Of the total population worldwide, around 20% is edentulous and even more is partially edentulous.1 The demand for dental implants is increasing and clinicians will be requiring more dental prosthetics faster. If your lab is looking for opportunities to grow, then meeting this need by expanding with the help of digital dentistry could be the answer.
Great expectations
Dentistry continues to develop and labs, small and large, are required to continually meet the high standards expected by practices and patients, as well as by regulatory bodies such as the FDA2. It can be challenging to meet regulatory standards, provide esthetic and reliable restorations, and run a profitable a sustainable business. One way of reconciling these demands is by investing in technology and equipment that can provide a competitive advantage and opportunities for growth.
CAD/CAM milling
Transform your lab with dental CAD/CAM
Through the advancement of dental technology, such as computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM), the entire process has been transformed, bringing significant benefits to both practices and labs alike. According to recent literature3,4 these include:
¾ Improving patient acceptance
¾ Reducing distortion of impression materials
¾ Improving data acquisition, management and storage
¾ Helping to standardize procedures
¾ Improving communication between clinicians and labs
¾ Reducing production time and effort
As a result, dental CAD/CAM tools help enhance efficiency, by saving labs time and creating user-friendly workflows. They also enhance quality, as precision-engineered and manufactured components are designed to reduce risks that may lead to implant failure.6 Furthermore, the dental CAD/CAM system can be broken down into several distinct phases, with the possibility of moving between digital and analog workflows at several stages5, offering flexibility for the user.
Speed, accuracy, efficiency and consistency can all be enhanced, allowing high-quality dental devices to be routinely fabricated, bringing new solutions to patients. These improvements are not achievable with conventional methods, requiring cutting-edge processing technologies and systems.3
NobelProcera prosthetics range
Getting started with CAD/CAM systems
Investing in dental CAD software can provide labs with a chance to increase production and keep costs competitive. Getting the right software for your business is necessary for a cost-effective, predictable and accurate outcome. By working closely with a reputable software manufacturer you can get the support you need to create esthetic restorations with fast turnaround times.
Nobel Biocare has recently launched in conjunction with Kavo Kerr the new DTX Studio™ software, which will offer powerful CAD tools with an intuitive interface. It will enable the quick and easy design of the desired restoration, whether tooth- or implant based.
Alternatively, you can outsource the design and production of CAD/CAM prosthetics to NobelProcera Scan and Design Services. Available for implant bars, abutments and implant crowns, you can save time and avoid investment in equipment and staff training, while providing your customers with precision-fit prosthetics.
NobelProcera Scan and Design Services
With the advancement of digital dentistry, more opportunities are becoming available to labs. We are at a point in the evolution of dental restoration provision which could be as fundamental and inevitable as the progression from a typewriter to a computer.5
More to explore
¾ Discover CAD/CAM prosthetics for labs
¾ Related article: The dawn of CAD/CAM restorations
¾ Related article: Your lab can become the prosthetic provider of choice
¾ Related article: Taking the dental laboratory into the future
1 Source: iData Research. Europe Market Report Suite for Dental Implant Fixtures and Final Abutments. 2017, p. 57. More information on www.idataresearch.com .
2 For more information: http://nadl.org/sl_files/487CEA77-5056-A04E-37A0DDED9A8D218E.pdf
3 Miyazaki, T., et al. (2009). A review of dental CAD/CAM: current status and future perspectives from 20 years of experience. Dental Materials Journal, 28 (1), 44-56.
4 Hammerle, C. F., et al. (2015). Digital technologies to support planning, treatment, and fabrication processes and outcome assessments in implant dentistry. Summary and consensus statements. The 4th EAO consensus conference 2015. Clinical Oral Implants Research, 26, 97-101.
5 Slade, C. A. E. (2017). The role of CAD/CAM in modern dentistry. Practical procedures in aesthetic dentistry. Edited by Banerji, S., Mehta, S. B., & Ho, C. C. K. John Wiley & Sons.
6 Hurson, Overcoming implant complications – Authentic, integrated dental implant components, Compendium, July/August 2016, Volume 37, Number 7, pages 2–6.