Go Bold. Go Digital.

Our lab embraced digital dentures…and we are NOT going back!

WATCH BELOW…

Stone Models make me woozy!

Intro

We, as a lab, have fully embraced all forms of digital dentures. While working with some of the largest dental groups in the world, we were encouraged to continue on the path toward digital solutions. This has allowed us to pursue R&D opportunities and expand our product list to include various types of dentures, as well as multiple types of 3D-printed or digital dentures.

Pros & Cons Lucitone vs. TrueDent:

Pro TrueDent: Speed + Simplicity

We are able to print 30, 40, or even 50+ dentures a day, get them polished, and ship them out. Additionally, the monolithic print workflow reduces the need for a technician to set the teeth. In essence, this means...:

⚫ Take Scan or Impression

⚫ Digitize & Design

⚫ Send to Printer

⚫ Print

⚫ Finish & Polish

⚫ Ship

Con TrueDent: Aesthetics

The overall appearance of this style of denture is not the same as a traditional denture. It provides a simpler look. As I mentioned, for a lower budget, economy denture, you cannot go wrong..

Pro TrueDent: Strength

TrueDent is monolithic, meaning it is created in one print. In theory, this results in fewer breakage points compared to traditional and Lucitone prints. However, with increased strength, you lose the malleability of traditional dentures.

Pro Lucitone: Aesthetics

This style of 3D-printed dentures mimics traditional dentures more closely. It has a similar translucency and, as mentioned in the video, requires the "setting of teeth" rather than being a singular printed denture.

Pro Lucitone: Similar Workflow to Traditional

⚫ Take Scan or Impression

⚫ Digitize & Design

⚫ Send to Printer

⚫ 3D Print Try-in - Teeth - Base

⚫ Fuse teeth to base

⚫ Curing

⚫ Finish & Polish

⚫ Ship

Con Lucitone: Breakage

In some instances, we have experienced a higher rate of "breakage" compared to a traditional denture or even a monolithic denture. Is it the resin? Is it the printer? Is it the design? All of these factors could contribute to this product not having the "bite strength" of traditional or monolithic dentures..

Con Lucitone: Higher Skill Required

While the aesthetics are enhanced, the skill level required is also higher, similar to a traditional denture where "setting of teeth" demands more expertise. This workflow could be an easy transition for traditional technicians, which is a potential advantage. However, as more labs switch to digital, an increasing number of traditional technicians are being left behind..

Conclusion

We are close. I believe the digital denture world will only improve. The best thing labs can do is embrace and evolve while cross-training employees to work with these new technologies and workflows. The more time the team has to adapt, the better the end result will be. Change is good, especially when it is meant to make dentistry more efficient.