An Interview with Marotta Dental Studio Steven Pigliacelli, CDT, MDT, VP, Director of Education, Marotta Dental Studio
Inside Dentistry (ID): How does Marotta Dental Studio differentiate itself from other laboratories?
Steven Pigliacelli (SP): My partner, Lenny Marotta, and I have faculty positionsat universities such as Rutgers and NYU. We are members of prosthodontic organizationssuch as the American College of Prosthodontics, Greater New York Academy of Prosthodontics, and Northeastern Gnathological Society. We attend as many CE courses as we are able to every year. We have been the beta lab for many of the implant and all-esthetic systems that have been introduced to the dental industry. These experiences give us the ability to pass on our knowledge and expertise to our clients. From case design to proper steps of fabrication, we are able to guide and support ouraccounts. We have done this with implantsfor many years and now we have done the same thing with digital.
ID: What advice would you give clinicians about embracing digital impressions?
SP: There is no excuse to not go digital. The latest scanners are faster and more accurate than ever, and the interface to the lab is seamless. The technology is only going to get better, but I am a realist and won’t try to mislead anyone that this is the last machine they will buy. I tell dentists that the machines are not cheaper or even faster and they will have a learning curve. The most important thing is that once they use these scanners and get used to them, they will see the overall benefit of modern technology in action.
ID: How is digital impressioning impacting workflow and communication?
SP: With digital impressioning, we no longerneed the pickup service or staff to open up and label the impressions and do preparatory plaster work. The scan goes right to the computer. In the case of a model-free crown, we simply design and mill the crown, then stain and glaze. Otherwise we print a model and produce a crown using a hand-waxed or milled method. This is a much simpler workflow and increases productivity and profits while reducing remakes. We have better communication as we now have the ability to approve the die while the patient is still in the chair.
ID: How are digital equipment and innovative materials like Zirlux® Zirconia improving the patient experience?
SP: With both porcelain-fused-to-zirconia and monolithic Zirlux crowns, we have seen an increase in patient satisfaction. The shades are more precise and with the latest version of the material we are able to get a more translucent crown. Shade matching is easier with pre-shaded zirconia blocks. E.max crowns are incredibly esthetic and translucent. The amount of PFMs has decreased to a fraction of what we did in the last century. New equipment has made the process simpler and we now have laser mills rather than the old style.Printing is going to really change this industry a lot in the next few years.
ID: What future changes in the industry is Marotta Dental Studio ready for?
SP: We’re just keeping up with all this new technology. It feels like something new comes out every week. I foresee doubling our full CAD crew in the next couple of years. The biggest challenge is the dentists that refuse to update with the new technology. We will have to keep doing cases the old fashioned way for years while waiting for some dentists to update their procedures. Many of the lab products have been taken off the market already and it is getting harder to get things like investment and alloy already. Over the next couple of years, it will become more difficult.
Steven Pigliacelli has more than 30 years of experience with Marotta Dental Studio as a dental implant specialist. He is a Certified Dental Technician with the National Board for Certification and has a Masters of Dental Technology from the ASMDT Certificate program at New York University. He is also a faculty instructor in postgraduate prosthodontics at NYU’s College of Dentistry, Department of Prosthodontics, in New York City.
