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November 12, 2008
News

3M ESPE Announces New Capabilities for the Lava Digital Platform

ST. PAUL, Minn. – (Nov. 12, 2008) – 3M ESPE announces the release of Lava™ Design Software 4.2 which expands the Lava platform to provide additional capabilities for dental lab customers—including full contour design, patient-specific implant abutments and a new wax/resin pattern option. This is the latest step in the company’s selectively open architecture strategy announced in February.

“Our lab customers are continually looking for ways to increase productivity,” says Dan McMaster, marketing manager, 3M ESPE, “now, with this increased flexibility and functionality; they are able to get even more from their existing Lava Scan ST Design System investment.”

The Lava Scan ST Design System now enables the following options:

Full Contour Design

3M ESPE has collaborated with Dental Wings to provide a full contour software module that was developed especially for the owners of the Lava Design System. To create a digital restoration, the technician starts with the coping or substructure design using Lava Design Software.  Once the coping design is complete, the scan and design files are sent in a secure format that can only be read by the special Dental Wings full contour software module.  The technician can then design a full contour pattern for output to a compatible wax/resin printer. This software is offered to authorized Lava labs directly by Dental Wings. In order use this software, Lava labs will need to activate the Lava design export module from 3M ESPE. The export module is free-of-charge when a service agreement is in place. For those without a service agreement, a one-time activation fee applies.

''Our collaboration with 3M is part of our DWOS (Dental Wings Operating System) strategy to integrate our software technology with a leading manufacturer such as 3M ESPE,” says Naoum Araj, President of Dental Wings.

Wax/Resin Patterns

Lava Scan ST Design System owners can now create copings for wax/resin output via the EnvisionTec DDP (Digital Dental Printer). Other compatible devices include 3D Systems’ ProJet™ DP 3000 Production System and the InVision® DP 3-D Modeler.

Labs who own approved manufacturer’s equipment may contact 3M ESPE for authorization to become a rapid manufacturing center. With this designation, companies will be listed on the Lava website as a provider of wax/resin patterns for Lava Milling and Design Centers. For the most updated listing of rapid manufacturing centers, please visit www.3MESPE.com/lava.   

Patient-specific Implant Abutments

As announced in May, 3M ESPE and Astra Tech have developed interconnectivity to enable Lava Scan ST Design System owners the ability to scan models and seamlessly order an Atlantis™ patient-specific abutment through the Atlantis™ WebOrder system. This allows Lava Scan ST Design System owners to offer Atlantis abutments in titanium, gold-shaded titanium and zirconia, without having to send a model in to Astra Tech. In addition, Lava Scan ST Design System owners will receive the best pricing and turnaround time from Astra Tech. With the release of Lava Design 4.2 software, this option is now available. In order for Lava Design and Milling Centers to fully realize the Atlantis abutment capability, Astra Tech offers an Atlantis FLO™ (Feature Location Objects) kit for use with each scan.

“The ability to remotely scan implant cases with the Lava Scan ST Design System is a major step forward for Astra Tech as we continue our expansion in the field of digital dentistry.  The ability to receive digital information, as opposed to physical models, reduces costs for our customers and processing time while improving the quality of the Atlantis abutments, thus enhancing overall customer experience,” says Craig Rodriguez, VP of Marketing, Astra Tech, Inc.

About the Lava Scan ST Design System

The Lava Scan ST Design System includes Lava Design 4.2 and the second-generation lab scanner for the Lava system. It is the only lab-based scanning system which enables access to Lava branded zirconia.

“We have found that due to the high quality of the scan input from the Lava Scan ST, the precision of the wax patterns are much higher than what we got previously with our other scanner,” says Dick Pilsner, president, D&S Dental Lab in Waunekee, Wisconsin.

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3M ESPE manufactures and markets more than 2,000 products and services designed to help dental professionals improve their patients' oral health care. 3M Health Care, one of 3M’s six major business segments, provides world-class innovative products and services to help health care professionals improve the practice and delivery of patient care in medical, oral care, drug delivery and health information markets. For more information on the complete 3M ESPE line of dental products visit the 3M ESPE Web site at www.3MESPE.com or call the 3M ESPE Technical Hotline at 1-800-634-2249. Products are available for purchase through authorized 3M ESPE distributors.

3M, ESPE and Lava are trademarks of 3M ESPE or 3M ESPE AG.  Used under license in Canada.

ProJet is a trademark and InVision is a registered trademark of 3D Systems, Inc.

Atlantis and FLO are trademarks of Astra Tech.