oven or furnace; imagine a partial denture in as little 45 minutes; or bars for all-on-four ready for setting in one hour. But you don’t have to imagine-these items are here with ETI Digital Technology, Dental Wings and Roland as your partners.

This article originally appeared in the April 2014 issue of Dental Lab Products.

 Want your lab to move forward and reach new heights of success? ETI Digital Technology wants to help.

Finding a partner to help your lab reach its potential

 is a new, multi-shaded PMMA material that is formulated to be ideal for a variety of uses.

This ultra-esthetic temporary material combines five-plus layers of colors into one disc, reportedly giving the restoration the most natural look possible. These gradient discs are composed of special acrylic resins combined with organically modified ceramics for increased translucency and superior mechanical properties. They are designed to be ideal solutions for long-term temporaries, since they are more esthetic than previously possible, and also provide excellent results for short-term provisionals. The material is also formulated to be used as a prototype for implant restorations. PREMIOtemp is FDA-approved and available in a variety of VITA shades.

Multilayered-giving the restoration the most natural look possible

Five-plus layers of color (from cervical to incisal)

   Excellent combination of color and translucency

PREMIOtemp is a new, multi-shaded PMMA material that is formulated to be ideal for a variety of uses.

PREMIOtemp: Making PMMAs more beautiful than ever

	When you put a disk (or a puck) into a milling machine, what does that piece of material represent? Do you see the raw material, ready to be turned into something amazing? Do you see a lump of porcelain? Do you see the finished product, waiting for you after the milling cycle?

Or do you see a disk that symbolizes an entire, all-encompassing system that makes it possible to get excellent results every time you mill?

as MicroDental North Carolina’s zirconia of choice. “We chose it because it was a full system,” Culp remembers. “A lot of times, you’ll have a zirconia manufacturer who makes pucks who really doesn’t have ancillary products to support it-stains, glazes, colors and so on. We went with Zenostar and 

Culp’s employer, MicroDental, is a collection of labs that comprises the third-largest lab group in North America. With that kind of size, it was important to find that level of completeness when it came to a zirconia system. 

But as Culp-who also has been an employee and consultant for 

-notes, he feels the Zenostar system offers advantages for labs of any size, because it also offers support. 

“[Zenostar] is one of the only complete systems around zirconia,” Culp says. “Whether I’m a small lab or a lab like ours, it’s incredibly important for us to be able to go to a company with questions. It wasn’t just the zirconia-you’ve got to look beyond the one product to the system and the company.”

Zenostar was originally designed and engineered by Wieland Dental, “a long-standing, well-respected German company,” Culp says. They developed the Zenostar system and then, several years later, were purchased by Ivoclar Viadent.  

“There are a lot of zirconias,” Culp says. “It is kind of a ‘me too market’ out there. Zenostar is unique [because of] the background and reputation of Wieland, and of Ivoclar Vivadent. If Ivoclar thought it was good enough, then it must be.”

As CTO of a major lab group, Culp is uniquely positioned to see the advantages of a system like Zenostar’s. There are obvious factors like the translucency and the millability. 

But even for a tech guy like Culp, the thing that made Zenostar such a strong choice wasn’t necessarily just the design or scientific makeup (though those factors were there). So what was the standout feature offered by Zenostar? “Trust,” Culp says, emphatically. “A lot of zirconia on the market comes from a few places, and then is just re-labeled. With Ivoclar and Wieland, I know they make it; I know they put it through severe scientific study; I know they put it through clinical studies. I know that I’m getting it from the company that made it and tested it, scientifically.”

Of course, that trust would be misplaced if the results weren’t there. But Culp says Zenostar’s esthetics and chemical composition are top-notch. 

“Zenostar is also very translucent,” he says. “As an objective, it was the top translucent zirconia we tested when we were picking in the beginning. We tested everything. We tested, we sintered-we tested translucency and esthetics, and it just happened to be Wieland who backed it up.

“The translucency and their internal [green-stage] coloring system is excellent,” Culp continues. “I’ve had excellent reports from labs who are friends of mine or our labs [at MicroDental].”

And that, of course, makes for happy clients, including those clients served by MicroDental. 

“Because of the translucency and the coloring, we’ve been getting great results,” Culp says. “Our product that we call Zeus, which is made using Zenostar, is our fastest-growing product. Our full-contour zirconia restoration is our fastest growing restoration. Full-contour restorations are getting very popular.”

Finished Zenostar 3-unit bridge and molar

So when it comes to that disc or puck in your mill, begin to discover what it can mean beyond an unformed lump of material. In Culp’s words: “Look beyond the disc.” When labs start looking for a material option, they need to consider plenty of factors, but they also need to consider if the material is part of a system and the company standing behind the product. For MicroDental, that’s what has made Zenostar the best choice.

“Obviously, look at the disc-strength, science, testing, translucency,” Culp says. “It all needs to be solid. But go beyond the product-training, support, education, beyond just the disc. People look for the cheapest disc (or the cheapest this or cheapest that), and you get exactly what you pay for. There’s nothing there if you’re looking to get better or looking for more. 

“When you put Wieland together with Ivoclar Vivadent, you know this is just the start and new and better materials are going to come out,” Culp says. “Ivoclar Vivadent has the R&D to look at the products in the future that might be more translucent and even stronger. They’re not just going to sit on their laurels and just keep selling the puck.”

This article originally appeared in the January 2014 issue of Dental Lab Products. For more great articles about products in action, click here to subscribe to DLP's newsletter: 

 When you put a disk (or a puck) into a milling machine, what does that piece of material represent? Do you see the raw material, ready to be turned into something amazing? Do you see a lump of porcelain? Do you see the finished product, waiting for you after the milling cycle?

How Zenostar combines quality esthetics with excellent customer support for an ideal zirconia

	Chuck Tagliarino, CDT, is the Technical Vice President of Operations at Sun Dental Labs, located in Clearwater, Fla. He oversees the technical information, equipment design and materials for Sun Dental Labs.

, Tagliarino owned and operated a dental laboratory for 36 years, where he did full-service lab work, concentrating on implants. He decided to leave his lab after the cost of new equipment in a digital world became unsustainable for him, moving to Sun Dental and joining a team trying to push the lab market forward

One of Sun Dental’s major products they use in many of their cases is 

. The zirconia is used in fabrications made with their advanced scanning, design and milling center. Boasting a high resistance to corrosion, stability to hydrolysis, flexural strength and high biocompatibility, Suntech is a proven zirconia option.

 recently spoke with Tagliarino about why Sun Dental chose to enter the zirconia market, what benefits the techs at Sun Dental can offer labs and why Suntech ends up making patients-and dentists-very happy.

 What were you hearing from the lab market that led Sun Dental to develop Suntech Layered Zirconia a few years ago?

The main issue was the cost of gold. Everything was PFMs, and the cost of the gold had gotten so high that everyone wanted an alternative. Non-precious was a hard way to go. [Clients] wanted something esthetically pleasing and everything went to all-ceramic. Esthetically, it’s worked out well, and the fits are good. The labs and the doctors wanted something that was cost-effective, and also looked good, and all-ceramic was the answer. We started doing full zirconia crowns and copings three years ago. Like many, we struggled at bit at first with zirconia with fit and color, dealing with the parameters on the computer and the design, but now we have it down.

There are a lot of zirconia products on the market. What distinguishes Suntech from other options? How does Sun Dental use Suntech to its advantage?

The fit. We have designers who are also technicians, and they know exactly how to design the understructure so we get the best possible esthetics and fit from our products. We’re in contact with customers constantly to achieve the best esthetic end product-we know what they want and we work to give it to them. We’re always developing procedures to get better. We’ve also changed as far as the equipment we use. We started with small mills and now use large mills-our sintering equipment is much more advanced; it’s faster and more accurate. We’re trying to get the cost-effective and good products that we can use to supply our customers.  We’ve also seen advances in shading. When we first started, it was a solid block of one color, now there are blocks of varying colors, which is very esthetic in nature compared to a single color, which makes it more esthetic in full zirconia. We’re always working with companies to come up with coloring systems so we can get matched with the shade that the doctors pick.

How does Sun Dental get those great final results for your clients?

We try to have the best technicians that can design our products so it fits well, and it functions well. The anatomy is where it should be and the occlusion is where it should be, and the esthetics, which is always an ongoing experience for us, are where they need to be. We have the best technicians so we can achieve the best esthetics possible.

Have labs started to adopt to use the Suntech system? 

It’s a big part of our business and it keeps growing. Our 

 department is growing monthly-we’re receiving fewer and fewer PFM cases and more and more zirconia and I think it’s going to be that way for a long time. Patients love it, and doctors are happy with it. The only drawback with full zirconia is that it’s harder to adjust, but that’s why we concentrate on making sure the fit is perfect.

What’s been the response from doctors and patients about restorations made with Suntech? 

The patients love that there’s no metal involved-there’s no grain we have to deal with. It works very well with implants. There’s no discoloration, there’s no gray around the margins or discoloration in the tissue. And if the patients are happy, the doctors are happy!

What’s been the response from the labs you do work for?

[For] most of the labs, we do copings for them and then they do their own ceramic work. They’re very happy with it. Now we’re getting into scanning, so they can scan the model, send us the file and then we mill it-they send it in that day, we design the coping, mill it and they have a coping back in three days. It’s changing the whole format of the old laboratory completely.  We’re also doing 3D printing-labs send us a file and we print the model and then produce the coping for that. I think eventually you’ll see labs and doctors using in-house scanners more and more, to make the entire process digital.

So in the end, what’s your goal with Suntech and with the services you provide at Sun Dental?

We’re constantly focused on quality, function and fit, for our accounts and ultimately the patient. We’re just doing our best every day. 

This article originally appeared in the February 2014 issue of Dental Lab Products. For more great articles about products in action, 

 Chuck Tagliarino, CDT, is the Technical Vice President of Operations at Sun Dental Labs, located in Clearwater, Fla. He oversees the technical information, equipment design and materials for Sun Dental Labs.

How Sun Dental Labs' Suntech zirconia provides customers with a new world of all-ceramic options

 Lab Designed Encode is a new workflow for the 

, that enables a new level of control in abutment work - and it's saving time and money  for 

 in Virginia. Here's what  Artifex owner and CDT Tony Prestipino had to say about the system.

Artifex Dental Laboratories Inc. is a crown and bridge lab located in Alexandria, Va. The lab, which has 11 employees, specializes in implant work, working with multiple implant systems. Because of that focus and a reputation for excellence, they have about 200 clients, some of whom use Artifex for one or two very specific or demanding cases per year. Artifex is owned by Tony Prestipino, a CDT and 27-year dental lab industry veteran. Prestipino’s role at the lab includes implants, wax-ups, casting, finishing, scan designs, CAD/CAM and case design. 

’s Lab Designed Encode is a new workflow for their well-respected Encode Impression System. Now, labs can take advantage of the Encode Impression System-which allows a healing cap to stay on while a clinician takes an impression rather than requiring an impression coping-while controlling the design of the final 

. The abutment is milled according to the exact specifications of the lab, enabling a new level of individualized control.

To really find out how Lab Designed Encode works, 

 spoke with Prestipino, a long-time user of the Encode Impression system. “We’re the biggest Encode lab in the country,” Prestipino explains. “We probably do about 100 Encodes a month. We’ve been working with Lab Designed Encode since about May of 2013, and it’s been going great.”

While being quick to point out the Encode Impression system always worked very well for his lab and satisfied his clients’ desire for quality abutment work (“The technicians down there have known me so many years, they usually get it right [without a lot of back and forth]!”], he said the new Lab Designed Encode workflow has really benefitted his lab. “I now have full control over the design,” Prestipino says. “With the old way, the computer technician down at 

 used to design my abutments according to my prescription. I would get an email from them with designed images of my abutment. I would send an email back saying ‘change this, change this, change that.’ And they would change it and send it back to me. Going back and forth like that takes time. That’s much improved when I do the design myself. There’s no back and forth.

“It also gives me the control of what I want to do, and it gives me the ability to tell my clients that I designed these myself,” Prestipino continues. “They have that comfort knowing that.”

Of course, all of that time savings adds up. It also goes hand-in-hand with another factor most labs are looking for: cost savings. “On average, I probably save two days in a case,” Prestipino estimates. “I probably save $40 a unit. I love it-and my bookkeeper loves it!”

Overall, Prestipino likes the Lab Designed Encode component because it makes an already great system work even better. He says the Encode Impression System that accompanies BellaTek abutments makes it much easier for doctors to take an impression because they don’t need to unscrew the healing abutment, which saves time and money. And adding an improvement to control like Lab Designed Encode? That’s icing on the cake. “I’m an implant lab,” Prestipino says. “I work with all kinds of implants. It’s not very often a company comes out and can save a guy time and money, while preserving quality. And that’s the one thing about Encode-even though I’m a believer in all implants. What BIOMET 

 has done is they’ve come out with something that saves the consumer time and money and accuracy. Kudos to them.”

 BIOMET 3i's Lab Designed Encode is a new workflow for the Encode Impression System, that enables a new level of control in abutment work - and it's saving time and money  for Artifex Dental Laboratories in Virginia. Here's what  Artifex owner and CDT Tony Prestipino had to say about the system.

How the BIOMET 3i Encode Impression System has gotten even better

 is a dental laboratory located just outside of Cleveland, Ohio. Specializing in fixed prosthetics, the two-man lab has been in operation since 1997 and mostly works with all-ceramics and implants.

Last year, about 37 percent of the cases handled at Precision involved implants in some way. Precision also works on many guided surgery cases, and actually co-owns a CBCT scanner with a local prosthodontist. Precision has around 20 core clients it works with every month, along with a number of one-off cases it handles for clinicians in the area.

 is a light-cured universal modeling resin. It comes in both a paste and a gel. The gel does not run, making it an economical solution for a variety of applications. Primopattern is designed to have a long working time (more than 20 minutes) but a very short curing time (less than five minutes). The gel syringe comes with a handling tip that ensures desired precision. The paste is suitable for larger components (bars, pontics and more) while the gel is said to be ideal for delicate work that requires less layer thickness. Primopattern can be used with a grinder, and burns out cleanly. Finally, primopattern demonstrates no distortion or shrinkage issues more common to wax materials. 

Richard Wooddell is the president of Precision Dental Arts, where he serves as the waxer/finisher/framer (his partner, Michael Deliberato, is the lab’s ceramist). He’s been using primopattern LC in the lab, and says it’s revolutionized his ability to easily make accurate models. “Primopattern is basically magic to a waxer,” Wooddell says. “I think it’s one of the top products that I’ve seen in 20 years. [It’s so great to] be able to take something that’s light-cured and build a full-contour unit in half the time, that’s stable enough that you can work on implant bridges, and know it’ll fit. Shrinking is minimal.”

A claim of “magic” is a heady one to use for any one product in a lab’s workflow. But Wooddell lists a number of qualities of primopattern LC that, for him, make the magic label a very apt one. “Say it’s a bridge, whether implant based or natural tooth based,” he explains. “Instead of dipping my copings in wax, I start with primopattern right on a lubricated die. If you were going to wax it conventionally, you’d worry about shrinking, but when you’re working with primopattern, you can begin right with primopattern and then finish the wax up with conventional wax, and you don’t have to worry about shrinking because it’s already been polymerized.”

Primopattern has been available in a red shade for some time, but in mid-2013, a clear version was released. This opens the resin to a wider variety of cases, since it can both be used in the lab for modeling purposes, and for cases when clear would be preferred, such as a guided surgery situation. “We use both red and clear,” Wooddell explains. “When I’m waxing, I use the red, because I can see it. I use the clear primarily for attaching sleeves, because you want the surgeon to be able to see.”

Wooddell’s preference for primopattern over wax is evident. But primopattern LC is hardly the only modeling resin out there-how does it stack up to other resin options? “Shrinkage is less and it burns out absolutely clean,” he observes. “There’s no ash. If you’re looking at casting something, especially if it’s implant-based, then you must have a very clean burn out material. We do a lot of full contour e.max. Those wax-ups are so clean when they come out. From those two factors, I think it’s a superior product to anything to the market.”

Primopattern also comes in both a gel and a paste, which are designed to help with smaller and larger cases, respectively. “Primarily, I use the gel but if you have a large pontic, and you want to form that section very quickly, you can take a finger-full of the primopaterrn paste, shape it in the rough form you want, cure it so all the shrinkage has taken place, carve it, and then attach it to the individual copings with the gel,” Wooddell says. The paste makes it easy to save time even on a large case. And according to Wooddell, that saves time.

“From a technician’s standpoint, even though we have preformed pontics with electric waxers, this is still a time-saver,” he observes. “With an electric waxer, it’s drop by drop-it’s not that way with primopattern. If I’ve got a big case to wax, I go straight to the primopattern.”

Wooddell is also happy with the feedback he’s gotten from clients on the work he’s produced using primopattern LC. “Most of us live by ‘no news is good news,’” he laughs, “but when doctors are calling you and saying, ‘I don’t know what you’re doing, but this fits like a glove,’ you know you’ve got something. It’s increased our accuracy, it’s cut down our waxing time, and it’s allowed us to wax frameworks that are very thin but very stable when needed.

“If you were to compare the cost of primopattern versus wax, there’s a big difference in material cost, but when you look at the time savings or units per hour that can be produced, there’s a huge advantage. If the average tech can produce two more cases an hour, do the math! That’s a no-brainer.”

This article originally appeared in the February 2014 issue of Dental Lab Products. For more great articles about products in action, click here to subscribe to DLP's newsletter: 

 The Lab  Precision Dental Arts is a dental laboratory located just outside of Cleveland, Ohio. Specializing in fixed prosthetics, the two-man lab has been in operation since 1997 and mostly works with all-ceramics and implants.

Why one lab tech said “Primopattern is basically magic ...”

	In 2012, DENTSPLY Implants unveiled the ATLANTIS™ Abutment Core File solution, which provided a perfect digital edition of an ATLANTIS patient-specific Abutment to the lab designing the full case. ATLANTIS Abutment Core File solution to an even wider group of scanner users, as the system now works with 

 and has undergone updates to fit comfortably in a fully digitized workflow.

A recent update has brought the ATLANTIS Abutment Core File solution to an even wider group of scanner users, as the system now works with 3Shape scanners and has undergone updates to fit comfortably in a fully digitized workflow. Dental Lab Products recently spoke with Sean Ferguson, Product Manager of ATLANTIS North America, to learn how the Core File can evolve workflows.

Can you give a brief overview of your position and responsibilities at DENTSPLY Implants?

Sean Ferguson: The responsibilities for the Product Manager of ATLANTIS™ are for the overall product marketing aspects of ATLANTIS™ solutions at DENTSPLY Implants, North America. This includes providing input on the development of products to the global marketing and R&D teams and leading local launch efforts and support of those products in concert with the global and local marketing plans.

How have you been involved with the creation of the ATLANTIS Abutment Core File?

This product has been in development for several years. My involvement has mostly been with the compatibility of ATLANTIS™ Abutment Core File for 3Shape. Marketing works closely with R&D to guide them to what the market wants and product specifications needed. It really is a team effort-our Operations and Global Development teams for ATLANTIS™ are based out of the North American facility of DENTSPLY Implants in Waltham, Mass., which gives me access to some very talented people.

How will this technology benefit labs that have already adopted the ATLANTIS Abutment?

ATLANTIS™ Abutment Core File is a high precision digital file of an 

, which can be used for designing a coping before receipt of the final abutment. This allows a laboratory to have a completely digital workflow while using intraoral scanning for ATLANTIS™ abutments with

or even guided surgery using SIMPLANT 16 software.

Click here to learn more about DENTSPLY Implants...

What were you hearing from the lab industry that led DENTSPLY Implants to develop this technology?

This product was in development before the market had a chance to ask for it. Our close laboratory partners have given us valuable feedback on how it benefits their process and what systems they are using to convert the ATLANTIS™ Core File into a hard product. We are constantly improving our products and process and their feedback is always welcome and extremely valuable.

How can labs be sure that the Core File exactly matches the specifics of the case they’re working on?

The milling tolerances needed to mill an ATLANTIS™ patient-specific abutment to fit an implant with our specifications are extremely tight. We have fabricated more than 1 million abutments and have built a solid reputation on our accuracy. The ATLANTIS™ Abutment Core File is the digital file used to mill the abutment. What few people know is the optimal precision and process sophistication that is used to fabricate each abutment.

What are the advantages of working with a Core File rather than the current method?

It allows a laboratory to start their fabrication process before the abutment actually arrives at their laboratory. The benefit of a digital file of the abutment is that it reduces turnaround time and creates a much greater level of accuracy.

How can this fit into a lab’s implant workflow?

ATLANTIS™ Abutment Core File allows laboratories to reduce turnaround times and have greater accuracy of their overall product. This gives them a competitive advantage.

This article originally appeared in the March 2014 issue of Dental Lab Products. 

 In 2012, DENTSPLY Implants unveiled the ATLANTIS™ Abutment Core File solution, which provided a perfect digital edition of an ATLANTIS patient-specific Abutment to the lab designing the full case. ATLANTIS Abutment Core File solution to an even wider group of scanner users, as the system now works with 3Shape scanners and has undergone updates to fit comfortably in a fully digitized workflow.