Amann Girrbach Technology Broadens Practice’s Treatment Capabilities

When Johnny Shanks, DDS, set out to open a dental practice in Crossville, Tennessee, he knew he wanted to bring meticulous dental artistry utilizing state-of-the-art technology to his Upper Cumberland hometown.

“Over the past 10 years, we have evolved and changed the way patients feel about dentistry,” says Shanks, whose practice offers sedation dentistry, dental implants, restorative dentistry, and more utilizing digital workflows. One way the practice has accomplished this, he says, is by employing cutting-edge Amann Girrbach products and technology, such as Ceramill® Map 600+ and Ceramill® Matik.

“In our office, we have very advanced technology, such as intraoral scanners, facial scanners, handheld x-ray guns and sensors, 3D printers, multiple mills, and, our favorite, the Matik,” Shanks says. “When we are able to show patients what is happening in their mouth and how we can transform their oral health, it provides a huge advantage in our treatment acceptance rate.”

Amann Girrbach calls its Ceramill Matik the “first full-service unit” in dentistry, combining three machines in one: the actual processing station, a fully automated stock management system, and a machine cleaning device. This allows considerable savings in everyday laboratory routines.

“Amann Girrbach supports our digital workflow in many ways, such as being able to design and fabricate wax-ups, trial smiles, crown-and-bridge work, and more, efficiently within a short amount of time,” he states.

The Map 600+ is a fully automatic, high-performance scanner for open articulator scanning with intelligent scan height control for reliability and protection against incorrect use. “Using our Map 600+ to scan impressions or dentures on cases that our chairside intraoral scanners couldn’t reach has saved our office tremendously in lab costs,” Shanks affirms.

Another Amann Girrbach tool Shanks finds indispensable is Zebris for Ceramill®, which is used as a digital facebow while also offering numerous other functions. “The Zebris allows you to capture the mandibular movements of functional occlusion in the provisional phase, thus facilitating the idealized digital design for the occlusion of the final restoration,” he explains. “The automatic data transfer to the Ceramill System and the resulting direct transfer into the articulator allows Zebris to be easily integrated into the daily workflow and reduces manual post-processing of the restoration.”

An effusive response from his patients is proof to Shanks that he made the right decisions in choosing to use advanced technology his office. “When patients can see their case being designed and fabricated right before their eyes, it often inspires them to proceed in completing any remaining outstanding treatment,” he says. Even more importantly, he observes, “It encourages them to maintain good oral health. The support of Amann Girrbach has taken our office to the next level of dentistry.”

Johnny Shanks, DDS
Private Practice,
Crossville, Tennessee

Amann Girrbach
800-851-3719
amanngirrbach.us