Fact or Fiction: DOL Classification of Dental Laboratory Technicians

By NADL Executive Director Bennett Napier, CAE This general timeline of activities, covering key moments in the last ten years, is intended to provide clarity on the classification system of occupations used by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), including dental laboratory technicians. For background, the O*Net system classifies occupations based on the following criteria:…

Scannability of Soft Tissue Casts

INTRODUCTION Making the emergence profile around implants cleansable is a highly desirable characteristic for a successful implant restoration. With an increased demand for esthetic implant restorations, especially in the anterior, effective management of the soft tissue and the emergence profile is critical. In addition to being esthetic, proper contouring of the peri-implant soft tissue helps…

The Wax Duplicate Denture Technique: A Guide for Replication Accuracy and Success

At some point during a patient’s denture journey, they will require treatment that involves replacement dentures. There are many reasons that a patient may request to duplicate some or all parts of their current denture. Patients, particularly geriatric ones who have worn their current prosthesis for many years, are not always able to tolerate change.…

All-Ceramic Single-Tooth Restorations for Treating Damaged Dental Enamel

Long-term results in patients with and without amelogenesis imperfect Teeth that have been affected by extensive wear or a genetic disorder can be successfully restored with adhesively bonded all-ceramic restorations. The following article summarizes the outcomes of a series of complex clinical cases. Two different groups of patients require the rehabilitation of impaired full dentitions:…

COVID-19 Infection Control Through Digital Scanning in the Dental Laboratory

In the realm of global dentistry, health and safety processes and procedures have always been stringently regulated. Protec Dental Laboratories LTD, Vancouver, BC, Canada, places great emphasis in following internal and external regulatory guidelines that are predominantly outlined by both the Provincial Ministry of Health and College of Dental Technicians of BC. Pre COVID-19, disinfection…

The Industrial Revolution

Klaus Schwab, economist and Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation, authored a best-selling book entitled, The Fourth Industrial Revolution. In it, he explains that the fourth revolution is different from any previous revolution in scale, scope and complexity. This technological revolution impacts all economies, governments and…

3D Printed Night Guards with KeySplint Soft Resin; The Game Changer for Labs, Clinicians and Patients

Our industry has seen many advancements in technology and materials that bring efficiency to production methods and improve the level of patient care, but rarely does material development and cutting-edge hardware/software meet perfectly at the intersection of patient needs and the unique demands the industry is facing to truly be a transformative force. In this…

Getting Your Employees Vaccinated

By Raleigh F. “Sandy” Seay Historians tell us that plagues or pandemics or epidemics are not uncommon in the continuing narrative of the Long Debate. In the last two centuries, we have seen the Spanish Flu, the Asian Flu, the Hong Kong Flu, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and now, COVID-19.(1)  COVID-19 has run rampant…

NADL, NBC and FDLT Celebrate June as Dental Technician and CDT Appreciation Month

The National Association of Dental Laboratories (NADL), National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology (NBC), and the Foundation for Dental Laboratory Technology (FDLT) celebrate June as Dental Technician and Certified Dental Technician (CDT) Appreciation Month. Dental technicians bring significant experience and subject matter knowledge related to dental materials, technology, shade verification and restorative dentistry.…