A true CAD/CAM training course

I own Dietz Dental Engineering and as a company, we're very much generalists; we do everything, we make all sorts of dental prosthetics.

So how has Dentsply Sirona's inLab solution benefited our lab, your clients and their patients?

We're only a small company, but the great thing about the Dentsply Sirona inLab solution, the main thing really, is that it enables us to manufacture everything on site. We don't have to subcontract anything out. We did subcontract years ago, but the biggest problem we had was quality control. Now we're actually designing and manufacturing the prosthetics in-house. Because I design it and mill it in my lab, we manage quality control better because everything is in house. If something doesn't turn out quite right, it can be easily remanufactured.

The good thing for my dentist clients is that because we're able to do everything in-house, we can reduce the turnaround time. We're not dealing with subcontractors so there's no time wasted with product having to be couriered here there and everywhere. That alone saves us a lot of time and it reduces the possibility of errors.

The other aspect of the inLab system that really benefits our dentist clients is that I get to play around with different types of materials to get better looking teeth. As new materials come out, we're constantly testing them to see if they give us a better result. And if I find that I can get a better result for the patient by using a new or different material I can - because we're not just reliant on sub-contractors producing prosthetics made from the same material all the time.

The benefit for the client from the inLab solution and the way we're able to run the lab as a result, is that they get a better prosthetic than they might otherwise and they aren't waiting as long. Most dental prosthetic labs have about a 10 day-turnaround; we're getting them done in five to seven days, partly because there isn't time wasted with couriers. Generally, we're able to offer a higher level of service, especially compared to some of the big production labs which tend to focus on volume, just getting things through.

With my German heritage it was almost inevitable that I would choose Dentsply Sirona for my lab machines. But also, it's just really high quality equipment. It's very well engineered (almost over-engineered), reliable and heavy duty. It's expensive but you get what you pay for; it's the difference between buying a Mercedes-Benz and buying an Hyundai. The machines work nights and weekends and they just run and on the few occasions that something does go wrong, Dentsply Sirona is very good with its servicing.

In fact, Dentsply Sirona is great with servicing and that's what matters. It boils down to time is money; if a machine is off line we're losing money. But with Dentsply Sirona, if we do have a machine go off line they'll have someone out there that day or the next morning to get the machine back on line. And we don't have to make a million phone calls chasing people to come fix it.

Support

Another advantage of the inLab system is that it's practically futureproof. Dentsply Sirona's software engineers are constantly updating the software to add more functionality. The machines are over engineered to the point where the hardware is far superior to the software. The software is easy to use and there is ongoing education and training as well as a helpline to tech advisors if required.

Dentsply Sirona also offers really good service when it comes to consumables. Whether it's an implant component, any material in puck size - zirconia, wax, PMMA, etc - they always have stock. That can be an issue with other manufacturers because they sometimes don't have stock. Delivery is also really fast. Other companies might take three or four days but Dentsply Sirona is same day if the order is placed early enough and always next day. They understand that we're on deadline and we can't have a machine idle for four days waiting for a delivery.

About the Author

Jay Dietz is a dental ceramist, key opinion leader for Dentsply Sirona Dental Systems and principal of Dietz Dental Engineering.