Over 30 years ago, brothers Charles and Robert established Selser Dental Lab. Their father became their inspiration as they built their business on three proven principles:
• To meet the evolving challenges of dentistry •
• To produce consistent, high-quality dental restorations •
• To develop skill-building opportunities for our team of professionals •
In 2020, Charles was joined by his son, Michael, who has quickly grown from a MIYO specialist into a talented ceramist.
Charles and Robert’s roots are in Louisiana. Charles attended Nicholls State University, and Robert attended Tulane University. They are both Certified Dental Technicians.
Charles entered the dental laboratory industry in 1974, and by 1980 he had established his own dental lab. His brother, Robert, entered the dental lab industry in 1979 at the age of 21 when he began his training under the tutelage of his father with various phases of fixed and removable techniques. As time progressed, Robert illustrated an aptitude and dexterity for the crown & bridge aspects of esthetic porcelain and composite to metal restorations.
In 1986, Charles and Robert created Selser Dental Lab, Inc. The synergy of their respective talents has allowed them to consistently provide leading-edge technologies and a high index of progressive dental services in Louisiana, Florida, and Mississippi for over 30 years.
Charles’ commitment to continuing education began in 1993 with his early involvement with metal-free restorations. Since then, he has focused on digital technologies, working with Nobel Biocare’s Procera system, Sirona’s CEREC inLab, 3Shape’s D710, and D1000 scanners, and Roland’s DWX 51D mill. Today the labs digital offerings include the ability to fabricated custom titanium abutments in house. These abutments are compatible with all major implant platforms and have full FDA Clearance. The abutments are designed in house using either the 3Shape or ExoCad.
With the investment in capital, CAD/CAM dentistry has become his area of strength, along with helping doctors implement digital modalities. He also completed training for all the premier implant systems including Zimmer, Nobel Biocare, Paragon (bought by Zimmer), Steri-Oss (subsidiary of Nobel Biocare), and ITI (Straumann).
Charles regularly conducts study club presentations, and even shared a 3M-sponsored program with Dr. Gerard Chiche. He has been Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer of the Louisiana State Dental Laboratory Association, and is also a member of the National Association of Dental Laboratories, the Louisiana State Dental Laboratory Association, and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.
Michael is no stranger to the dental lab. Some of his earliest memories revolve around he and his siblings playing around the lab while his father and uncle, Charles and Robert, worked. The case carts served as their racing cars and the wax sheets became their sculptures. His first experience working in the lab was during the summer of his sophomore year of high school. That was his first introduction to the CAD/CAM process.
Though he enjoyed using the technology and appreciated having a better understanding of his dad’s profession, he never thought it was a path for him. After graduating from Southeastern Louisiana University in 2013 with a creative writing degree, he began teaching English at his old high school, De La Salle. It felt perfect, but after six years, he realized that teaching was not the career for him.
It wasn’t until recently that Michael thought he would follow his father and build a career in the lab.
A few weeks into the 2020 COVID-19 shutdown, his dad gave him the opportunity to work at the lab full-time as a MIYO specialist, glazing full-contour zirconia. Michael quickly realized that not only did he enjoy the work, but he also wanted to learn more. Glazing zirconia led to learning tooth morphology, function, the science of occlusion, and eventually the art of building ceramic restorations.
Today, he arrives at the lab excited to learn something new, to practice the skills he’s acquired, and to move closer to his future as a successful dental technician.
