Solid model technique

Wowsers waht a crazy two weeks.  I have just crashed at the en d of each night.  Anyway off to the topic.  Just wanted to post the solid model technique we use to get better, closer contacts, quicker.  Everybody looks for quicker.  First we have three solid models; A. Mesial adjacent tooth and prep, with tissue completely removed and margin trimmed nicely, B. Distal adjacent tooth and prep, with tissue completely removed and margin trimmed nicely, C. Both Mesial and Distal adjacent teeth and prep, with tissue form carefully to mimic proper intra-oral formation.  Models A. and B. are used as quick grind guides to get contacts seated very close very quickly.  Model C. is used as the precision model, you can get the final contacts with just a quick touch of your bur, as well as correct contour for proper tissue management(this is generally a very revealing stage, as to how much tissue is generally impinged upon), and any finishing touches, i.e. perikymata, furcation indentations, etc.  I will upload pictures of examples as soon as our camera gets back from the repair shop.  Please comment if you have any questions.

 

Busy-ness

I wanted to  pop on and apologize for my noticeable absence.  It has been a busy couple of weeks with work and home repairs and such…..  I will be back soon though.

 

Professionalism

I’m hearing this term thrown around a lot lately, but what does it really mean?  I liked Princeton’s Wordnet definition the best of the few I found; the expertness characteristic of a professional person.  You can find this and more pearls of wise definitions here: wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn  Expertness, implying to be an expert in your field, or specifically this field, Dental Technology.  What does it take to be an expert in this field? Knowledge, and how do we get that, from learning, right?  Where do we learn?  Lectures, yes, ding, ding, ding, ding.  So sign up for the soonest lecture you can attend and learn something!  We can learn terminology, which could enable us to talk to the doctors more, give an air of confidence generally lacking when conversing with doctors.  We can learn more of the material we use and have a greater grasp of why that porcelain pulled away at the margin. Etcetera, etcetera, just some random thoughts on professionalism, does anyone else have any other?

 

Scinece or Art?

I want to hear from anyone and everyone visiting my blog.  Which do you think it is?

 

Next Generation

SO far I can see three generations of Dental technicians before us.  1. The inventors, these are the people around at the conceptualization of porc to metal crown.  2. The High and Mighty, these were the techs and owners around in the 80’s growing their labs into the bubble of the early 90’s 3. The re-inventors, these guys got the metal free, oxide sub-structure up and going.  And now there is Us, the next generation, the technicians fighting outsourcing, fighting for our jobs.  The ones realizing that we have to get better as an industry.  Stepping away from the “cottage industry” and into the lime-light.  Alot of people want to do this but don’t really know how.  EDUCATION! That’s how.  How many of you know the envelope of function, neutral zone, cuspid guidance (truely) anterior disclusion.  How many can talk to a Doctor, ….. on his terms, using vocabulary he can understand.  While I’m easy going and layed back, I can still talk intelligably with any dentist.  Including the great ones who have choosen to continue their education at an advanced training facility.  And speaking of…  Advanced training, why don’t more of us attend the Dawson Center, LVI, OBI, Seattle institute, or any of the number of advanced training facitities, why don’t we invest in ourselves, our future and our role as a whole in the dental technician industry?  LAZINESS.. that’s why.  I am the first to admit, I don’t want to save up the $2000 to take the week off, loose pay and go to the Dawson Center, in Florida. Bbbbuuuutttt, If I don’t will I ever make more than $20 an hour, umm nope, won’t happen.  Why?  Because.  People invest 10’s of thousands of dollars in themselves to go to a 4 year college, why can’t we get loans, or shoot see if there are grants out there pertaining to adult education, hmm a little time and we might be able to get advanced training for free.  I’ll say it again; laziness…….  Well I see why we are worried about offshore competition.  They are just as good as us because they have been trained to the same thing as us, How soon will it be before they are better?  How soon before they realize they need to invest in themselves?  How soon before you realize?

 

Outsourcing!

Oh the tangled web…  Currently outsourcing is a controversial practice that brings to mind sweat shops in overseas markets, and a failing job market in the US.  I feel this is  unwarrented, outsourcing in dentistry is not new, and most forms are generally accepted.  Until now most forms have presented themselve in the way of US to US labs who have a particular technology, manufacturing any given resoration for another lab.  The big kicker, hooplah or question now is the same use of foriegn dental labs, mainly due to the “unkown”.   Now if you order a product in the United States, by law, the lab has to provide you with what the materials ordered on the prescritpion.  If the ever watchful eyes of the judicial system (yes I know lady justice is blind) can not see what is going on then how do we know everyone is getting the right thing?  I think outsourcing is getting a bad rap due to over-concerned and threatened lab owners.  The face of business is changing and as business owners we must change with it as well.  Outsourcing is a tool to keep overhead to a minumum and prices to you as low as possible.  If used properly, as a tool to aid our industry, I think it is a great thing.

 

Sensation SL

Sensation SL from Leach & Dillon is my worst enemy right now. I am employed at a lab using this porc. At first I was excited about what I read in the manual. Flourescing, low fusing, great wear. After using it for a couple of months. I feel they have dropped the ball. It is not very stable, which is generally known problem with low fusing porc., It is not terribly esthetic. The opaque is mostly yellow, no matter the shade. With no exception, can it be sent out the door without staing the crap out of it. It’s selection of modifying porcelains are anything but desireable. I would rate it somewhat, kind of, ahead of Ceramco. It is a production porcelain, it is ment to be a rpoduction porcleain, but they don’t chrage production porcelain prices…. 2 thumbs down.

 

Articulators

I want to take a second to make a rant or two about articulators. I have always hated, yes hated, plastic disposable articulators. I never really knew why they bothered me, until I attended a lecture the other day. Damon Adams, who is working very closely with my current boss, refered to the as hold-it-together devices, that they in no way simulate the jaw. Ding, ding, ding, ding… That’s it! Europa! This is exactly what has been nibbling at the back of my mind for years. It is exactly how I wanted to articulate 🙂 my thoughts (man alive, you know I couldn’t let that opportunity pass me by!!!!). I love and would ask anyone out there to use a fully adjustable articulator. They are essential, always. Yes I feel this way about a single molar, it doesn’t ever happen, but I feel this way.

 

D.sign

Ivoclar Vivadent’s crowning achievement, to date, INHO. IPS D.sign is an extraordinary material. It’s synthetically grown, flourapetite crystaline structure is beautiful, when it is layered correctly. That being said, it is one of the most technique sensitive porcelains I have ever used. AND, with that being said, once I learned the conditions that it wanted to be fired in, I was able to replicate that daily, without challenge. It isn’t sold to be a production porcelain, but if you have the right techniques, it could certainly become a VERY good one, very quickly. Some of the things I love about it are; It’s stability under multiple firing schedules, it’s shade matching, out of the bottle (you nearly have no shade adjustment at staining), and mainly it’s abililty to retain the exact surface texture after a natural glaze, and the surface itself! This gets 2 thumbs up from me!

 

The standard disclaimer

I, in no way, have “scientifically” tested any reviewed products to make any claims I choose to make. I make them from observation and opinion, based on my own knowledge of material science, and what I see work in a lab setting.

 

The beginning

This will be a casual, conversational style blog pertaining to and consisting of Dental Technician issues.  I will do my best to not make it a stuffy learning institute and explain everything to the best of my ability in everyday terminology.  Heck, I may even throw in a couple of very specific new terminology, such as but not exluded to, thingy or thingy-ma-bob.  Everyone knows that we use this at least once a day 🙂 .  I welcome discussion, and will not smite anyone with differing opinions, I want this to be an open forum, if you will, for learning and sharing.  It is more important now than ever to share with one another our knowledge and skill, so that all of the industry may become better.  Then and only then do we not have to worry about our jobs and outsourcing.