New dental milling machine slashes costs
Experts have suggested that a new dental milling machine could allow laboratories to create zirconia frameworks at far cheaper prices.
Renishaw’s new machine was exhibited at the Dental Showcase exhibition, held Birmingham, and looks set to revolutionize systems for creating high quality frameworks.
Gareth Tomkinson, UK Dental Sales development manager, claimed that Renishaw is the world’s largest supplier of in-lab dental CAD/CAM scanning machines.
He also said that Renishaw manufactures its new compact milling machine, which means it can offer amazingly competitive pricing to customer laboratories who produce zirconia restorations themselves.
This new machine is able to produce copings, bespoke abutments and bridge frameworks of up to eight units in size.
The dental scanner obtains data and then analyses it using CAD software, this determines a best-fit margin line and other parameters. A 3D model is then created, which can be tweaked by a technician before the pre-sintered zirconia billets are milled.
Before the final sintering in a furnace, different colour stains can also be added to copings or frameworks which match a patient’s teeth before the last stage of sintering.
According to Renishaw, Zirconia is bio-friendly material which has exceptional strength and is aesthetically sound even in the most demanding case.
Mr Tomkinson said that Renishaw’s focus is to provide patients with metal-free affordable restorations. However, he added that Renishaw would not compromise on its high standard CAD/CAM systems which allow labs to promote metal-free dentistry to a greater number of oral health professionals.
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I wonder what price are we talking about for complete system for small dental laboratory trying to enter to this new era in dental technology.