Datron Offers More than Just a Mill for Titanium Implant Restorations

Maximizing ROI on a top-of-the-line machine requires the correct supplementary machinery, software, and support. This can be easier said than done for dental laboratories that are beginning to mill titanium implant components for the first time.

With in-house milling trending upward, Datron Dynamics, Inc. decided to make the transition easier on laboratories. Datron FIT (Fully Integrated Technology) includes the venerable D5 milling machine along with a scanner, software, support, and everything else necessary to integrate the technology into a laboratory.

"When Datron first began selling milling systems in Germany, it was a bit difficult for the customer to source their own CAD/CAM system, source their own scanner, and acquire all the accessories to prepare their facility," says Datron Dynamics Vice President Robert Murphy. "We wanted to make it easier for the customer to buy the system from us. As we started to sell the machines here in North America, we decided to take it upon ourselves to integrate all of the components involved in the process chain into one simpler solution."

Datron Dynamics built a FIT laboratory at its Milford, New Hampshire headquarters. Laboratory owners can visit the facility and receive instruction on how to integrate the Datron FIT system.

"When a laboratory expresses interest in adding implant component milling capabilities, we can walk them through everything, literally right from the toolbox that we supply through the whole process of scanning the cases and going through the CAD/CAM and through the milling system, all in one room," Murphy says.

Growing numbers of laboratories are milling titanium implant bars and abutments, as technology has made the in-house process more feasible.

"The transformation in the last 15 years alone has been so enormous that the changes and transformations continue to happen on a regular basis, especially with CAD," says Ron Rosenthal, Datron's dental specialist.

The new technology also has led dentists to expect more from their laboratories, Rosenthal says. Quick turnaround times for high-quality custom abutments now can become a reality.

"CAD/CAM is not only infiltrating the laboratories; it's infiltrating the clinical side," Rosenthal says. "As the dentists become more involved with digital technology, the demands on the laboratory are changing as well."

Murphy says in-house milling is the future of dental technology, as CAD/CAM will help laboratories increase their business and help dentists provide better patient care.

“Ten years ago, this technology did not exist," Murphy says. "The thought of a small laboratory getting its own system in-house to make its own titanium implant components just was not realistic. But the technology is here now. The hardware is available. The software is available. It is possible. The big implant manufacturing companies are still thriving, but there is a whole new set of technologies coming out that laboratories can incorporate and bring in-house to do their own implant bar and abutment manufacturing. That is good for everybody. It is good for the laboratory because they can increase their profits. They can manufacture their parts pretty much same-day, and that means they can deliver the cases to the dentists and patients quicker, too."

While the hardware and software are available, education connects everything, and that is where Datron decided to step in.

"We view ourselves as educators more than anything," Murphy says. "We have to explain how the process works, explain how the workflow works, explain the ROI, and demonstrate that the technology is not as intimidating as it might appear."

Additionally, there are FDA issues as the regulatory organization increases its vigilance with more companies developing implant-manufacturing capabilities.

“We are working to understand what everything means and what we can do to help laboratories implement the technology without any fear or risk," Murphy says.

The Datron FIT system is in harmony with the company's philosophy of providing the best possible products and support.

"From the top down, from the company in Germany to here in the United States, Datron's management team has always been highly focused on customer service and making sure we provide the right solutions for our customers and that our customers are happy,” Murphy says. "Our mission is to make it easy for the customer to adopt this technology.

"The best thing that can happen when we put this system into a laboratory is that within a few months the laboratory is in full production, the ROI is amazing, cases are being delivering quickly to the customer, and that the sales process moving forward is easy for them and easy for us."

Rosenthal adds: "It is cohesive and seamless."