New Players, New Materials Join the Digital Revolution

By Kelly Fessel Carr

Posted Jan 04, 2012 in Digital Dentistry

January 2012—



Valplast enters the CAD/CAM market. 3M ESPE delves into a new material category. Three more manufacturers enter the milling center arena. These are just a few of the highlights from the DLOAC's CAD/CAM Technology Symposium & Expo in November in Pasadena, CA.



While digital technology has been a boon to the C&B market in the past decade, its application to removable labs has been much more limited. One of the latest developments* in the removable arena is Valplast International Corp.'s Precise-Fit™, a system for producing a digitally designed trial baseplate which is used to fabricate a Valplast Flexible Partial.


Here's how the process works: the laboratory sends a model or conventional or digital impression to Valplast where its technicians use a 3Shape scanner and software to create a 3D model. They then digitally survey the image to optimize the path of insertion and block out undercuts, and design the...

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About The Author

  • Kelly Fessel Carr

    Associate Publisher / Editor at LMT Communications, Inc. · Newtown, CT

    At the helm of the magazine for over 35 years, Kelly is the heart and soul of the editorial department, guiding and shaping our coverage - both in print and online - to bring dental laboratory decision-makers the news and...

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