Digital Dentures: Blending Breakthrough Technology with Exceptional Customer Care

Dentists, patients love having fewer visits, quicker delivery

By Bart Donnell, CDT

As I look back on my 30-plus years in the dental laboratory arena, I can recall few technologies that can compare with digital dentures in terms of the positive impact they are having on both our laboratory and our customers.

We started embracing this technology only in the past year. After reading an article about digital dentures in this publication, I decided to explore the various available options. I soon concluded that Heraeus Kulzer’s Pala Digital Denture System was the way to go for our laboratory. Two big reasons were my prior favorable experience with Heraeus Kulzer, and the fact that their Mondial denture teeth are part of the Pala Digital Denture System.

We have handled 24 cases since we started using the Pala system, and I could not have been more impressed. The fit and finish are amazingly consistent. My customers and their patients love the fact that it requires 2 fewer patient visits than conventional dentures do, and that it takes only 10 days from impression to final delivery. I love that we did not have to buy any new equipment or make any changes to our workflow, that our labor costs are down, and that my customers are happy to pay a premium price for the valuable services this technology allows me to provide.

However—and I cannot stress this enough—a huge factor in the success we have experienced with the Pala system has been the exceptional customer care provided by my Heraeus Kulzer representative, Jeremy Franklin. When I first started to explore this technology, Jeremy met with me on 3 occasions to make sure I understood all of the system’s benefits. Whenever possible, he joins me on my sales calls, and I join him on many of his visits to dental practices so I can observe different techniques utilizing the Pala system. Importantly, when it is time for one of my customers to start using the Pala system, Jeremy is there to walk the dentist through as many cases as it takes until the dentist is comfortable and confident. This includes being present for the try-in and final delivery stages.

Incorporating digital dentures in a dental practice does not present a major challenge; however, the practice will need to make some changes to its procedures, such as the ways it schedules patients and prepares the operatory. I urge you to be certain that your digital dentures manufacturer understands, as Heraeus Kulzer does, that even an exceptional technology cannot achieve its full potential without exceptional service.

About the Author

Bart Donnell, CDT
Manager
Donnell Dental Laboratory, a member of the MicroDental Laboratories Network
O’Fallon, Illinois
Past President, NADL
Past Chairman, NBC

Key Takeaways

• Digital dentures can allow dentists to capture the impression, bite registration, and vertical dimension in one visit.
• The 3D rendering of the denture serves as a permanent digital record.
• The manufacturer can relieve the dental laboratory of the burden of creating the denture.
• The fit and finish can be exceptionally consistent.
• It is essential that the digital dentures manufacturer be capable of a hands-on approach.

Manufacturer Information
Heraeus Kulzer
heraeus-kulzer-us.com
800-431-1785