Dental Lab Products 2022 Innovation Guide

Versatile Mills Keep Busy Labs Humming

Looking back over the year, Roland DGA’s DGSHAPE milling solutions have had a very positive impact on our overall production and efficiency here at Keating Dental Lab. Having multiple machines—more than 11 units in our current fleet and expanding regularly—has also been key to maintaining an efficient workflow while maximizing return on investment. DGSHAPE’s DWX devices offer versatility and an open architecture that make it possible to use a multitude of design applications while allowing us the advantage of producing a wide variety of dental restorations.

DGSHAPE devices’ ease of use has also reduced our training time and minimized operator errors to the point where they are almost nonexistent. Combining these 2 great benefits means we can onboard a new technician in a short few weeks vs a month, thereby giving us the ability to start producing and generating income almost immediately. Our DWX mills also minimize errors because of their efficiency and reliability. They allow us to maximize the use of our milling blocks and tools to 95% usage, which enables us to produce more product and sell at a lower, more competitive overall cost.

When we first started using DGSHAPE DWX mills, we were only milling basic zirconia restorations. Over the years, the technology has continued to evolve both in terms of its capabilities and in terms of the comfort level dentists have with utilizing new materials. As a result, we are now milling PMMA, hybrid-type restorations, all-on-4s, zirconia abutments, and diagnostic wax-ups on our DWX dry mills. In addition, Keating Dental Lab is now also milling custom titanium abutments and glass ceramics using the DGSHAPE DWX-42W wet mill.

The dental industry, both from a laboratory and clinical perspective, is trending very rapidly toward a completely digital workflow. I see milling continuing to be a viable solution for predictable, quality, and cost-effective production of dental restorations and prosthetics in 2022 and for years to come. However, we are also seeing 3D digital printing advance and increase in market share to the point that printing zirconia might become more commercialized in the larger dental laboratories in the near future. How these printed materials will perform in comparison with milled monolithic materials is not yet known.

Keating Dental Lab is at the forefront of digital dental technology. In 2022, we will continue to invest the time and resources to validate new and upcoming technologies that can be used to produce restorations and appliances using a variety of raw materials. We have been using Roland DGA’s DGSHAPE devices since the release of their first dental mill in 2010, and they have been and continue to be second to none in service, quality, and reliability. Keating Dental Lab has also been blessed with a great team of dental technicians. The team we have here at Keating Dental Lab along with our partnership with Roland DGA make us hard to beat.

Original Source