Digital Technology: Three Reinvention Strategies

Thanks to the advent of digital technology, many laboratory owners and managers are discovering new business models and finding ways to reinvent their businesses and reinvigorate their careers. Here are the stories of three lab owners/managers who have done so using Sirona Dental, Inc.'s CEREC Acquistion Centers, Sirona Connect—a web-based portal through which CEREC dentists and inLab laboratories communicate—and the inLab system.

Smile Design, Inc.

Smile Design, Inc. in Elkhart, IN, is bringing digital technology to the dentist's office—literally. Owned by Chad Rogers, Richard Braddock and two silent partners, they've purchased two CEREC Omnicam intraoral scanners and outfitted cars with special trunks in which they can safely transport the units to area dental offices where they're offering same-day imaging and fabrication services of C&B restorations, partial denture frames, mouthguards and sleep apnea devices.

At the dental office, a Smile...