Optimising digital technology for an exceptional service
Featured Products Promotional FeaturesPosted by: Dental Design 25th February 2022
Digital dentistry has come a long way in the past 20 years. Early digital solutions suffered from clunky software and slow computers often making digitally produced restorations less efficient than handmade. The main benefit of being an early adopter was to learn to use new materials including zirconia, titanium and glass ceramic, and to learn to design using a mouse instead of a wax knife.
Today, digital solutions facilitate a broad range of advanced materials and indications, while also massively enhancing the service that can be provided to dentists. Quantum leaps in software and processing power have made digital workflows powerful and efficient.
Speed, efficiency and quality
In fact, clinicians benefit in various ways. Firstly, digital lab systems allow technicians to work with a level of accuracy, precision and efficiency not previously achievable. They ensure reproducibility within a range of situations, delivering consistency of results for total peace of mind for dentists that what they are promising patients is feasible.
More than this, digital increases speed and efficiency of workflows, consequently enabling faster turnaround times for shorter treatment times and high patient satisfaction. This is particularly advantageous for clinicians that provide high-end cosmetic or restorative work, as their patients will likely have high expectations and will often appreciate fast results – but only where there is no compromise in quality.
Communication and collaboration
Another area that digital has impacted dentistry is in how dentists and dental technicians communicate with each other. Though lab prescriptions of old may have left much to be desired, today’s transfer of digital information makes it much simpler to communicate clearly and concisely. Questions and queries can also be conveyed instantly with a range of digital aids to hand, helping to make sure that the technical team has all the data required to fabricate functional and beautiful solutions for each individual patient.
Much more than this – digital technology allows a collaborative workflow where technician and dentist work together to establish the best solutions for each patient by utilising their combined expertise and experience. Ultimately, the patient receives a first-class service, while the professional team benefit from a smooth and seamless treatment process, as well as the satisfaction and reward of delivering exceptional dentistry.
Opening doors
From personal experience, I can also say that digital dentistry opens the door to new opportunities for the dental team. Knight Dental Design Laboratory has now been the smile design laboratory for three series of Channel 5 TV programme, Ten Years Younger in Ten Days. Though the skill and talent of the technical team was essential when tackling such complex cases under rigid time constraints, we could not have done it without our range of digital systems.
For instance, filming schedules create extremely tight deadlines for the planning and completion of cases. With almost no leeway for error and patients traveling from all over the UK each case had to be right first time.
Each large case had to be completed within two weeks (sometimes along with 8 others) – including diagnostics, temporaries and permanent restorations. 3Shape Smile design software was used to create accurate 3D simulations for Dr Uchenna Okoye’s approval before printing the new mock-ups on our Nextdent and Asiga 3D printers. Silicone indexes made on the printed models were used to allow a smile preview in the patients’ mouths and to create the temporary restorations.
Once the temporaries were fitted and approved, they were digitally converted into the final restorations using 3D wax printing, ceramic pressing and micro layering to ensure the accurate reproduction of the approved dimensions.
Delivering 30 complex smile makeovers fast enough and of a high enough quality to be showcased on national TV was certainly difficult, but the lab team were up for the challenge. We were able to work with the show without disrupting our normal service to other clients, which is a real a testament to the power and flexibility of our digital workflow, as well as the dedication and stamina of our team.
We are delighted to have worked with our long-time client Dr Uchenna Okoye from London Smiling for each series. Only by collaborating with Uchenna as well as we do, combining our skills and utilising digital capabilities have we been able to deliver fast, efficient and ethical solutions for participants, in many cases completely changing their lives.
The Human Touch!
Approximately 90% of our lab workload is now all-ceramics and digital technology enables us to deliver exceptional results and excellent communication. Around 60% of our impressions now come in digitally. With more clients making the transition to intraoral scanners all the time, digital is the way forward.
Though I am a huge advocate for digital dentistry and utilise many solutions every day in the lab, there are still some aspects where analogue methods have the edge. For example, the layering and finishing of porcelain is one of the fields in which we retain traditional handmade techniques – technology thankfully cannot yet replicate the skill and artistry that an experienced technician can deliver. In today’s dental world, the quality of this hand layering is often what sets a dental laboratory apart and what gives the smiles the ‘Wow factor’.
Despite the emphasis we place on digital for all the benefits it brings, we are proud to be renowned for the skill and artistic talent of our team at Knight Dental Design Laboratory. For any clinicians looking for a reliable partner in cosmetic dentistry, give us a call!
Cases completed on Channel 5 TV programme Ten Years Younger in Ten Days can be accessed on demand with My5.
For more information about Knight Dental Design Laboratory, please visit www.knightdentaldesign.co.uk, email info@kdduk.net or call 0208 317 0979
