Think in Terms of Two-to-Three Year ROI

Dr. Gordon Christensen recently said, "Dentistry is changing so fast that it's extremely difficult for practitioners to stay up to date" and I think the same can be said of dental laboratories.

It's essential for you as a laboratory owner to pinpoint external changes and gauge how they're affecting your business. Once you have that information, you're better able to react and position your laboratory for the future.

Trend: Automation is dramatically changing the very face of dentistry and this trend is going to expand. For example, C&B waxing and casting will become bygone activities: these steps will be replaced by machines that can do the work more economically and more accurately. As a result, PFMs will be phased out in favor of CAD/CAM-fabricated zirconia oxide crowns and bridges. Digital impressions will also grow in popularity and this is good news for labs because the doctor can see what to do in the mouth before he...