Upbeat Cal-Lab Meeting Focuses On Changing Laboratory Climate
Posted Apr 05, 2012 in Post-Show Coverage
Billy Drake, CDT (right), Owner, Drake Precision Dental Laboratory, Charlotte, NC—who moderated his first Cal-Lab Meeting as the group’s new Chair—thanks Glidewell’s Robin Carden after his presentation at the meeting.
The rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.
Mark Twain's words—repeated by Dentsply's Chris Clark—appropriately describe the gist of the Cal-Lab Group's 86th annual meeting in Chicago. Or, to use Clark's own words, "The lab market is here to stay.
"There's been a lot of gloom and doom of late, with some saying laboratories are headed for extinction. But this market is viable and strategic, and you provide the dentist with services, partnership, education, technical expertise and a knowledge base that can't be duplicated," said Clark, President and COO of Dentsply, to more than 800 attendees.
Adding to the positive outlook, Clark cited several factors driving growth, including an aging population, new technology, the recognized link between dental health and systemic health, and the ever-growing cosmetic demand. "All-ceramics are growing faster than PFMs, removable partials faster than full dentures, metal-free partials faster than cast frameworks,...
