Synergistic Approach Brings Combination Casework to a New Level

By bringing fixed and removable technicians together in one department, industry leader Glidewell Laboratories has streamlined combination casework and dramatically enhanced communication.

Two heads are better than one. That simple axiom is the foundation of Glidewell Laboratories' combination case department, formed in 1996. Since then, the laboratory's combination caseload has increased 800% and now fabricates 1,000 ceramic or full cast restorations and 200 partial dentures related to a combination case per week.

The impetus behind the department—which now includes more than 100 C&B and removable technicians—was to enhance communication and to help smooth out problems that can arise when technicians with different specialties work together on the same case. "Working side by side in the same department, technicians have developed a better understanding of what they need from each other for a successful result," says Jerry Lord,...