Renaissance of the Dental Laboratory

Executive Editor Daniel Alter, MSc, MDT, CDT | daniel.alter@broadcastmed.com

For many months now, I’ve been incredibly happy to hear that dental laboratories are busier than ever and are engaging in new opportunities. Their services are continuously expanding to offer more prosthetic solutions and restorative options for their dentist clientele—and ultimately their patients. Whether through new technologies, material innovations, or intuitive streamlined workflows, the dental laboratory profession is experiencing a renaissance of sorts. There is no better example of this renaissance than the high-spiritedness and vigor that was brought to Chicago this past February, whether at the Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting, LMT Lab Day, Cal-Lab Meeting, IDT Editorial Advisory Board Breakfast, IDT Roundtable: Digital Dentistry, Women in Dentistry RISE Breakfast, or many other events this year. Every conversation was exceptionally optimistic about the future of dental laboratory technology, and there was so much excitement around what we as a profession can do to accomplish better and achieve more.

Dental laboratory professionals were eager to learn from their experienced colleagues and explore the plethora of technologies that introduced higher degrees of ease, automation, and streamlined workflows. Seeing friends, former students, and colleagues, many of whom I have not seen in some time, has brought me tremendous joy and a feeling of camaraderie. The icing on the cake was that everyone I spoke with has expressed that 2022—and now moving into 2023—has been a great year for generating revenue and exciting growth in their laboratories.

There have been exciting new launches on all fronts of technology that will create significant efficiencies for the dental laboratory, changing the way we scan, design, process CAM, mill, and 3D print our prosthetic solutions for our dentist clientele. Artificial intelligence and automation were front and center in many conversations and displays, along with clever restorative materials and workflows to generate scalable solutions for every dental laboratory. Several manufacturers launched polyjet printers to 3D print multiple colors, allowing the designer to actuate the color scheme from within the design. It is these and other new innovations' successes, which only the test of time will prove, that show just how fast technology is evolving, as well as how we as a profession continue to grow and push our boundaries.

In 1965, Gordon Moore posited that the number of transistors on microchips will double roughly every two years. Commonly referred to as Moore's Law, this phenomenon suggests that computational progress will become significantly faster, smaller, and more efficient over time, and that technology doubles about every two years.1 We certainly can attest to that level of development and advancement in the technology we utilize every day in the dental laboratory. What will the next year or two bring? Whatever it is, it will be better, faster, and more efficient.

It is my honor and pleasure to elevate and inspire with knowledge.

Reference

1. Tardi C. What is Moore's law and is it still true? Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/mooreslaw.asp. Published February 3, 2023. Accessed March 10, 2023.