The evidence of humans replacing damaged and missing teeth goes back centuries. Based on the archeological and anthropological records, it appears these restorations were undertaken for both functional and esthetic reasons. Although dentistry was likely quite painful for patients back then, especially in the earliest days before the dawn of the concept of anesthesia, some of these ancient techniques and the materials used can be easily connected to modern dental restorations. Gold, for example, is among the earliest materials used to fix and replace damaged teeth.

Although the use of gold is less common than it was in the mid-20th century, gold is still a part of the dental industry today. However, other materials have been left to the pages of history books, and this was a smart move, as some of these indirect dental restoration choices sound far less than optimal. Here’s a look at a quintet of abandoned restorative materials from throughout history.

Animals come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and so do their teeth. Animal teeth were used in many ways for dental restorations. Some evidence shows that animal teeth were used as direct replacements for missing teeth in humans. More commonly, the large teeth of animals, such as the hippopotamus, were carved to create sets of dentures that were likely not very comfortable but durable enough for long-term use.


Wood is plentiful. It’s durable, and it’s fairly easy to shape. For this reason, it shouldn’t be too surprising that wood, specifically bamboo, has been used for dental purposes dating as far back as 4000 years ago. Human remains were found with carved bamboo pegs pounded into the jaw, creating an effective but likely extremely painful replacement for a missing tooth.

Used both for decorative and potentially functional purposes, stones as dental restorations date back more than a millennium, with evidence that the Mayan civilization would drill holes in teeth and fill them with precious stones. But stones have also been used to replace missing teeth, with some archeological evidence showing that rocks had been specifically carved to fit in place of a missing dentition.

Although the esthetics and functionality of seashells as dental restorations remain something of a mystery, the archeological record does demonstrate this material might have been one of the more successful attempts at replacing a missing tooth. Once again, the Mayans are behind this dental innovation. In 1931, investigators discovered remains dating back to the seventh century, when seashells had replaced several missing teeth. Most significantly, evidence of bone growth around the shells indicates these restorations were placed while the patient was alive. This is ome of the earliest known evidence of osseointegration.

Much like with animal teeth, this option seems pretty straightforward. Someone is missing a tooth, and the dead person isn’t using it anymore. However, implanting a cadaver tooth in place of a missing tooth can lead to infection, rejection, and a range of other complications, and this doesn’t even account for the fact that many of the teeth sold to dentists were sourced from unwitting donors by grave robbers. As gruesome as the practice of using cadaver teeth must have been, it still doesn’t compare with the brutal practice of slave owners replacing their teeth with dentition taken from living slaves.

Articles

A look at some materials used to replace missing teeth from the times before organized dentistry.

5 Historical Indirect Restorative Materials Unlikely to Be Used Again

Any dental lab with a 3D scanner or the ability to accept digital impression scans from practices.

Whenever a case comes into the lab, because DentalCAD 3.0 Galway features powerful tools for designing fixed and removable restorations.

This single software platform is designed to make restoration design simple and features enhancements, including instant anatomic morphing where proposed tooth anatomy automatically adjusts when the crown proposal is moved on screen. A new interface makes the software easier to use and more intuitive and tool updates make it easier to plan restoration insertion angles and bridge connectors. Updates to the implant module allow easier implant connection switches as well as easier implant positioning adjustments.

 Automation allowing this software platform to accomplish more in less time is a focus of the enhancements in this latest version of DentalCAD. Beyond the automated anatomical morphing, the latest update also adds artificial intelligence–driven smile design that can aid in both treatment planning and patient communication. The model creator module is designed for efficiency and can be used with any 3D printer. For removables, the software includes preset tooth setups and the ability to save custom setups from completed cases.

With more than 90 new features and an updated user interface, this impressive CAD application is even more powerful than previous generations of exocad’s flagship software.

5Ws* DentalCAD 3.0 Galway

Implant cases with screw retained restorations where either or both esthetics and access are priorities.

During case design and at delivery of the case so the implant screw channel can be hidden or positioned for easier access during placement of the abutment and final restoration.

The SMARTbase abutments are designed to improve both esthetics and accessibility with a screw access channel that can be redirected from 0º to 25º, allowing for easier hiding of the screw channel in anterior restorations and easier access to the screw channel in posterior restorations. The abutments are designed with dual hue anodization to seamlessly blend with surrounding dentition to provide a natural look. The versatile abutment solution is compatible with both screw-retained and cement restorations. With a variety of cuff heights and widths available, the abutments can be used with a range of situations.

 The off-axis screw channel allows cases to be designed with lingual screw access as well as other configurations for enhanced access. Specialized off-axis implant drivers are used to attach the screw, and the abutments are designed with grooves that are said to enhance cement retention when the abutments are used with cement-retained restorations. The dual-hued abutments feature gold color at the top to naturally blend with the restoration, and a pink hue in the lower section to better match the gingival tissue. Additionally, the abutments are designed with a concave profile that is said to enable subcrestal placement without the need for major tissue manipulation.

With its angulated screw access channel, this implant abutment system from Implant Direct aims to make implant cases simpler and more esthetic.

5Ws* SMARTbase from Implant Direct

Stan Goff is the Managing Editor of Dental Products Report, Dental Lab Products and Modern Hygienist. He has covered the dental industry since 1999 and can be reached at sgoff@mjhlifesciences.com.  

Dentures are a big part of his practice, so Miles Cone, DMD, CDT, FACP, has spent countless hours working on denture relines and doing his best to remove the excess reline material as efficiently as possible.

Dr Cone also admittedly hoards instruments he has used over the years and has a drawer full of worn-out burs that could handle only so many tough cases. So when he first got his hands on a line of ceramic cutters from Komet USA, he expected them to be solid because of his experience working with many Komet products, but he also expected them to have limitations in terms of their cutting ability on tough materials and in terms of lasting long.

Much to his surprise—and happiness—these instruments have withstood everything he has thrown at them. They not only speed up his workflow, but seem as if they may last forever. “Maine has one of the oldest demographics in the country, which means we do a ton of dentures,” explains Dr Cone, a prosthodontist in Portland, Maine.

Although he loves the reline materials he works with—namely, a “tenacious material from GC America”—it can be difficult and time-consuming when it comes to removing them.

“I struggled for years, and I’ve tried every bur that’s out there from every company,” he says. “I’m a hoarder and keep things around, so I’ve got a drawer full of burned-out burs and carbides and sandpaper.”

When Komet first sent him a kit of ceramic cutters, he wasn’t sure what to expect. “I was thinking, ‘This thing’s going to break. It’s going to chip,’ ” says Dr Cone. “But what is awesome about these burs is [that] they don’t generate heat the same way that carbides do. It’s an absolute lifesaver when slogging away at the bench with tough denture material.”

He learned that the ceramic cutters dissipate the heat well and don’t clog and get gummed up as is typical with carbide burs. He now confidently reaches for a number of instruments in his Komet denture repair kit, with some specifically designed as part of a flexible partial contouring system.

“These cutters are so good at hogging out just globs of denture reline material, and they get it out quickly and efficiently,” he says. “Normally, by the end of this, you’d be sore and feel like you have carpal tunnel syndrome. But that is no longer the case.”

Komet offers a variety of instruments that can help laboratories, specialists, and general practitioners alike.

“These burs are not just for high-end laboratories,” he says. “[For] every lab doing dentures, and for the doctors who have bulk patients, [such as] the community dental center—these [will] make your life so much easier.

“Imagine using a carbide on days where I’ll have 2 or 3 denture patients,” he adds. “I couldn’t possibly do it. My hands and joints wouldn’t be able to tolerate it.”

Dr Cone loves the different coarses and shapes in the denture repair kit.

Komet USA’s lab cutters are engineered with durable, high-performance ceramic and can be used to precisely shape, trim, and carve soft acrylics, denture reline materials, and green-state zirconium dioxide. The cutters resist heat buildup and reduce clogging with their unique toothing design. Another advantage of these instruments is that they generate less vibration than traditional tungsten-carbide cutters.

“These ceramic burs have been an absolute game changer just for what I do day-to-day in the trenches,” says Dr Cone, whose office consists of himself, his wife as office manager, and an assistant. “I like having beautiful things in my hands, and these instruments are kind of like having a MacBook Air or an iPhone. There’s a certain level of cool factor for my lab bench and they work so well.”

Another benefit of these instruments, according to Dr Cone, is that dentures and denture reline work are not going away anytime soon, even as many labs shift from analog to more modern, automated methods of work. “I tell people all the time that where we currently stand right now, doing denture relines is going to be a thing for a long time. You can make a digital denture, but when that patient has a sore spot or their tissue starts to break down, you still need to have those [reline] skills,” he says. “As long as we’re doing relines, people are going to need to remove those.”

That is why he suggests colleagues give Komet ceramic cutters a try: “I think this is something that the denture technicians and the clinicians that are doing the same procedures that I’m doing really need to invest in. You’ll want anything to make your life easier.”

The Komet kits also assist in the finishing and polishing of flexible partials despite the difficulty of dealing with some resins when using some carbide burs. “These ceramic cutters go through and leave such a clean finish to it. They have multiple applications. They’re not just for dentures,” he adds.

For this CDT/prosthodontist, Komet USA’s durable instruments make benchwork and denture relines much easier.

Workhorse Burs Improve Denture Case Efficiency

Kellie Nock is the assistant editor for Dental Products Report. She graduated from Kent State University in 2018 with a Bachelor's in Journalism. Kellie enjoys multimedia content creation with a focus on audio and video storytelling. 

When Benny and Gail Johnson of Perfect Impressions dental laboratory in Carrollton, Texas, were looking for a way to reward their regular doctors for using their services and increase payment efficiency, they found tfg Loyalty, a program offered through tfg Payment Solutions.

Relationships with practices and doctors are important to the Johnsons.

“Before Gail goes in and takes on an account, we will visit the doctor, visit the practice, get to meet everyone, and make sure that we understand what the doctor’s expectations are and what their preferences are. So we go in and build that relationship from the beginning,” Benny Johnson says. “We don’t take on just any practice—we want to make sure that it’s the right practice for us and that we’re the right lab for them. That’s all about communication.”

As a part of that key communication, the Johnsons use the tfg Loyalty program to promote retention and reward practices for their business.

Created to make payments more efficient, tfg Payment Solutions is an online platform that allows practices to schedule secure payments through credit card, check, or ACH payment. Consistent, on-time payments are rewarded directly from tfg in the form of merchandise, gifts, and money, creating and fostering stronger relationships between laboratories and practices.

“With that, we also decided that we wanted to provide a program that would say, ‘Your business means a lot to us. We appreciate your loyalty and this is our way of saying thanks,’” Benny Johnson says. “Most of our doctors have been with us for 5, 6 years, so our retention is pretty good. It’s all based on communication and how Gail and the team work with the practice.”

Practices in the loyalty program are rewarded for consistent payment with merchandise, gifts, travel, and more. The program also can be used by practitioners to treat their employees, assistants, and technicians with things such as lunches and gift cards.

The payment process works through a payment card industry (PCI)-compliant, secure, online platform. Practices can schedule payments with a credit card, check, or Automated Clearing House (ACH) electronic payment.

“It allows us, as the lab, to get paid sooner because if they pay us by the 15th of every month, whether it be a credit card or a check or an ACH, they get points and dollars toward the rewards. It really helps both parties,” Benny Johnson says.

The platform allows clinicians and practices to keep track of payments, pay faster and more efficiently, and track rewards they may have accrued from on-time payments.

“A lot of them like that. They will take that and they’ll go out and maybe get a Starbucks card or they’ll treat the team to a lunch one day,” Benny Johnson says. “It’s just a way for them to also give back to their employees or assistants and technicians.”

The company is also working on QuickBooks integration, which will boost efficiency by incorporating and sharing important information from software to software.

“That’s going to be a huge, huge help for me as far as a timesaver. With the integration and how it’s all coming together, it’s going to allow me to do it in a period of 30 minutes, versus an hour and a half, which it’s taking me to do it today,” he says. “So, they’re doing the right things by integrating the software. As a matter of fact, the next step is to link to my lab production software to transfer invoices saving even more time. After all, time is money.”

Since the Johnsons started using tfg’s Loyalty program in January 2021, about 10 doctors have set up their accounts in the loyalty and payment portals. It allows doctors who may otherwise find it difficult to remember to set payments up automatically.

“We give them opportunity to...go on a secure portal and make a payment without having to call me and give me a credit card or having to write a check and put it in the mail,” Benny Johnson says. “That’s just going to save them time, too.”

Laboratories save time and money while rewarding practices and doctors. 

Loyalty Program, Payment Portal Boost Relationships Between Practices and Lab

Laura Dorr is the former executive editor of DPR's Modern Dental Network and a regular contributing author.

When Anthony K. Senegal Sr, cofounder, president, and operations director of Partners Elite Dental Laboratory Services (PEDLS), decided he needed to streamline his lab’s workflow for monolithic removable dentures, he wasn’t sure where to turn. He wanted a system that simplified design while reliably producing quality dentures with little need for extra manual work. After searching, he found his solution through Ivoclar Vivadent.

The Ivotion Denture System offers a complete digital manufacturing process for the fabrication of removable monolithic dentures. The digital system comprises an integrated workflow of digital laboratory fabrication methods, simplifying the creation of dentures and reducing opportunities for human mistakes.

“It’s an extreme benefit when you are talking about reducing mistakes,” Senegal says. “There’s less human error that can take place when you’re dealing with the milling of Ivotion.”

This denture system is a digital manufacturing process that simplifies the creation of dentures. Combining 3Shape’s scanning capabilities, materials from Ivoclar, and manufacturing strategies from PrograMill, this workflow seamlessly and efficiently creates dentures.

The Ivotion Denture System workflow uses materials from Ivoclar, software and scanning technologies from 3Shape, and milling machines and manufacturing strategies from PrograMill. These combine into a seamless workflow. Senegal integrated Ivotion into his workflow at PEDLS in November 2020 and was impressed with the accuracy and quality of the system. He has found that the fast manufacturing time, quality materials, and predictable results have been a great benefit to his lab.

Richard Wilson, DDS, cofounder and chief clinical consultant and director at Partners Elite Dental Laboratory Services, LLC, stands with a patient who has received Ivotion's upper denture esthetics. 

“If you ever want to make a technician go from a smile to a frown, just say the word 

,” Senegal says, laughing. “That’ll make them frown really quickly. But we haven’t had a single remake since we started using Ivotion. You’re guaranteed you’ll get a quality denture, with few to no mistakes.”

With the slogan “1 disc, 1 milling process, 1 denture,” Ivotion has an uninterrupted milling process that machines monolithic complete or individual complete dentures, immediate complete dentures, and overdentures on 2 attachments from 1 disc, reducing the need for manual work. Although he has had a few patients with larger arches who required the 2-step method, for most patients, 1 puck fits the bill.

He has found that Ivotion’s Shell Geometry technology has been beneficial for design quality and esthetics, streamlining the process more. Located within the Ivotion disc, the Shell Geometry is a 3D tooth and dental-arch structure designed for the fabrication of mandibular and maxillary dentures and allows technicians to mill accurate complete dentures—which rarely require more than polishing after production—in 1 operation.

“You design it, then you send it to manufacturing, and the machine does the work for you,” Senegal says. “So you’re guaranteed to get a quality denture with no mistakes. And that’s a huge benefit, to the lab, the clinician, and patient satisfaction.”

Although Senegal says the initial investment in Ivotion can be high, he has found his investment has paid off. Between the high-quality polymethyl methacrylate tooth and denture base materials and reduced manual steps due to milling accuracy, he has cut down on case time and been able to increase his case load.

“If you get the fit right, there are fewer patient visits after you deliver that denture,” Senegal says. “The likelihood of a patient coming back is minimal. That’s huge when you think about the time you spend on a particular case, when you could be focused on another one. You can save time to do other things and work on other accounts—and still be able to deliver a quality denture.”

Senegal has deemed the investment so worthwhile that he and his business partner, Richard “Al” Wilson, DDS, cofounder and chief clinical consultant and director at PEDLS, are in construction to build a full-service digital commercial lab and are planning to add 3 more PrograMill units, or, as they call them, Ivotion machines.

“When we first looked into this milling system, I quickly said, ‘That’s it, we’re all in, we need to offer this accuracy of milling to our patients,’” Senegal says. “That’s how much we believe in this system and how much benefit we feel that we can get.”

This system offers a total digital manufacturing process to simplify the creation of dentures.

Ivotion Denture System Streamlines Workflow

Stratasys J5 DentaJet™ , the only multimaterial 3D dental printer

Suitable for any dental lab that wants to reduce costs, maximize efficiency, and create more dental parts with less handling.

The J5 DentaJet enables technicians to load mixed trays of dental parts and can produce at least 5 times more dental parts on a single mixed tray than competitive 3D printers, giving dental labs 3D printing efficiency paired with realism and precision.

Typically when dental implant cases require multiple materials, separate 3D printers are needed for each individual material. The J5 DentaJet can handle up to 5 different materials, including support materials, by utilizing mixed trays of dental parts. The single mixed tray can hold a full array of opaque, clear, flexible, and color resins, creating dental implant cases and denture applications faster and more accurately.

This new system scales 3D model printing efficiency for dental labs. 

5Ws* Stratasys J5 DentaJet

Videos

Dental practice coach Mike Massotto joins editorial director Noah Levine for 30 minutes of practice help and advice. In this episode, Mike and Noah discuss the best ways to retain good dental staff. 

30 Minutes of Therapy - Episode 10 - Retaining Your Staff

At one point, the microscope was considered a cutting-edge tool. Motorized dental drills were novel and unique. Digital x-rays were the next best thing. Now, we don’t think twice about them. A new generation of technology has taken the place as the latest and greatest—and it’s evolving every day.

But how have these technologies shaped dentistry, and endodontics in particular? Endodontically diseased teeth that would have been deemed unsavable are now being saved and restored, thanks to new technologies, treatments, and approaches. As the arsenal of tools has grown, so, too, has endodontic predictability. From lasers and 3D imaging to microsurgery and dynamic navigation, there have been developments in tools and techniques.

Advances in minimally invasive treatment have perhaps been what has shaped endodontics the most in recent years. Departing from manual files and other tools, many clinicians are exploring lasers and acoustic energy as alternatives, for quicker and more effective treatment as well as faster healing times. And Dr Richard Mounce, an endodontist practicing in Pacific City, Oregon, sees many areas of new innovation.

“Some of the big trends in endo today include minimally invasive shaping philosophy, improvements in activated irrigation, improved bioceramic sealers, the use of come beam computed tomography (CBCT) in targeted endodontic microsurgery and canal location, and reciprocated endodontics, to name a few,” he says. “While there are several partisan camps in endodontics; one camp advocates minimally invasive approaches using the Sonendo GentleWave System for canal cleaning. It could be argued that GentleWave is changing the specialty.”

The GentleWave procedure provides standard root canal treatment, but with a minimally invasive process that is reported to preserve tooth structure and promote rapid healing.

By utilizing fluid dynamics and broad-spectrum acoustic energy, the GentleWave minimizes—and even replaces—much of the need for manual instrumentation in root canal procedures, preventing the removal of extra tooth structure while providing effective cleaning through its fluid-delivery system, which distributes fluid throughout the canal system. Reportedly, this procedure is, in most cases, a single-visit treatment option.

Other advances in canal cleaning and disinfection include nanotechnology, which Dr Mounce thinks is a noteworthy area of study in endodontics. He predicts that commercial products and clinical techniques are likely to soon emerge using these particles.

In addition to this technology, other options have become attractive, made possible largely by the development of CBCT. Many clinicians, including Dr Mounce and Dr Rebekah Lucier-Pryles, agree that CBCT has made a huge difference in endodontics in the previous decade. In fact, much of the advancement in endodontic treatment and technologies stems from CBCT’s capabilities, particularly for dynamic navigation and targeted endodontic surgery.

“CBCT-guided surgery and non-surgical root-canal therapy are at the forefront of endodontic care,” Dr Lucier-Pryles, an endodontist in White River Junction, Vermont, and cofounder of Pulp Nonfiction Endodontics, says, noting that non-surgical therapies are attractive to patients who balk at the idea of surgery. Even when surgery is the only option, however, Dr Lucier-Pryles finds advances that have made the process easier.

“Technologies associated with CBCT-guided nonsurgical and surgical root canal therapy are now available and facilitating the delivery of endodontic care thought impossible years ago,” she says.“For instance, palatal apical surgery can be readily performed with the aid of CBCT-developed surgical stents. Additional surgical innovation beyond CBCT guidance now includes the use of piezoelectric devices to remove bony windows prior to accessing root apices. This approach offers more predictable postoperative healing than older techniques.”

Dr Mounce agrees. With these technologies, and the development of targeted endodontic microsurgery, guided dynamic navigation, and lasers with multiple applications, he believes the field has been pushed forward immensely.

“We now have techniques that are advancing our clinical capabilities well beyond previous limits by allowing treatment of previously untreatable clinical scenarios,” he summarizes. “Lasers have provided excellent results, and GentleWave partisans would likely argue that their technology is the most cutting-edge the industry has seen.”

The technology gains of the past few years have been impressive, but there’s more to come down the road. As innovative companies continue to do their research and develop cutting-edge products, treatment will be further simplified and care will be improved. Trends look to continue toward medical treatment over surgical, and future regenerative endodontic materials will change how we think about growth factors and material matrix designs—all benefiting patients and the field of endodontics. As these developments progress, Dr Mounce hopes to see these technologies become more accessible and affordable to clinicians.

“At some point, the technology is priced out of the range of the general dentists (and possibly some endodontists), even in the most advanced economy,” he says. “Every clinician must decide for themselves if the clinical result obtained is superior and/or justifies the expense based on the literature. The same cost, risk and benefit analysis should be made for all technology decisions. Right now, prohibitive costs mean treatment hasn’t been simplified for many clinicians; but has the technology improved endo care? Most probably, yes.”

But while some advances are currently cost-prohibitive, the growth continues (hopefully becoming more affordable in the future, Dr Mounce says), and opportunities for development continue to present themselves across the board.

“I see room for continued advancement in CBCT-guided technologies, in disinfection, and in restorative care following endodontic therapy,” Dr Lucier-Pryles summarizes. “As technology improves, our treatment strategies become more appropriate.”

Dr Mounce agrees that big things are just around the corner.

“While I don’t have any inside information, I suspect that we will see a GentleWave-like handpiece that facilitates obturation of the canal using some form of sonic or ultrasonic vibrational waves,” he says. “I’m confident that this concept--putting a handpiece over the access, cleaning and obturating all the clinical anatomy, and placement of a coronal seal via a robotic console--is being developed now.

“It's the Holy Grail of endodontic treatment,” he continues, “and would, for practical purposes, make endodontics as we know it obsolete.”

Molina B, Glickman G, Vandrangi P, Khakpour M. Evaluation of root canal debridement of human molars using the GentleWave System. 

. 2015;41(10):1701-1705. doi:10.1016/j.joen.2015.06.018

Sigurdsson A, Garland RW, Le KT, Woo SM. 12-month healing rates after endodontic therapy using the novel GentleWave System: a prospective multicenter clinical study. 

. 2016;42(7):1040-1048. doi:10.1016/j.joen.2016.04.017

Technology in endodontics is evolving every day to provide better tools and techniques in dentistry.

What's Cutting Edge in Endodontic Technology Today

Dentsply Sirona has now acquired the assets of orthodontic products manufacturer and seller, Propel Orthodontics.

This acquisition will open up opportunities for Dentsply Sirona to innovate clear aligner technology and orthodontic treatment, according to a press release from Dentsply Sirona. It will also add digital capabilities to Byte and SureSmile.

The High Frequency Vibration (HFV) product line from Propel can be used as part of an orthodontic treatment plan and is also said to increase patient comfort and reduce treatment time.

To learn more about this acquisition, visit the website 

Dentsply Sirona has acquired the assets of Propel Orthodontics.

Dentsply Sirona Acquires Propel Orthodontics

Kristin Hohman has served as Associate Editor of Dental Products report since 2019. She has a background in journalism and digital content. Kristin can be reached at khohman@mjhlifesciences.com.

The successful prosthetic tooth performs a delicate act of balancing bond strength, wear resistance, esthetics, and occlusion with natural teeth. Dental laboratories seek highly wear-resistant, highly esthetic teeth for implant and premium cases. Historically, this wasn’t always the case, as material options were severely limited.

The first denture teeth can be traced to 700 BC when the Etruscans fabricated the first false teeth from animal teeth.1 This standard did not change much until the 18th century, when hippopotamus, walrus, and elephant ivory became common.

In the 1770s, French dentists turned to porcelain, which was handpainted to give the appearance of natural teeth.1 Unfortunately, these dentures lacked esthetics and were too brittle.

While porcelain denture teeth aimed to offer a more durable material, human teeth were still widely used during this period. So-called Waterloo teeth were dentures fabricated from the teeth of dead soldiers left on the battlefield.

 This was common in the early 19th century but was still practiced through the 1860s, during the Civil War.

Dental laboratory technicians today have a variety of teeth sizes, shapes, and shades to choose from. Here, we present 15 of the industry’s denture teeth offerings.

Elsenpeter R. The fascinating history of dentures. 

®. October 16, 2018. Accessed May 25, 2021. https://www.dentalproductsreport.com/view/fascinating-history-dentures

Waterloo teeth. The British Dental Association. Accessed May 25, 2021. https://bda.org/museum/collections/teeth-and-dentures/waterloo-teeth

DLP June 2021 Roundup

Lifelike in Form and Function

A look at some of the recently announced products from the dental laboratory industry.

DLP June 2021 New Products

exocad has announced the release of the Creator Center for the exocad DentalCAD 3.0 Galway software.

This creator center will house more than 35 webinars designed to educate and highlight new features of exocad’s DentalCAD 3.0 Galway software and other products. Experts will offer insight on the software for participants at all levels of experience, according to a press release from exocad.

Participants can register for any of the webinars which will take place in June.

To learn more about the webinars, visit the website 

exocad has announced the release of its creator center for the exocad DentalCAD 3.0 Galway software. 

exocad Launches Collection of Educational Resources and Webinars for DentalCAD 3.0 Galway

Dental labs and the technicians working there must become experts with the materials they use. A technician needs to understand the specific nuances of a material relative to the techniques for shaping and processing the material as well as the techniques for finishing the restoration. An understanding of a material’s physical properties is key because restorations must be engineered to meet functional demands as exacting as the esthetic expectations of patients and clinicians. With this in mind, we asked what materials technicians are most likely to recommend for different restoration types, as well as what factors are most important when selecting a new material to use.

When it comes to choosing materials to recommend for different clinical situations, it should be no surprise that the response depends on the type and location of the restoration. While zirconia is proving to be the Swiss Army knife of indirect materials and was the most popular choice for use in the posterior, glass ceramics and layered ceramics were other popular options for single anterior units. When it comes to the posterior for crowns or bridges, porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) or porcelain-fused-to-zirconia (PFZ) options remain common recommendations. The opinions were most divided on the best option for anterior bridges, where zirconia, PFM, and layered ceramic restorations were all popular choices.

When it comes to removable partials, the recommendations are all across the board. Cobalt-chrome (CoCr) frames were the most popular choice, but titanium alloys were close behind, and newer polymer options received strong support from the lab providing removable partial services. From this variety of recommendations, it’s clear there are many workable options for designing removable partial frameworks.

It’s likely no surprise that the factors rated most important when considering a new material are enhanced durability followed closely by enhanced esthetics. Those factors were rated as “very important” by more than half of the survey respondents, and when the “important” votes are added to that total, both factors were cited by more than 9 in 10 survey respondents. Every factor in the survey was rated as “very important” or “important” by more than half the respondents, so it’s clear that lab technicians are evaluating every aspect of a new material before bringing it into a lab.

The Dental Lab Products® 2021 Materials Survey provides a look at what materials are most often recommended in various clinical situations, as well as the most important properties for a dental material.

The 2021 DLP Materials Survey: An Open Approach to Find the Best Materials

Orthosnap welcomes 1-800-DENTIST co-founder Fred Joyal to its Board of Advisors. Orthosnap is a dental aligner system provider.

Joyal joins the board at a time of growth for the company as they have partnered with more than 1,000 dental practices across the U.S. Orthosnap works with doctors to provide aligner treatments for patients.

Joyal has joined the advisory board of the company due to its precise, efficient aligner manufacturing process by means of impression produced physical models, according to a press release from the company.

To learn more about Orthosnap, visit the website 

Orthosnap has welcomed industry leader Fred Joyal to its Board of Advisors. 

Lifelike in Form and Function

DLP June 2021 New Products

exocad Launches Collection of Educational Resources and Webinars for DentalCAD 3.0 Galway

The 2021 DLP Materials Survey: An Open Approach to Find the Best Materials

Fred Joyal Joins Orthosnap Advisory Board