Premium CAD/CAM Equipment Helps Keep Dentistry Fun
Inside Dentistry provides the latest in endodontics, implantology, periodontics, and more, with in-depth articles, expert videos, and top industry insights.
July 1, 2017
Volume 13, Issue 7, July 2017
Page(s): p. 40
When Jonathan Abenaim, DMD, purchased his first practice in 2007, he immediately purchased a CAD/CAM system. He says being a “digital dentist” was an easy decision.
“Dentistry needs to be fun,” he says. “I would get bored quickly with a mundane routine of ‘preparation, impression, temporary,’ over and over. Digital technology allows me to play a video game every time I fabricate a crown. Every day is interesting because there is always something new.”
Of course, CAD/CAM technology also should improve patient care and provide a return on investment (ROI) for the practice. Abenaim says any investment should be preceded by the dentist identifying a problem.
“Do not invest just because a product looks cool,” he says.
Approximately a year ago, Abenaim identified several problems that he was not solving adequately with the basic CAD/CAM technology he was using at the time.
Among them were high laboratory costs, long turnaround times, limited control over the design of the final restorations, high remake costs, and difficulty archiving patient data. He wanted a system that would allow him to accomplish more high-quality work in-house and subsequently cut down his laboratory bill, decrease turnaround time for many cases, provide more control, fabricate low-cost remakes, and archive patient data. After extensive research, he chose the Versamill from Axsys Dental Solutions.
“The Versamill, like its name implies, is extremely versatile,” Abenaim says. “Every day is exciting; I drive to the office and think of new things I can do with the Versamill. The machines from Axsys include proprietary enhancements to increase reliability. It alleviates a lot of concerns, and their custom templates enable me to handle extremely complex cases. Abenaim identified two priorities when choosing a machine. He wanted to know what equipment the largest milling centers in the country were relying upon, and he wanted a partner that would provide exceptional support.
“You want the people who are selling you the mill to know more than the people who manufactured it. Axsys’ knowledge cannot be matched. They’ve been in the business for 40 years and have worked in a variety of industries, milling everything from plane and car parts to crown parts,” he says.
“With Axsys’ help, I’ve created the Smile Syllabus Training Institute, where we train people on digital dentistry, including what equipment to buy and how to provide this dentistry to patients. We have created workflows that no dentist and no digital expert knows, from full-arch implant restorations to edentulous arches. We have the ability to do them digitally because we now understand the technology,” he explains.
Abenaim still utilizes laboratories for esthetic work, but the Versamill allows him to keep certain tasks in-house, such as milling prototypes for final restorations. This shortens the entire case’s turnaround time and also reduces costs.
Zirconia abutments can be fabricated in-house as well. Abenaim notes that these often cost at least $150, if not more, whereas one $150 zirconia puck can produce approximately 30 abutments.
“Before even getting into complex applications, you can reach your ROI just by milling abutments,” he says.
The quality of the Versamill’s precision milling is noticeable, Abenaim adds.
“When I compare other companies’ milled restorations with ours from the Versamill,” he says, “it is like watching a high-definition 4K television. The anatomy is just so sharp because of how the machine works. This type of technology is what got me into dentistry.”
For more information, contact:
Axsys Dental Solutions
855-687-7941
axsysdental.com
