How going digital has helped this practice provide patients with the very best care [VIDEO]

Dr. Laura Sengbusch is a 2010 graduate of the University of Iowa and now is a practicing partner with Village Family Dental Associates in Wisconsin.

When Dr. Laura Sengbusch goes to work every day as one of the partners of Village Family Dental Associates - which has locations in Prairie du Sac, Black Earth and Spring Green, Wisconsin - she has her patients’ best interests in mind. To ensure they have a positive experience, Dr. Sengbusch involves her patients in the treatment planning process through the use of intraoral photos, and makes it a priority to have the best products and technology at her disposal.

As part of their commitment to offering the highest quality of care, Dr. Sengbusch and her partners use only the most trusted materials and have integrated digital technology into their daily routine, which includes using the 3MTM True Definition Scanner on a daily basis. Going digital has helped improve efficiency in the practice, and is well received by patients.

“I always keep the patients’ best interests at heart and make it a priority to include them in treatment planning,” Dr. Sengbusch said while describing her philosophy of care. “Many patients request to see the scanner in use. They love how I can manipulate their teeth on the screen to show them how the lab is going to use that information to ensure their crown fits. Most patients, especially if it’s their first time, really want to have some involvement in the process, which helps with treatment acceptance.”

Dedicated team of clinicians These seven clinicians are each partners at Village Family Dental Associates, which has three locations located along the Wisconsin River.

THE ROAD TO DIGITAL

The University of Iowa graduate had little exposure to CAD/CAM dentistry or digital impression taking while attending dental school, but the user-friendly 3M True Definition Scanner allowed her to master the techniques in a short period of time with support and training from 3M ESPE.

“The first few months were challenging. I had to allow myself a little more time for crown preps,” said Dr. Sengbush. “It has proven to be a great addition to the practice and my daily flow.”

Patients appreciate efficiency, and love how the technology speeds up the appointment, eliminating the uncomfortable traditional impression procedure.

“Often it can be 3 to 5 minutes of set time for impression materials,” said Dr. Sengbusch. “With the 3M True Definition Scanner, I am able to scan the tooth prep with the surrounding area in a minute; the bite registration scan often takes around 10 seconds. It’s a pretty quick process.”

The scanner also offers accuracy. “I find that my crowns fit quite well and need very few adjustments, with next to zero remakes,” Dr. Sengbusch said. “Now my crown cement appointments take me about 10 minutes – a huge savings in chair time, which is valuable to most dentists.”

TRUSTED MATERIALS AND PARTNERS?

For the team at Village Family Dental Associates, offering

the best care also means having an arsenal of tried-and-true materials and a laboratory they trust.

They rely on 3M ESPE for materials that have been tested and proven to work time after time, and both Dr. Sengbusch and her patients love the results they get with 3MTM ESPETM Lava PlusTM High Translucency Zirconia crowns.

“I use Lava Plus restorative a lot and have been really happy with the results,” she says. “The strength of a monolithic restoration like Lava Plus restorative is unsurpassed.”

Prairie du Sac Location One of the three Wisconsin location where Dr. Laura Sengbusch and her colleagues provide care through Village Family Dental Associates. The facility feature the best products and technology, including the 3M True Definition Scanner.

The practice appreciates the material’s high translucency and sophisticated shading system, and because the material’s unique formulation offers life- like esthetics without compromising strength, Dr. Sengbusch uses Lava Plus restorative in many situations. This includes both anterior and posterior cases where limited reduction is beneficial.

“I often use Lava Plus restorative on anterior cases where the patient has a history of bruxism or clearance is minimal,” said Dr. Sengbusch. “In the past you were limited with what materials you could do in these situations, but I find this material to be very convenient.”

The practice turns to D&S Laboratory in Waunakee, Wisconsin for almost all of their crown and bridge cases. They often consult lab technicians on material choices to ensure they’re offering their patients the best possible solution, and they know the lab is skilled in shading Lava Plus zirconia crowns. Sending digital impression files from the

3M True Definition Scanner also enables the lab to deliver a highly accurate final product.

“When I seat the crown, patients often say, “Wow, am I done already?” Dr. Sengbusch said. “It’s a great feeling when patients return for their hygiene appointments and boast about not even noticing the crown is there because it fits so well.”

A BRAND YOU? CAN COUNT ON

During her time at the University of Iowa, Dr. Sengbusch was introduced to the 3M ESPE line of products, and as a practicing dentist, she still looks to the manufacturer for the majority of her material choices.

“I am more prone to trying new 3M products than probably any other product line because of 3M’s history, and because of my comfort level with all of their materials,” said Dr. Sengbusch. “I know that there’s a lot of great research done at the 3M facilities and I appreciate the time and effort that goes into developing their materials.”

In addition to the 3M True Definition Scanner and Lava Plus zirconia, the practice utilizes multiple other product lines including ScotchbondTM Universal Adhesive, RelyXTM Luting Plus Cement and RelyXTM Ultimate Adhesive Resin Cement from 3M ESPE because they’ve been proven to offer great results.

“I’ve been using Scotchbond Universal Adhesive for more than a year and I love it. It offers very little post-operative tooth sensitivity,” she said. “I use RelyX Luting Plus cement as my go-to for Lava Plus zirconia crowns especially in posterior scenarios. We also have RelyX Ultimate cement at our offices, which we use more for anterior cases and veneers.”

TAKING THE PLUNGE

For Dr. Sengbusch and the practitioners at Village Family Dental, patients come first, and being equipped with the best products and technology to enable efficiency allows them to provide the latest and greatest case outcomes.

Using a trusted material like Lava Plus zirconia and integrating the 3M True Definition Scanner into their daily routine allows them to be more efficient, and opens the door for expanding their practice in the future with new workflows.

While she hasn’t delved into more complex workflows – Dr. Sengbusch indicated that the open nature of the

3M True Definition Scanner coupled with the variety of established connections to digital and implant workflows available make it possible for her to consider additional services in the future.

For those clinicians who have yet to make the switch to digital impression taking, Dr. Sengbusch has this final piece of advice: “It will pay for itself in full over time simply in the amount of chair time saved. I think that you’ll find the rewards are worth the initial cost and learning curve.”

Featured Products

3MTM True Definition Scanner

The 3M True Definition Scanner is accurate - and more consistently accurate- than leading systems on the market. Unlike many systems that are “closed”, 3M True Definition Scanner digital impression files can be used with any system that accepts STL files, and the scanner provides seamless integrations to a broad range of CAD/CAM, digital implant and orthodontic appliance workflows.

3MTM ESPETM RelyXTM Luting Plus Cement

Cleanup of excess cement can take seconds, not minutes, with RelyX Luting Plus cement. It’s reportedly the first RMGI cement with a tack light cure option for fast, easy cleanup. Available in the dentist-preferred Automix system or the convenient ClickerTM Dispenser, the cement offers high bond strength, virtually no post-operative sensitivity, sustained fluoride release and enhanced marginal integrity.

3MTM ESPETM LavaTM Plus High Translucency Zirconia

Lava Plus zirconia is a zirconia system designed to deliver the esthetics of a layered restoration in a monolithic all-zirconia. Compared to other shaded zirconia materials, the unique formula of the Lava Plus zirconia system provides significantly higher translucency and beauty, without compromising strength.