If you read the first edition of our newsletter, you already know about our renovations in the lab, our adoption of cutting edge esthetic zirconias and our continuing education in esthetics and function. But we’re not done! The second half of 2024 saw several advances in the lab that will help make 2025 even better, not only for Selser Dental Lab but for you and your patients.
We are excited to announce that we are now a fully Encode empowered lab! In August, we were able to become an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) of genuine Zimmer parts for Encode cases. Not only can we design custom abutments and crowns all from an Encode healing cuff, but now we are able to mill Encode abutments in-house and pass the savings (of time and money) on to you.
In the past, our only choice was to scan Encode cases, design the abutments and send those designs to Zimvie to be milled out of genuine Zimmer parts. While offloading the milling process might seem convenient, we would often end up having to let doctors know their case would be late due to production/shipping complications, and costs were also higher. Now, the production schedule is fully in-house, from scanning the models to milling the abutments and crowns to completing the case. And we are happy to pass the savings on to you!
September saw even more savings, as we brought down prices for our Value DSO line. Everyone has felt the strain of inflation this year, so we thought we would do what we could to ease that burden by adjusting our fee schedule. While prices everywhere are going up, we decided to cut prices for our full line of value products. The quality and guarantee remain the same, but at a lower cost to you.
Meanwhile, we also launched our Premier Esthetic line of in-house work. Charles and I developed the mission for Premier Esthetic at the 2024 Chicago Lab Day meeting. We were inspired not only by the incredible technicians we met at the conference but also by the collaborative partnerships so many of them have with their doctors. Our vision for Premier Esthetic is to provide top-tier esthetic restorations in collaboration with our dentists to deliver the highest quality results for your patients. Premier Esthetic goes beyond the simple shade tab crown to reproduce the intricacies unique to each patient’s smile.
Most recently, we launched a new customer portal to make the whole process more convenient. You are now able to create an account, send us cases, and pay your bill all from a link on our homepage. Click here to try it out.
As 2024 draws to a close and we look ahead to the new year, we at Selser Dental Lab could not be more grateful for your partnership. By working closely together in a truly collaborative way, we hope to keep bringing smiles to the countless people who need them most. Thank you for all you do, and Happy New Year!
2024 is shaping up to be a transformative year! Over the past several months, we’ve worked to streamline our layout and make our lab more of an efficient workspace. Much of our old workspace has been re-dedicated to digital design. We’ve also brought a warmer feel to our space by replacing old countertops and creating a kitchenette space for our team to fix their lunches or grab a cup of coffee.
Dentistry is a fast-changing field, and we’re dedicated to staying at the forefront of that change. It is in that spirit that we’d like to introduce you to one of Ivoclar’s most popular new products—E.Max Prime and Prime Esthetic zirconia.
As you know, full contour zirconia’s greatest drawback is a lack of true translucency compared to natural dentition. However, with E.Max Prime and Prime Esthetic, Ivoclar has managed to produce a functional zirconia that offers strength in stress areas and life-like translucency in the incisal region.
They achieved this by combining zirconia powders stabilized with varying amounts of yttria. The higher the level of yttria content, the higher the translucency with a corresponding compromise of flexural strength. With their proprietary gradient technology, Ivoclar has created a true multi-powder zirconia with less yttria in the cervical and middle area and more in the incisal. The result is a life-like, esthetic full contour crown with less influence from the stump shade. That means fewer remakes on implant cases and cases with a dark stump shade.
In February, we continued our pursuit of education by attending the Chicago Lab Day held in conjunction with the Mid-Winter Dental meeting. We look forward to this trip every year, and it did not disappoint. We had the opportunity to meet many fantastic technicians from around the world and pick their brains about the techniques and products they use.
We also attended the Cal Lab meeting, held at the same time in Chicago. Much of the Cal Lab meeting focused on the future of AI in dentistry. AI can be a scary topic for technicians of any field, but we left feeling invigorated and optimistic about it will improve the dental experience for everyone—patient, dentist, and technician.
In May, I attended a course on full-arch workflow taught by renowned German ceramist Stefan Picha. We worked through the digital design stage of an all-on-x case, and had hands-on experience micro-layering porcelain and stain over a zirconia substructure. I always love attending these courses because they give me a chance to practice new techniques under the supervision of masters. Below you can see an image of the study case we completed, with stunning esthetic results.
We’re excited about what the future holds, and we thank you for continuing the journey with us. Your dedication to providing quality care for your patients always motivates us to do and be better.
—Michael Selser
Ceramist, Digital Specialist
Selser Dental Lab
