The Vital Role of Highland Dental Lab in Treatment Planning
Treatment planning for complex restorative cases is a critical aspect of delivering successful dental care to your patients. Including Highland Dental Lab, a leading dental lab in Texas, in the pre-planning stage can significantly enhance your ability to recommend the most suitable types of restorations and materials, thus improving case acceptance.
In recent years, the rapid advancement of technologies and the emergence of new restorative materials have outpaced the ability of most dentists to keep up with research, absorption, and comprehension of their applications while managing a busy dental practice. To bridge this gap, relying on an informed and educated lab technician becomes paramount to ensure that your patients receive the full benefits of cutting-edge materials like zirconium or the latest porcelain glaze.
Dental schools today often produce newly graduated dentists who lack hands-on laboratory experience. Consequently, both new and seasoned dentists often find themselves leaning heavily on experienced lab technicians. While a dentist may perform one or two crowns in a day, an experienced lab technician is likely fabricating one or two every hour, using a range of materials and techniques.
When to Collaborate with Highland Dental Lab
For patients requiring multiple indirect restorations, implants, or removable prosthetics, the first call should be to your dental lab technician, especially one like Highland Dental Lab located in Texas.
Collaborating closely with the technician from the outset of cases can save both time and money. The lab technician’s perspective, covering preparation requirements, esthetic considerations, materials, implant placement, and prosthetic design, is invaluable before beginning any treatment.
Engaging in dialogue with your lab technician before finalizing complex restorative treatment plans, implant designs, or prosthetic cases can prevent last-minute changes. This communication is a vital step in an efficient workflow process, especially when dealing with new materials, equipment, or esthetic and functional challenges.
Highland Dental Lab’s Role in Treatment Planning
Clinical dentists leverage their expertise to assess a patient’s health status, dental and orofacial needs. They provide diagnoses and build patient relationships that guide care and treatment.
On the other hand, dental lab technicians, such as those at Highland Dental Lab, are responsible for various procedures, including:
- Interpreting and executing the dentist’s written specifications.
- Initiating communication with the dentist to clarify orders, either through calls or in-person meetings.
- Identifying design flaws or potential issues in fabrication orders.
- Staying current with the latest dental materials and procedures through ongoing education.
- Identifying significant defects in impressions or models.
- Adhering to dental material specifications and regulations.
- Following recommended infection control practices for incoming and outgoing prostheses.
When you involve Highland Dental Lab early in the treatment planning phase, you can benefit from the combined perspectives of both the clinical dentist and the lab technician. As the saying goes, “Two heads are better than one,” a principle that holds especially true when tackling complex dental cases.
Incorporating Highland Dental Lab from the Outset
Treatment planning is a collaborative effort that facilitates discussions between you and your lab technician during the diagnostic phase. This robust communication leads to superior patient outcomes, reduces unnecessary remakes, minimizes stress, improves time management, and fosters trust among dental team members. Ultimately, everyone benefits.
At Highland Dental Lab, our technicians are eager to collaborate with dentists in the early planning stages of complex cases. Contact us today to discuss your questions and treatment planning challenges, whether they pertain to routine cases or more intricate scenarios. We are here to assist you in providing the best possible dental care.