How Going Digital Can Improve Your Dental Lab

The demands of human beings have increased over the years, and it has forced technology to come up with solutions to solve these problems. The health sector is one of the fields that has significantly benefited from the advancement of technology especially the dental industry.

Advancing with technology is crucial for every dental practitioner and having a digitized dental lab is the first step to achieve success in this field. It is not that the traditional dental labs do not perform anymore, but they are time-consuming in providing results.

The advantage of digital dentistry to a dentist

Digital dentistry has improved tremendously by providing accurate and skillful work that is beneficial to the patient and the practice.

Time-saving. It supports sharing of STL files from the consultation office to the lab in a few minutes. It will allow the lab technician to work on a given task immediately thus saving time that could have been wasted moving from the office to the lab to provide the required information.

Accuracy level is higher than traditional. Digital equipment such as digital impressions has contributed a great deal in communicating accurate information to the lab technicians. Traditionally remakes of models were evident because of misinformation, but with the digital prints in place, more than 79% of remakes have been stamped out.

Pricing

Digital dental equipment is quite expensive compared to the conventional ones that you are used to as a dental technician. Since the dentistry world is transitioning to digital technology at a quick rate, you’ll have to embrace this change and learn how to cope with the changing technology.

The digital equipment used in a dental laboratory can be open which is costly but cheaper in the long run. Once you’ve purchased the open system equipment, there’s no need to invest in milling materials as it has unlimited choices. Whereas with the closed equipment you’ll buy it at a lower cost, but you’ll spend more money when it comes to working with it as it requires you to purchase milling materials.

Open equipment is much preferred because of its low maintenance and running cost, but you are the one to decide which one is best for you.

Why the sudden growth?

Change in technology in the medical sector has also changed the way dentistry is being taught in the medical school. The freshly graduated dentists are equipped with the modern digital to know how of the contemporary technology. They know and understand the benefits of the digital equipment and how it will bring more investments and clients to their laboratories.

News does spread fast like wildfire, and when one client tries the digital experience he/she will tell another person, and the story will follow the thread until many people will transition to the new technology.

Is conventional method becoming extinct?

An expert will always remain, an expert and that will never change. Digital technologies in the dental industry have come to simplify work and not to replace the conventional way of doing the job. Incorporating digital technologies into your current work system should not hinder the traditional method of dentistry rather it should improve its working.

What to consider before transitioning

Take your time

If digital dentistry is new to you, you need not rush but take one step at a time. Time is money, and if you don’t use it wisely, you might end up losing a lot of investment. Learn more about the technology, how it works, if you need it and how to use it in your lab.

Planning

Since the equipment you are purchasing is entirely new to your employees, it is essential you prepare them regarding how to use it, what it is and what it does. Do your research on the equipment you intend to purchase and know if the manufacturer has a comprehensive tutorial on how to use and manage the equipment.

Now that you have the necessary information on how going digital can improve your dental lab it is time you weigh in on which new equipment you need to invest in first. Try and transition bit by bit if you are scared and eventually you’ll reach your destination. Remember you don’t have to do away with your conventional way of doing dentistry, but you are incorporating the digital technology to improve the current system.