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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What are the biggest benefits of these furnaces?

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

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

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

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

Creative Expressions Dental Lab - Winterville, N.C.

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

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

What are the biggest benefits of the furnace?

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

Has the furnace been a solid addition to your lab?

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

Articles

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

Find out what's hot in furnace technology

For the fully edentulous person, dentures serve many purposes beyond just restoring the smile. They assist with speech and mastication, help strengthen facial muscles that control expression, and maintain the vertical dimension of occlusion, thus helping maintain facial features that enhance the patient’s beauty and well-being.

Partial and complete dentures often cause more problems over time by allowing-and in most cases even promoting-the loss of supporting bone. These changes in topography in the mouth are chronic problems that cause sores and discomfort, reline after reline, and require more and more denture adhesives that can become exhausting to you and your patients.

Conventional acrylic implant-supported dentures, however, have drawbacks. Implant-retained dentures are difficult to take out and to clean. Over time, acrylic-based dentures tend to develop a foul odor. Because they cannot completely prevent resorption and distortion, they often have to be realigned.
	Additionally, traditional denture teeth wear faster and need to be replaced every seven or eight years. Therefore, a 50-year-old patient who lives into his or her 80s will require replacement dentures four times over a 30 year period.

To overcome the inadequacies of conventional dentures, dentists and prosthodontists began searching for an esthetically pleasing, easier to clean prosthesis that lasts the patient’s lifetime. In today’s world implants are the standard of care when it comes to restoring the above mentioned problems of conventional partial or full dentures either tissue, tooth or implant borne. There is a vast array of techniques and components to provide a fixed or removable partial or full prosthesis using materials such as acrylics, composites, metal alloys, milled titanium, milled zirconia and ceramics.

Presently one of the strongest materials in the dental industry, zirconia is ideal for high-stress restorations such as complete fixed restorations. Resulting in not a single failure-according to research performed at Boston University and the UCLA School of Dentistry, as well as in Switzerland and Germany-zirconia is a reliable multi-unit all-ceramic framework for fixed restorations.

Restorations fabricated with a zirconia bar and separate lithium disilicate teeth are easier to clean, do not develop a foul smell, provide excellent esthetics, require no realignment and will last a lifetime. While the restoration substructure is fabricated from zirconia, the actual tooth restorations can be constructed with a strong and versatile lithium disilicate material.

IPS e.max Press lithium disilicate and IPS e.max CAD-Blue Block-lithium disilicate demonstrates exceptional esthetics, strength and durability for a comprehensive range of indications, and is suitable for fully anatomical restorations. Designed to replicate natural tooth function and features, IPS e.max demonstrates strength 2.5 to 3 times higher than other glass-ceramic materials, enabling it to stand up to vigorous forces encountered in the posterior region of the masticatory system. The opalescence, translucency and light diffusion characteristics exhibited in IPS e.max lithium disilicate provide esthetic restorations imperceptible from natural dentition.

Two types of ingots are available when using the press technique, IPS e.max Press and IPS e.max ZirPress. While both feature the same advantageous characteristics, IPS e.max ZirPress can be easily and effectively pressed onto zirconia oxide.

Our middle-aged female patient was “sick and tired” of her “ill fitting, foul smelling denture.” Her next comment really struck a chord with our staff. “I’m sure that you dentists must not be wearing dentures, because if you did you would most certainly never want your patients to have to put up with such a poor replacement for teeth.” Indeed conventional dentures are not a good answer for restoring that which was lost, and indeed we can do better today.

After an initial consultation, the patient agreed to a full denture prosthesis supported by implants that would be placed in a guided implant surgical procedure. The proposed prosthesis would be fabricated with a zirconia bar as the substructure and customized IPS e.max Press lithium disilicate pressed restorations.

 A CT scan was performed to determine proper implant placement. This step was taken to avoid patient discomfort and the ultimate return of an improperly designed prosthesis. The implants were surgically placed and allowed to heal before performing the prosthetic procedure 

 prior to luting with acrylic (Relate), and impressions were taken to create a master model.

    Appropriate records were taken for denture tooth set up so every detail could be mimicked in the final ceramics.

    Temporary abutments and acrylic were used to verify implant placement in the master cast.

    The approved provisional denture was duplicated and reduced in every dimension to accommodate full-contour crowns and pressed simulated tissue (IPS e.max Press), to restore proper architecture of the teeth and alveolar process 

    The zirconia substructure was designed using CAD/CAM software 

 prior to milling, coloring and sintering.

    Upon completion of milling, the zirconia substructure was evaluated on the master cast 

    The mandibular teeth to be created from pressed ceramic were waxed to full contour and completed function 

 After pressing, the full ceramic restorations were characterized and glazed prior to waxup of the soft tissue replica

    Prior to waxing the gingival replica, a bonding agent (Zirliner) was applied to the zirconia substructure 

    The soft tissue architecture was waxed up to mimic nature, yet allow for routine cleaning and oral hygiene 

 The finished restorations were removed from the waxed-up soft tissue substructure 

 The waxup and Zirlined zirconia substructure were sprued, invested and pressed in gingival pink porcelain, shade G3 (IPS e.max) to mimic the gums 

    The gingival structure was moderately layered and accented with gingival stains in shades G3, G4 and G5, then subsequently stained and glazed 

    The full denture preparations were cleaned by etching, and the intaglio surface of the crowns was etched with hydrofluoric acid and silanated prior to the final try-in 

    The zirconia-based denture substructure was torqued into place 

, and cementation of the final all-ceramic restorations (IPS e.max Press) performed 

As the dental industry continues to grow and evolve, new and progressive materials and procedures provide dentists and patients with innovative options. Denture wearers are no longer confined to conventional dentures and their deficiencies. Dentures fabricated with a zirconia substructure and IPS e.max pressed restorations are easy to clean, eliminate the odor associated with dentures, function and present as natural dentition, and just as natural teeth, will last the patient’s lifetime.  

Dentistry by Dr. Jared Hill, Hailey, Idaho

Stan Lott, CDT, founded his full service lab, 

, in Twin Falls, Idaho in 1979. A graduate of the Howa School of Dental Technology in Salt Lake City, he has pursued continuing education on the latest materials and techniques throughout his career and is one of 23 accredited ceramists in the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. When he is out of the laboratory Stan enjoys spending time with his wife, Cathy, exploring the outdoors, rafting, skiing, hiking and fishing.

The ideal union

My father has been practicing dentistry for more than 35 years. He told me back in the “old days,” many lecturers would shy away from doing a single central incisor and just do both teeth. Considering how common the single central circumstance is, it appears that the technician who masters the task will be in great demand.

Modern technology with higher quality materials, digital photography and better shade options enable the technician to create single central restorations that melt into the environment.

Unlike doing two or more teeth, where the dentist and technician have the freedom of altering contours and shades to the patient’s desire, when doing a single central the task is one of working within the limitations and restraints of the existing dentition. A technician who welcomes limitations and restraints gets the chance to exercise his or her true creative ability, and use his or her knowledge of color, form, texture and digital photography.

 The first task in this type of case is to obtain a clean, clear image of the tooth in the surrounding environment. The criteria for this image is proper focus, a wide depth of field and proper image size 

. This image becomes the foundation for the information needed.

 We enter the image into any photo-editing software program. The software will provide us with the ability to view a value image, a saturated image for color and an inverted image for form 

Video extra: See the video below for a demonstration of how to create the different images using Adobe Photoshop.

 Another important image is a shot of the natural abutment shade, which is key when selecting the proper material for the restoration 

 These images help the technician to evaluate the ceramic selection based on the shade tabs fired in their personal calibrated furnace 

 With the photographic information to provide the necessary details, the first bake can be achieved, layering in the details using the GC Initial Zr Ceramic System from GC America 

The technician should limit the number of firing cycles to limit the loss of color that occurs when excessive grinding is required after each bake.

 The technician also has to layer the ceramic in its exact place to replicate the colors from wet ceramic to fired ceramic 

 After the first firing cycle the restoration should exhibit the depth and color we need 

 Once the contacts are adjusted, the technician can now begin the detail work of creating proper form. Colored pencils are a great tool to help guide the technician in the right direction of contour and surface treatment 

 When finalizing the form and surface treatment it is important to check the restoration from every angle so as not to miss any details 

 Once every angle is checked and the first bake and contouring is complete, we can glaze the restoration and add some minor details. It is these details that help differentiate a great restoration from a mediocre one. Some of the details include a halo, and line angle adjustments.

We accomplish this by mixing a low fusing ceramic to our layered ceramic with a 60/40 mix 

 Once glazed and polished we can go to the mouth for our try-in, hoping the steps we took yielded an accurate restoration 

 To check our work we can convert an intraoral image of our restoration to black and white to confirm value 

With accurate form, value and surface texture the single central becomes less of a challenge. The goal of the single central is to blend harmoniously into an existing site and not to overpower the surrounding dentition 

It is through working within the restraints and limitations of the existing site that the technician can exhibit maximum creativity when completing this rather common occurrence in dental practice. 

Joshua Polansky earned his Bachelor of Arts degree, Summa Cum Laude, from Rutgers University in 2004. While working part- time at a dental laboratory, he took advantage of an opportunity to apprentice with distinguished master technician, Olivier Tric of Oral Design Chicago. Mr. Tric opened Joshua’s eyes to a whole new world of possibilities. He made the decision to become a master dental technician following the path that Tric had forged. He continued to acquire technical skills by studying in Europe with other mentors and experts in the field such as Klaus Mutertheis. Joshua earned his Masters degree in dental ceramics at the UCLA Center for Esthetic Dentistry under Dr. Edward Mclaren. Joshua Continued his training under Jungo Endo and Hiroaki Okabe at UCLA’s advanced prosthodontics and maxillofacial program working on faculty and residents cases. Joshua currently resides in Cherry Hill, NJ where he is the owner and operator of 

My father has been practicing dentistry for more than 35 years. He told me back in the “old days,” many lecturers would shy away from doing a single central incisor and just do both teeth. Considering how common the single central circumstance is, it appears that the technician who masters the task will be in great demand. Modern technology with higher quality materials, digital photography and better shade options enable the technician to create single central restorations that melt into the environment.

Simplifying the single central

Master Ceramist Bob Passaro has been in the lab industry nearly 50 years and founded the Center for Ceramics in Charlotte, N.C. about seven years ago. The lab’s nine employees produce 70 to 80 units a day. This medium- to high-end, family-owned dental laboratory specializes in fixed dental restorations, and Passaro prides himself on staying up-to-date on the latest technology to provide his clients with high-quality, esthetic restorations.  

VITA VMK Master Porcelain, distributed through Vident, A VITA Company in North America, offers exceptional physical properties and handling characteristics. Because of its fine structure, the porcelain features clinical wear characteristics that mimic natural tooth enamel. Its optimum firing temperature as well as chemical and physical properties make it suitable for veneering nearly all types of dental alloys, including non-precious. Other benefits include improved modeling characteristics, minimal shrinkage and accurate, esthetic results.

After nearly 50 years in the lab industry, Bob Passaro is having more fun than ever.

Not only that, the work he’s producing is the best it’s ever been. He’s excited about what he does again, and after three attempts, he has no plans to try to retire again any time soon. And he said he owes a lot of that renewed enthusiasm to VITA VMK Master Porcelain.

After using the material for five months, he said production at his lab has increased by about 25 percent, mostly because this material is so easy to use and doesn’t shrink. His lab makes 40 to 45 units a day with the material, and he couldn’t be happier with the results.

“I’m having a ball with it. I really am,” Passaro said. “Its ability to block out underlying colors is second to none. There isn’t anything better.”

So what are some of the material’s main benefits? The minimal shrinkage is huge-Passaro said shrinkage is about 10 percent, if that much. It doesn’t shrink on the third or fourth firing like other materials he’s used in the past, and the color stability and accuracy couldn’t be better. It can be stacked in as many colors as you want, and you end up with restorations that compete with what’s coming out of high-end labs, domestic or overseas, no matter what size lab you have.

“I can’t see any lab whether it be a boutique or commercial lab not use this material,” he said. “It’s just foolproof. I took one of my people who’s a waxer and within three weeks he was stacking porcelain. It’s amazing because of the ease of working with it. There’s no technique sensitivity whatsoever.”

Not only does he love the product, he loves the company that makes it. Center for Ceramics is a VITA lab, Passaro said, and over the years he’s been impressed with Vident’s level of customer service. When his lab first began using VMK, Vident sent master technicians to his lab twice to train and re-train his employees, making sure they’re all using the material correctly and achieving the best results. 

“They’ve taken their time with this product,” he said. “They spent a lot of time re-inventing this material. It is absolutely foolproof. There’s no way to make a mistake.”

And Passaro is all about telling other labs about VMK and encouraging them to give it a try. He’s talked the material up to his brothers who work in New York, and now they’re hooked as well.

And back at his lab, Passaro said this material has taken the stress out of his work. He no longer has to worry about the production or the material. There’s no more concerns about technique sensitivity. The system truly is a complete master system.

“It just put us over the top,” Passaro said. “It’s made my life easier, and I’ve been around a long time. This material makes me as excited as the first time I baked porcelain and metal, and 1962 was  the year I did that. I’m at the bench full time. I’ve retired but will never do it again. I’m telling you I was ready to give up again, but with this material I’m having more fun than I’ve ever had and I think my work is probably better now than it ever was. The stress over the production and material and technique sensitivity is gone. Just gone. Disappears. Doesn’t exist.”

Real Time ROI: VITA VMK Master Porcelain

Dental Arts Laboratories (DAL) Inc. serves dentists nationwide from locations throughout Illinois (Lincolnshire near Chicago, Lansing, Peoria, Galesburg and Springfield) and in St. Louis. DAL is a complete service laboratory resource providing traditional layered /pressed PFMs, pressed and milled all-ceramic restorations, premium full and partial dentures, implant prosthetics and a variety of specialty products. Scott Clark is the Executive Vice President of DAL.

Argenco Y+ delivers the beautiful, gold hue laboratories desire at a price they can afford. With only 2% gold, the material brings all the qualities of a yellow alloy at 50-70% less cost per ounce. Featuring stability, warm hue and economic pricing, it is said to be the fastest growing crown and bridge alloy on the market today. Argenco Y+ is a Type III Noble Yellow alloy with 2% gold, 34.9% palladium and 30% silver, suitable for full cast crowns and short span bridges.

As an established leader in the dental laboratory industry since 1934, DAL has the unique distinction of being one of the oldest established group of dental laboratories in Illinois. Family owned and operated, it takes exceptional pride in providing the dental community with the most advanced technologies, precise laboratory techniques and comprehensive product selection available.

With eight facilities and more than 280 trained technical staff, the DAL family of laboratories provides the unique capability of offering the necessary production capacity, disciplined service schedules and the individual personalized attention necessary to ensure a successful prosthetic rehabilitation. The  highly experienced, professional staff is certified and trained in all phases of ceramics/crown and bridge, metal-free esthetic alternatives, partial denture, full denture, orthodontic, snoring/sleep apnea appliances and implant prosthetic services.

In an effort to offer dentists an affordable option to more expensive yellow alloy restorations, DAL began offering Argen’s Argenco Y+. Clark, the EVP of the laboratories, said the results produced by using the material have been great  for both the company and its customers.

“Dental Arts Laboratories has been providing the Argenco Y+ full cast gold crown and bridgework for over three years to our customer base,” Clark said. “Offered as an alternative to our traditional High Noble 40% and 60% Yellow Gold, Argenco Y+  has become extremely popular with our dentists as it provides both the dentist and the patient with a gold colored (versus white) noble crown that is flat-rate priced for predictable price quotation, regardless of the weight of the crown.”

According to DAL customers, Argenco Y+ presents very similar performance attributes comparable to high noble yellow gold alternatives with the added benefit of fixed cost.

Clark said many patients prefer the warm gold hue color as compared to the white gold coloring of many of the lower white gold content alloys,
	Additionally, customers have pointed out the product’s other benefits.

“We have received great feedback from our customers over the past three years with no indication nor complaints of discoloration over time,” Clark said. “The laboratory technical staff is very pleased with the fact that the crowns cast clean and with no porosity-finishing and polishing to a high luster.”

Other comments from happy dentists touch on the easy adjustment,as the product adjusts and polishes very similar to gold, and on its kindness to opposing dentition.

Adding Argenco Y+ to its product offering has helped DAL increase its bottom line while keeping its customers content by offering them a lower cost, high-quality crown and bridge alloy.

Real Time ROI: Argen’s Argenco Y+

CadBlu Dental’s new line of 4- and 5-axis compact desktop milling systems combine highspeed production and precision accuracy in a variety of compact and affordable tabletop units, which is said to make milling easier than ever before.

The ezMILL is a professional and easy-to-use system that provides first class results to any size lab. With its cutting edge features, the ezMILL manufactures a variety of restoration types using a range of available materials including zirconia, acrylic and wax. With the included CAM software, push button production is now possible in an easy-to-use and compact package.

Plug and play production

 What advantages does a lab gain by choosing to work with Zahn for equipment and supplies?

Zahn Dental is a full-service provider-you truly can do one-stop shopping with us. We carry all major brand suppliers plus offer exclusive products-private brand, Zirlux full contour zirconia, Hilla digital transfer, Noritake porcelain, Camlog implants-to name a few. We are working closely with Henry Schein Dental to introduce new and innovative products and will expand our customer reach. We also offer value-added services such as ConnectDental; DDX, the Digital Dental Exchange; Financial Services; Lab Design; the largest selection of gold and denture teeth; Web ordering; Continuing Education opportunities; and our outsourcing partner CMC, which can expand your restorative material options.

 How does Zahn put its “Rely On Us” slogan into action?

Over the years we have developed strong relationships with our accounts. They can “Rely On Us” to help them uncover opportunities, provide innovative solutions and meet their needs. We can help find the right solution for their lab, offer new material options for their customers, assist them with financial needs, and more. Our field consultants and telesales team can help labs achieve their professional goals. Our customers come to think of us as their trusted advisors.

 Does Zahn have an overall goal or focus for 2012?

This year, our focus is removable prosthetics, all-ceramic restorations, digital solutions, implantology and we are excited to bring to market our first cooperative marketing plan that will brand Zirlux as the leading full contour zirconia restoration. Zirlux and Hilla are two products that we believe have the ability to help labs offer consistent esthetic results for their accounts.

 How does Zahn stay on the cutting edge in terms of the products and services you offer?

We are always researching new companies and innovative products that come to market, and evaluating how our customers would benefit from them. We organize focus groups that help us uncover new industry opportunities to deliver profitability and new avenues to expand the market for our customers.

 With multiple products available in numerous categories, how does Zahn help lab owners decide which system or material is best for their businesses?

First, we have a business development meeting with the lab owners to determine their goals and needs so we can advise them of the restorative options that best fit their business. Our continuing education classes can be a way to learn about products, and can be a great tool to help lab owners and technicians understand which systems and materials are the best options for them.

 How can Zahn help labs transition into the world of digital production?

Zahn offers an end-to-end digital solution, depending on what feels most comfortable to the laboratory. Our digital road shows are a great way to get your feet wet, and to see what we offer and how the various technologies seamlessly work together. Our digital solutions include DDX (our digital highway), software, scanners, printers and milling machines. We also have a first-class technology team that will assist you in all steps of your digital exploration.

 Does every lab need to follow the same digital path, or are there options to fit different situations?

We have created an operating system format with options that seamlessly integrate together, yet is strategically open to support third-party systems. The labs can adopt some or all of the digital components at a pace with which they are comfortable.

 Why is providing continuing education important to Zahn?

We continue to offer as many education opportunities as possible, and provide hands-on opportunities when applicable. Seeing and touching the product really gives technicians an understanding of how it works and if it is a good option for their laboratory. Experiencing a new system or material in action is the best way to evaluate its fit for a particular lab as the industry continues to evolve. Education in conjunction with sales and marketing is our avenue to keep our customers informed.

 Can you tell me about the “Build Our Future” campaign and Zahn’s work with The Foundation for Dental Laboratory Technology?

Henry Schein strongly believes that we should fulfill our social responsibility as a good corporate citizen and give back to the industries that we serve. The “Build Our Future” program is part of our effort to raise funds to assist the Foundation in reaching its goals. Items with the “Build Our Future” symbol in our flyer represent suppliers who support the program through Zahn, and a percentage of sales of these items are given to the Foundation. In addition, for the second consecutive year, Zahn and our supplier partners created a personalized calendar for laboratories, with all profits generated donated to The Foundation.

 Do labs benefit from Zahn’s position as a division of leading dental supplier Henry Schein?

Absolutely. As a division of Henry Schein, we have access to products and relationships that are unique and exclusive to our customers. We have a better understanding of both the dental and lab customers, and use that information to create solutions for both.

01. What advantages does a lab gain by choosing to work with Zahn for equipment and supplies?