SBO Dental Laboratory

SBO Dental Laboratory Implant Evening 13th March

noreply@blogger.com (SBO Dental Laboratory) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 13:57:00 +0000

Implant Evening 13th March

7.00pm

HOW TO RESTORE LARGE IMPLANT CASES

Discuss the stages,taking the patient from initial consultation,

through diagnostics to the final restoration.

These step by step principles help make these large challenging cases

routine and predictable.

1hr 30mins CPD

Call to book a place 01707 663 293

15, Station Close,Potters Bar,Herts,EN6 1TL

A failed dental bridge and how to avoid it

noreply@blogger.com (SBO Dental Laboratory) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:40:00 +0000

Here is a case that went wrong, so we thought it would be a good idea to post it to our blog and discuss the learnings that can be had from it.

We made this bridge for a lovely dentist and his patient, however we asked if we could do some diagnostics first - unfortunately the patient wanted the bridge returned quickly so a decision was made to go ahead with no diagnostics.

The first bridge is the one on the right. We followed the original incisal length, however once it was tried in the patient felt they were too short, and we were instructed to lengthen them.

Seems simple right? Add some ceramic and we're done. Well, no actually. When we make a bridge with metal (as this one is) we make the metal accurately to support the ceramic evenly all over, so if we lengthen the ceramic there is a whole load of incisal ceramic with no support (this is why this bridge has a large cut incisally, we were testing to see if we thought we could lengthen without remaking the metal).

We felt in this case that we would remake the metal and start over. So we did and this is the bridge on the left.

According to the patient this is now too long!

So the solution? We highly, HIGH recommend doing a diagnostic wax up with cases like this, this then serves a few purposes.

It can act as way for the dentist, technician and patient to visualise the desired results AND for the technician to ascertain whether the desired result is indeed possible with the position of the teeth and gums.
It provides a template from which we can make a temporisation stent.

This second point is the crucial one in this case, if we had made a diagnostic we could have made a stent from this (pictured right) this could then have been used to make highly accurate temporaries which the patient could have worn to decide on the length.

If they were too long, a little reduction is simple - if the patient thought they were too short then addition with composite to achieve the desired result is again easy.

All that is then required is an accurate impression of the agreed temporaries and we can make the bridge to match this in the lab.

A simple process that is so often overlooked to the detriment of patient happiness!

The importance of the underlying tooth shade for dental crowns

noreply@blogger.com (SBO Dental Laboratory) — Thu, 26 May 2011 14:05:00 +0000

This blog post is really a pictorial case study of a metal free crown and shows the importance of communicating the underlying shade to the laboratory.

The patient came to see us like this with an old PFM crown on the UL1 which needed replacing - a metal free crowns was requested by the dentists... but was this indicated cosmetically?

The simplest answer is, we don't know unless we can see what's underneath. So we asked the dentist to take a photo of the preparation and hold a shade guide to it so we could gauge the darkness of the tooth.

Once we knew the underlying tooth shade it is then possible to take a shade match, making an informed decision about the ceramic. For example, if we take a shade for a crown that is going to be really thin, then it may be that there is not enough ceramic material thickness to achieve that shade - so we may decide to make an A2 crown in A3 ceramic if that ceramic is going to be thin.

Also, if the underlying tooth is very dark, then we may decide to mix in a little A1 to the A2 ceramic to lighten it slightly to compensate.

So, we took the shade of the patient's tooth, and drew a detailed plan of the colours. Notice 2 things:

We've taken a shade of the lingual as this will inevitably shine through and affect the colour of the labial
We have taken a 3D shade, in other words we could see that the shade needed an overlay of enamel (EN2) and ultra clear (WIN)

We then went ahead and finished the crown - this is it in situ.

Overall the result was excellent for the patient, and having the underlying tooth shade helped us work with this in order to choose the correct ceramic to make the crown with.

Dental Case Selection

noreply@blogger.com (SBO Dental Laboratory) — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 08:53:00 +0000

This was a case that came in to us with a problem! The Upper Left central had been root treated and another dentist and laboratory had made a metal free crown.

In this case the patient was insistent on metal free as they had been researching online (sometime the internet is not helpful!) - and as you can see the root treatment shows through and makes the whole crown look grey - I'm sure it looked great on the model, but in the mouth... not so great, so how do we get around this problem?

As we have discussed in previous blogs, covering a dark tooth with a root treatment and metal free crown is very difficult, so in this case we opted for a totally opaque core.

There aren't many opaque metal free substructures around, so we used Vita Inceram Zirconia - this is a material developed by Vita many years ago before the 'true' zirconia ceramics came out. Vita Inceram Zirconia is a combination of alumina and zirconia which results in high strength and an almost opaque core.

We rarely use this material now as we're not often asked to make an opaque metal free crown (usually a porcelain fused to metal crown is used), however you need to ensure that any laboratory you do decide to use has a detailed knowledge of materials available in order that they can advice as to the best restoration for any case.

Here's the result, still a little greynes showing through, but overall a much improved result.

What experiences do you have of trying to mask dark underlying teeth with metal free? What worked? And what didn't?

Can YOU spot the crown?

noreply@blogger.com (SBO Dental Laboratory) — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 10:59:00 +0000

Here is an interesting case you will like. So first up a question... which tooth is a crown?

We've shown this case many times during presentations and lectures and most people can correctly identify the Upper Right Central as a crown - it has that slightly brighter and more opaque look to it and lacks an element of vitality.

This aesthetic effect is common with porcelain fused to metal crowns and is caused by the inability for the restoration to allow light to pass through, as it does with a natural tooth.

Even if the shade of the restoration is perfect and the shape, contour and morphology are great this 'bright' effect is often difficult... no, let's say often impossible, to overcome.

OK, so here is the truth about this case.... both centrals are crowns, except one has a root treated tooth with gold post and core.

When we started this case we didn't know that the Upper Right Central had this underlying core, so we didn't take this in to account when making the 2 metal free crowns.

So, the 2 crowns are made together, the same shade and same morphology, yet one looks bright... all caused by the root treated tooth underneath.

What lessons should be learnt?

Dentists - Always tell the laboratory the condition of the underlying tooth with metal free crowns
Technicians - If the dentists doesn't tell you what the underlying tooth condition is, ask!
Dentists - Translucent Metal free is not the be all and end all. So be case selective about the material used.
Technicians - have a variety of restorations available with a variety of opacity levels, this way you can inform the dentist as to the best restoration for each individual case
Dentists - Send photos of preps, this gives the technician the best chance of choosing the best restoration
Dentists - prescribe a crown if necessary, but tell the technician the clinical situation around which you need to fit it. Tell the technician the requirements for strength, bonding technique and what the underlying tooth is... then let your technician inform you as to the best restoration
Technicians - Keep up to date with restoration options, know the issues facing a dentist and be prepared to offer an alternative if you feel the prescription may be less than perfect.

To discuss restoration options for your patient, please call Keith on 01707 663293 for a friendly chat.

Are Zirconia Crowns Better than PFM?

noreply@blogger.com (SBO Dental Laboratory) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:47:00 +0000

Many dental practices will charge a higher fee for Zirconia crowns to the patients as this is often seen as a 'better' or 'private' option. I disagree.

PFM is a perfectly good option and is the ideal choice in many cases.

Here is an example. This patient wanted a crown on the upper right central to replace an old crown that didn't match the surrounding dentition.

The dentist wanted a metal free crown as this was perceived to be the best, however upon attendance at the surgery I noticed a metal post and core and advices that a PFM would be the best option.

The patient and dentist were concerned, but I insisted and this was the result.

A nice crown that matches.

Metal free are, by their nature, more translucent. In situations with natural teeth underneath this is fine, but with darker teeth or root treated teeth the cores can show through.

So long as the technician uses a ceramic margin that incorporates a fluorescent shoulder porcelain the aesthetics of the crown should be fine. Also required is around 1.5-2mm of labial reduction to ensure the opaque doesn't show through.

So are zirconia crowns better than PFM?, Well yes, sometimes and in with the right cases.

To recognise this fact as a laboratory we charge the SAME for all our crowns, this way there is never a temptation to chose one option over another. We believe this provides the best result for the patient.

When would you use a PFM over a Zirconia crown?

A Full Mouth Dental Implant Case. The patient is always right!

noreply@blogger.com (SBO Dental Laboratory) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 12:57:00 +0000

This week we completed a full mouth upper implant case using a cast bar and denture teeth. This was the case in the laboratory.

On the articulator

One particular issue we has was the size of the teeth; the patient had a fixation on the size of teeth and was concerned that oversized teeth would make the denture stand out and not look natural. However we went ahead and made the fixed implant bridge as requested following the try in of the teeth she asked for.

Dental Implant Bridge Palatal View

Dental Implant Bridge Labial View

Here's the finished result notice the size of the denture teeth!

It's interesting to note the difference between how the bridge looked on the articulator and then in the mouth. On the arictulator the small size of the teeth were not as apparent, but in the mouth, with the reference points of the nose and smile it is immediately clear to us as dental professionals that they are slightly too small.

But the patient is always right? And she loved them, but this could so easily have been a mistake rather than a success.

So, what lessons can we draw from this?

I think the biggest lesson is to use photographs both in the laboratory and in the surgery to communicate and share. On articulators we can easily make a mistake as we don't have the reference points of the nose and smile... but in the mouth, those small mistakes quickly come to light.

So get those photos shared.... how else can we avoid simple mistakes like getting the size of the teeth right?

Dental Implant bars - How to get them right first time...

noreply@blogger.com (SBO Dental Laboratory) — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 15:42:00 +0000

Choosing the right type of restoration for a large full arch implant reconstruction can be difficult. Many times a denture may be the best option (perhaps to replace lost support for the face) but the patient won't accept as removable appliance! It's a difficult one to manage.

So here are our top tips for ensuring a predictable result:

Start, pre implant placement, with a try-in full denture WITH gum work
If the patient ideally wants a fixed bridge have another try-in WITHOUT gum work so you can see the emergence of the teeth
Use the try-in to decide if there is enough room for a bar or studs, if not enough room discuss options with us.
Do not proceed until the patient is happy with the try-in
Get us to turn the try-in in to a stent
Place the implants using the stent
Once integrated get us to make the bar with a 'snap' on bite block and final test set up
Once happy go through to completion

The key is the set up at the beginning, don't be tempted to guess or move too fast without getting this right. This is THE absolute KEY to predictability.

To help further with this we are running a study evening, here at the lab (a quick 15 minutes from Kings Cross Station or Jnct 22 on M25) on Tuesday 30th November 6:30pm for 2 hours.

Study Evening - The Edentulous Patient, an evening looking at CADCAM Bars and Frameworks

To book, please call the lab on 01707 663293 or book online here http://www.sbodentallaboratory.co.uk/events.html

We look forward to seeing you.

How to accurately raise the patients bite

noreply@blogger.com (SBO Dental Laboratory) — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 16:27:00 +0000

We do lots of cosmetic smile design reconstructions in the lab, and one frequent request for occlusal rehab cases from our dentists is this "Please open the bite by 1.5mm", sounds simple huh?

Well, the problem is - where do we raise the bite from? Many replies we get to this question say "Raise the bite on the posterior teeth by 1.5 mm", but if we do this, then anterioirly the bite is raised much more.

Some times we are asked to simply raise the bite vertically by 1.5mm, but this again has big problems due to the arc of closure.

Opening the bite on an articulator is never the best solution, here is a diagram which seeks to demonstrate this further.

Notice that if the bite is opened vertically then the upper/lower relationship looks very different to if it is raised on the articulator itself due to the arc of closure... obvious really! However this is simply an exageration of what happens when we open the bite on the articulator... we have NO WAY of knowing if the arc of closure is the same as in the mouth, this means we have no way of knowing if the new opened bite will be the same new opened bite when the restorations are fitted... a recipe for disaster.

To overcome this, we recommend opening the bite in the mouth to the amount that you wish, then recording this increased vertical dimension with a squash bite. This then ensures that the opening we mount to is the same as your patient.

How have you overcome this same problem?

Technology makes implant dentures more predictable using Biomet

noreply@blogger.com (SBO Dental Laboratory) — Mon, 10 May 2010 14:34:00 +0000

Over the years we have produced many, many implant cases using dentures on beams to restore the patient's teeth. Implant borne dentures on a beam solve a number of problems that fixed bridges don't:

They are removable which makes the case far more cleanable
They are far better at supporting the lip in cases of extreme bone loss
They can more easily be repaired

However, implant borne dentures aren't without their problems:

They often involve clips, attachments and/or milling which makes the cost unpredictable and often high
This wide use of components often means they need laser welding or soldering, this can introduce weaknesses in the design making them more prone to fracture
The bars are usually made of gold, while this is bio-compatible, the gold interfaces with titanium so there is a chance of some electrolytic corrosion at that interface

Modern advances in CADCAM technology have now brought together the advantages of implant beam dentures and made huge progress in removing the problems.

Using Biomet3i CAM StructSURE (r) Precision Milled Bars it is now possible to have all the benefits of a beam design with a denture AND have none of the conventional negatives. These bars are precision milled from a solid mass of industrial grade titanium which makes them incredibly strong and bio compatible.

Due to the savings made on components and manufacturing costs we are, amazingly, able to offer these bars at up to a 20% saving on our standard prices... so you get a better product at reduced price...a dental 'no brainer' really.

Biomet3i CAM StructSURE (r) Precision Milled Bars are also available in a design that is suitable for direct application of acrylic teeth, so if screw access position is good then this is a great alternative to the classic 'beam design' gold and acrylic denture.

For fixed conventional bridge work that requires composite layering (such as GC Gradia) , this is also possible using this same system using a CADCAM copy milling technique.

For further information and to discuss case management, please call Keith at the lab on 01707 663293

Save money on implant abutments & get a better product, find out how...

noreply@blogger.com (SBO Dental Laboratory) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 09:21:00 +0000

I’d like to personally invite you to an

Astra Atlantis Cost Effective Implant Abutment Experience

This is a perfect opportunity to find out how you can easily have:

1. Cheaper Implant Abutments to increase profit margins

2. More Bio Compatible Implant Abutments to provide a better product

Astra Atlantis is a revolutionary leap in technology that allows us to design implant abutments with extreme precision, to match soft tissue contours, in 3 materials - Zirconia, Titanium, Titanium/Gold Hue.

Astra Atlantis also have a unique 'Gemini' abutment system which is 2 abutments - 1 for highly accurate soft tissue contouring during temporisation, and another exact replica that is used for final restoration production. This technique saves time and creates a far better aesthetic result.

The evening will include 2 brief presentations, 1 from Keith Shrubb (Implant Director at SBO) and Christian Flynn from Astra. Plus an extended time to truly experience the full advantages of the system and answer your questions.

Date of the Astra Atlantis Experience: 13^th May 2010

Start time: 1830

Venue: SBO Dental Laboratory

Cost: £0

If you restore implants, want to save money AND want a better product then you need to book to come on this Astra Atlantis Experience to find out how to make the most of this amazing system in your practice.

Places are limited as we have a small friendly lab, so please book early to avoid missing out. Simply reply to this emai/blog with your practice details and I will add you to our list:

Name:

Address:

Phone number:

Number of place to book:

Alternatively call Mark on 01707 663293 or print and fax this to 01707 662092

I really look forward to seeing you,

What cases do you want to be doing more of?

noreply@blogger.com (SBO Dental Laboratory) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 15:54:00 +0000

This is a blog post about getting more patients to your practice so you can treat them with the high quality dentistry you know you can provide. Would you like more of the right patients to your practice? Indeed would you like some one else to find those patients for you so you can continue to be the very best dentist?

At the end of this post I will make a commitment to spend money helping you find those patients.

In a moment I will tell you about the money I will spend on your practice, but before I do that you need to know that I've just had one of those profound light bulb moments. This light bulb moment started yesterday when I jointly facilitated (with Azimuth Dental dental business coach) a business/marketing development day for 12 dentists.

The dentists brought to the meeting their biggest dental business problems facing them today. As a facilitator I spent the day entirely in the mind of the delegates whilst we worked through these problems. I had NO agenda, NO presentation and NOTHING prepared other than a very carefully thought through structure for the day. You know that all successful businesses have a structure, indeed all successful humans have a structure - when you prep a tooth for a PFM you work to a structure because structure gets results... the result of our structured day?... 12 VERY happy dentists with REAL results that THEY generated.

Whilst online this afternoon I came across this blog post on Twitter (very much worth a read) about creating a remarkable business that truly reflects what the customer wants, and the light bulb glowed brightly.

I've been stupid.

I've been dumb.

I've spent thousands marketing to get new dentists to send their cases to the lab and I haven't once stoppped to REALLY get inside their heads and ask "what do you want?"

I've told you that we do implants, I've told you that we do cosmetic cases, I've even told you we do anti-snoring devices and that I will send patients to your practice.

So here's what's new, I'm not going to tell you what we do, I'm going to ask what you want...

so here's that question...

what type of restorative cases would you ideally like to be doing more of?

some suggestions might be...

regular dentures
flexible dentures
implant supported dentures
veneers
crowns
single implants
large implant cases
inlays
gum shields
occlusal splints
anti-snoring appliances
full mouth reconstructions
other

And here's my financial commitment to you now...

If you reply to me with what you want to be doing more of, I will allocate a major share of my marketing budget for 2010 to attracting those patients and putting them in touch with YOU

I will take a consensus of opinion from all responses I get to decide on which treatments I will promote. I'll attract these patients by using a structured approach, which gets results, using a variety of techniques including Twitter, Facebook, websites and more. I'll then put these patients in touch with the dentist closest to them.

So to start getting these patients sent to you, you need to tell me what you want to be doing more of (the only caveat is that it is lab related... for obvious reasons!), to do this you can:

Twitter DM me: @markoborn
Facebook message me: Facebook.com/dentistmarketing
email me: mark@sbodentallaboratory.co.uk
call me: 01707 663293
comment on this blog post

At the end of April 2010 I will collate all responses and put together a structured marketing package that will start to put relevent patients in contact with you, thereby building your practice with cases that you want to do, building our lab with happy dentists and ultimately providing patients with the service they desire and quality dentistry they can be proud of... truly a win, win, win situation.

So reply now while its fresh, what cases do YOU want to be doing more of?

Get updates of patients looking for a dentist...

noreply@blogger.com (SBO Dental Laboratory) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 09:41:00 +0000

You may be aware that we are currently running a series of adverts on Facebook, Google and Bing telling patients about the SBO Silensor Anti Snoring device. We are collating the patient details in to a geographical database of locations around the UK.

Currently we have 100 fans on our 'Stop Snoring Tonight' Facebook page and have 24 new patients looking for a dentist on our database... all this in only 3 weeks!

We would love to be able to provide your details to these patients, who have visited the patient anti-snoring page on our website and then to encourage these patients to come to you for their device, they are pre-educated and ready to go for the anti snoring device.

To be kept up to date with this rapidly growing database of new patients the easiest way is to

Subscribe to SBO Silensor Anti-Snoring Appliance Database by Email

Your details are totally secure and will not be used for any other purpose. Updates of patients will also be limited to once per week.

This is an innovative scheme from the UK's most proactive dental laboratory... watch out for more coming soon...

any questions please don't hesitate to call 01707 663293,

regards,

Mark

P.S. For a list of towns where patients are looking for a dentist to provide an SBO Silensor Anti Snoring Appliance please

Subscribe to SBO Silensor Anti-Snoring Appliance Database by Email

We have patients looking for a dentist, would you like them to contact you?

noreply@blogger.com (SBO Dental Laboratory) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:36:00 +0000

About 2 weeks ago we launched a campaign aimed at helping people with their snoring (or indeed their partner's snoring), I know there are many causes of snoring and indeed many solutions, but as a laboratory we manufacture the highly successful Silensor Anti Snoring device.

We promote this device as one solution to snoring directly to patients and in 2 weeks have had 55 people join our Facebook group and 16 people contact us directly with specific requests for a dentist that is able to see them to help with their snoring - now of course we place these patients with our existing clients, but we are now also looking for more dentists around the UK to see these patients and help with their snoring.

So, do you have a practice in one of these areas?

If you do, would you like your details passed on to these patients?

We desperately need dentists in:

Beverley, East Yorkshire
Lowestoft
Harrogate
Lancing
Littlehampton
Croyden
Edgware
Nottingham
Birmingham
Norwich
Chester
Falmouth

Please call me at the laboratory 01707 663293 to discuss how we can get these patients in to your practice to solve their snoring problems.

Speak soon,

Mark

Get your Bite Blocks functional

noreply@blogger.com (SBO Dental Laboratory) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:41:00 +0000

If a case comes in to the lab of interest I blog about it... and this is one that has come in to us this morning.

An edentulous patient that we are making a F/F for needs some bite blocks, we made them, they were used by the dentist and returned to us for articulating the models...

The dentist marked the centre line (so many times we don't get this) and the canine line (wow, very rarely do we get this, so this is great)...

.. but in this case the dentist didn't lock the bites together, so we have no way of getting the bite right...
...the result? Another appointment for the patient, lost confidence with the patient and lost revenue through missed surgery time... oh, and extra cost for us as we have had to courier the case back!

So, please make sure that any bite blocks you take lock together clearly outside of the patients mouth. A simple thing to do, but costly if not done.

Bye for now...
Mark

Avoiding confusion with shade guides

noreply@blogger.com (SBO Dental Laboratory) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 11:23:00 +0000

What seems logical to you when you write things down can often be taken in a totally different way by the person reading. We've all experienced that haven't we? You write an email/letter and get a response back that you weren't expecting, only to realise it was the way the email/letter was interpreted.

Here's an example with shades.

Answer this question... "If you saw a shade written down that said A4++, is that lighter or darker than A4?"

Most people would say that A4++ is darker.

What about this?

This shade came in to the lab today, so if A4++ is darker than A4, is A1++ lighter or darker than A1?

I know the dentist wants lighter... but surely lighter than A1 is 'A1--'?

So, be careful what you write on lab prescriptions and make sure it is not open to ambiguous interpretation... you may just get what you ask for!

Anti Snoring Appliance Patient Referral Scheme

noreply@blogger.com (SBO Dental Laboratory) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 10:15:00 +0000

How many of your patients suffer from snoring?

The chances are that 60% of the men in your practice suffer from snoring… or should that be their partners suffer with their snoring!

Curing snoring with an Anti-Snoring Appliance is a simple piece of dentistry; most of the noises produced by snoring are generated by bottlenecks or even complete obstruction of the airways, especially when the patient lies on their back.

The SILENSOR Anti-Snoring Appliance makes use of the fact that the pharyngeal space is enlarged when the lower jaw is displaced in an anterior direction.

The SILENSOR consists of two separate clear splints made in either hard or soft materials which fit over the upper and lower arches. The splints are connected by two lateral rotating connectors which gently pull the lower jaw forward. Any further opening of the mouth increases the anterior displacement of the lower jaw.

All it involves on your part is upper and lower impressions, a centric bite and a note as to whether the patient requires hard or soft splints. The device can be returned within 10 working days with no interim appointments needed. The lab fee for this is £167.

Now here's the good bit...

Patient referral scheme
As part of our value added service to dentists in the UK we offer a referral service for patients looking for a snoring appliance. We run a Google Adwords & Facebook campaign encouraging patients to visit our patient anti snoring page, from here they give us their details and we provide them with the details of a dentist local to them, would you like to be on this list?

We launched this scheme on Friday 12th Feb, over the weekend we have had 3 patients contact us already looking for a dentist to provide an anti snoring appliance.

The only way to be part of this scheme and receive these referrals is to be a client of SBO, so please call Mark on 01707 663293 to find out how we can make this happen today, or email mark@sbodentallaboratory.co.uk

Getting a Smile Design RIGHT

noreply@blogger.com (SBO Dental Laboratory) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:10:00 +0000

This is a little tip for ensuring smile designs go right first time, and it involves an accurate impression of the palate at pre-op impression stage... let me explain.

When we do diagnostic wax ups for crowns or veneers we make 2 matrices to help with the preps, one shows buccal reduction and one show incisal reduction. The key point here is that the incisal reduction matrix often only locates on the palate, especially when posteriors are also being included in the smile design.

After you have prepared the veneers/crowns and we come to make the definitive restorations we use this matrix to build the restorations in to, this ensures we position the incisal edges in exactly the right place. Once again this matrix often locates on the palate only, so if the impressions of the palates from the original diagnostic and the definitive preps don't match then we are not always able to transfer this matrix.... possibilities for errors creep in!

So, although the impression of the teeth and preps is vital, for complete reliability and to reduce the chance of uncertainty, we need an accurate impression of the palate on both the original diagnostic and the final prep impressions.

noreply@blogger.com (SBO Dental Laboratory) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:43:00 +0000

Over the past few months I have recorded a few video articles on Dental Marketing for Apex (click here to watch) , they have passed the following information on to me, so I thought I would share it with you also as it will almost certainly have enormous value for any dental practioner.

Mark

--------

Apex invites you to join Dr Marc Cooper for an evening on mastering the business of dental practice Dr Marc Cooper, US dental business consultant for 25 years, will be presenting a series of evening talks in January in three different locations across the UK to dentists who want to achieve mastery in their dental practices.

Most dentists achieve ‘mastery’ in their clinical delivery of dentistry. At this level, they handle problems, breakdowns and issues with grace and ease. At this level of mastery they accurately forecast the future. As clinical masters they direct themselves, their patients, and their staff to produce quality clinical results. However, this level of mastery rarely translates into a comparable mastery of the business side of dental practice.

The 'Mastering the Business of Practice' evening event is designed to introduce British dentists to the concepts and technologies Dr Cooper has used with more than 2000 dentists over the last 25 years.

DATES:
January 19, 2010
Venue: ULC Eastman Dental Institute (CDP) 123 Gray's Inn Rd ‐ London ‐ WC1X 8WD

January 20, 2010
Venue: Academy of Clinical Excellence Wakefield ‐ WF2 7BJ

January 21, 2010
Venue: The Health Centre 55‐60 Conventry Rd. Coleshill ‐ Birmingham B46 3EE

FEE: £60

TIME: 7:00 to 10:00 PM

Attendance is limited so please book early to avoid disappointment. For more information and to register, please visit www.masteryofpractice.com/ukmasteryevening/

an SBO Christmas message...

noreply@blogger.com (SBO Dental Laboratory) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:29:00 +0000

That time of year is rapidly approaching again... you know, that time of year when you eat too much, drink too much and do everything else that can have 'too much' put after it!!

Well this year we at SBO hope that what you don't get 'too much' of is rest and recuperation ready for 2010.

2009 has been a topsy turvy year for us, we have reduced in size and relocated to our shiny new premises in Potters Bar... so we've had it with change for now... nothing so big and drastic is planned for 2010.

We'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for supporting us throughout this year, we'd like to extend 2 special thank yous...

Thank you to all the new clients that have started to work with us in 2009 - all 23 of you have been an absolute joy to meet and discover how we can work together to improve the lives of your patients
Thank you to the 53 other loyal dentists that have supported us over the years and who have continued to work with us during 2009 - as ever it has also been a joy to continue to work with you all

Christmas closing times
We are going to be taking a well earned break this year, so the lab will be closed from 24th December and re-open fresh and ready to go on 4th January 2010.

Let's hope 2010 is as fun packed, eventful and enjoyable as 2009 has been... please extend a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and Happy New Year to EVERYONE in your practice,

from all at SBO... Neil, Eldi, Keith and Mark

Ziconia crowns vs e.max HT

noreply@blogger.com (SBO Dental Laboratory) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:46:00 +0000

Is there a problem with zirconia crowns fracturing? Well possibly, what I present here in this video is an argument rather than a definitive YES or NO - watch the video and see what you think, then comment on the blog and let me know your thoughts.

If you can't see the video click here to watch on You Tube

Champagne, Canapes and the answers to 2 BIG problems facing dentists

noreply@blogger.com (SBO Dental Laboratory) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:25:00 +0000

We would like to take this opportunity to invite all dentists to our FREE open evening...

"Champagne, Canapes and the answers to 2 BIG problems facing dentists"

Problem 1:
You know what it’s like, you quote the patient for an implant crown and get stung with the price of custom abutments – we now have a significantly lower cost solution.

Bio-compatability is also a key issue for all dentists, you want to be sure that any implant is going to be healthy and last for years, what your patient needs is a fully titanium abutment with no other alloy– well, that same lower cost solution is also more bio-compatable than conventional custom abutments with gold.

What’s our solution? The solution is Astra Atlantis

Problem 2:
You want to do the most aesthetic crown possible to get the best result for your patient, but the problem is that currently the most aesthetic (feldspatic dentine bonded) crown is NOT the strongest. Modern technology and modern materials bring you the perfect answer.

What’s our solution?
The solution is i-esthetic ® ADVANCED

SBO Dental Laboratory has been established for 63 years and has a particular interest in implants and cosmetic cases; now, using modern computer CADCAM technology, we have provided solutions to these 2 major problems in dentistry…

1. How do you make a custom implant abutment that is more cost effective and more bio-compatible?

2. How do you make a highly translucent crown with no opaque core that is as strong as zirconia?

We would love to be able to show you these 2 great advances in person at our

Open Evening

We will enjoy an informal evening together, with no long presentations, just an opportunity to network with fellow dentists, discuss these advances, look at cases and share some great canapés and champagne.

On the evening you will:

Find out when and where to use the titanium lower cost, bio-abutment from Astra Atlantis
Discover how much exactly you will save compared to your current system
See for yourself the new Astra Atlantis abutment
See the new iesthetic-advanced restoration
Have explained how it can possibly be stronger than zirconia
Find out when and where to prescribe i-esthetic advanced
Enjoy some great canapés and champagne
Meet fellow dentists and network
Have the pleasure of spending an evening with Keith and Mark!

We will also have Astra Tech present to talk more about the Atlantis bio-abutments, Ivoclar Vivadent who can talk more about the material of i-esthetic advanced PLUS Kevin Rose from Azimuth Dental who is a dental business coach - thank you to both these companies for sponsoring this event.

WHEN: 19th November
TIME: 6pm
WHERE: SBO Dental Laboratory | 15 Station Close | Potters Bar | Herts
COST: £0 (thank you to Azimuth Dental, Ivoclar & Astra Tech for sponsoring the evening to keep it free)

We are located an easy 2 stops and 16 minutes train ride from Kings Cross or 5 minutes from junction 24 of the M25. We have plenty of parking in the street, alternatively you can park in Sainsbury’s car park at the entrance to Station Close.

To register simply:

Call Mark on 01707 663293
Email Mark
RSVP instantly using Twitter

A confirmation will be sent to verify that your champagne and canapes have been reserved for you.

We'd like to thank our sponsors:

Astra Tech

How to prevent marginal ridge failure on zirconia crowns

noreply@blogger.com (SBO Dental Laboratory) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 08:31:00 +0000

Hi.

Many dental professionals are talking about failure rates of zirconia crowns, it's often a topic of discussion at lectures and has been a problem for us in the lab also in the past. In repsonse to this I thought I would share with you a video podcast on a design technique for zirconia frameworks to prevent this problem.... since we have been doing this... 0 failures!

If you can't see the video enclosure you can watch it here on YouTube.

Save your patient's marriage as well as fixing their teeth

noreply@blogger.com (SBO Dental Laboratory) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:45:00 +0000

It's not often that marriage guidance counselling and dentistry cross paths is it, but in the case of snoring appliances this is definitely the case.

We've made a few of these great little appliances in the lab recently with some brilliant results... and no doubt some relationships saved too. So how do they work?

How does the appliance work?
(Edited extract from Silensor website)
Studies have shown that approximately 40% of the population of the industrialised countries snore and that this increases to 60% in men above the age of 60.

Most of the noises produced by snoring are generated by vibration of areas of the soft tissues. During sleep, there is a natural relaxation of the muscle tone in the neck and pharynx and the normal firmness of the tissues decreases, resulting in the formation of bottlenecks or even complete obstruction of the airways, especially when the patient lies on their back.

Due to this narrowing of the pharyngeal space, the required volume of air must be respired at a higher velocity to deliver the same quantity of air. This results in stimulation and vibration of soft tissues, such as the velum palatinum (soft palate) and the uvulum.

The SILENSOR makes use of the fact that the pharyngeal space is enlarged when the lower jaw is displaced in an anterior direction.

The SILENSOR consists of two separate clear splints made in either hard or soft materials which fit over the upper and lower arches. The splints are connected by two lateral rotating connectors which gently pull the lower jaw forward. Any further opening of the mouth increases the anterior displacement of the lower jaw.

The connectors come in 4 lengths and we usually start with length number 2. If the patient doesn't feel the benefit we can use a shorter connector to move the lower jaw more anteriorly. Alternatively if the patient feels length 2 is too much we can use a longer connector and not move the lower jaw quiet so much.

What do we need at the lab?

All we need at the lab are upper and lower impressions, a centric bite and a note as to whether the patient requires hard or soft splints. The device can be returned within 10 workings with no interim appointments needed. The lab fee for this is £167 and the person to contact at the lab is Keith

This is one of the simplest and quickest surgery procedures with only 2 appointments and 2 impressions needed; and yet, it can provide the most life changing results for patients that suffer from this problem... although the person that often benefits the most is their partner!

An opportunity to market them to your patients

And now with my marketing head firmly screwed on... why not run a special offer to your patients for the end of next month at Halloween...

"Make sure the only thing keeping you awake at night is your Phasmophobia*... XX% off anti-snoring appliances from 31st October to Xth of November

*an abnormal and persistent fear of ghosts, spectres and phantasms to you and me"

And on that bomb shell... I'll say no more...

Mark

Taking shades for dentists

noreply@blogger.com (SBO Dental Laboratory) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:42:00 +0000

Do you often find taking shades in the dental practice difficult?

Well as an answer to some of these issues I have prepared this slide show for dentists, I have lectured all over the world on this subject, so this presentation is a summary of my thoughts on the subject.

It's a bit of an experiment really in using presentations in this way... so I am eager to hear what you think.

Should I do more of these?

Do you like the format?

I have loads of pesentation that can be uploaded in this way, but I need to know your thoughts and then I can modify the pesentations to be better.

If you can't see the presentation below, here is a link to view it on the web. No signups, no forms to fill in, just click and watch!

If you like the presentation please share it on Facebook, Twitter etc... the links to do this are on the embed tab on the presentation below.

ENJOY.....

Mark

Taking shades for dentists

View more presentations from SBO Dental Laboratory.