Lab Processing Times

If you’ve enjoyed a successful dental practice for at least a few years, chances are you’ve accumulated your share of patient models.  You may wish to keep them for your records, but where do you put them…and how do you protect them from loss or breakage?

What if I told you that you didn’t have to worry about model accumulation or protection? Consider converting to digital models. Using digital models saves you space, time, and effort.

At SML, we can take all of your old models and convert them into digital models that are stored and backed up on our servers. You can quickly access the 3D digital models for patient consultation or continued treatment…and If you should ever need a new model fabricated, we can ship it direct to you.

Do you have a patient experiencing arch loss? This can be a difficult process to stop unless you have a customized appliance that is measured and fitted exactly to your patient’s mouth. A popular option to stop arch loss is the Nance U appliance, fabricated by Space Maintainers Laboratories. 

The Nance U works by maintaining the position of the maxillary molars through the use of an acrylic button. The button pushes down on the pre-maxillary region, adding stability to the device and pressure on the arch to maintain its form.

Dentists need to monitor their patients closely when a Nance U is used. If the pressure from the button is too great, it can actually become embedded in the tissue of the palate, which will…

A clear aligner orthodontic technique offers many benefits over traditional braces. Clear aligners are nearly invisible, which can help teens feel less self-conscious at a point in their lives where self-esteem is often an issue. Additionally, clear trays are removable, allowing teens to eat the foods they want and brush and clean their teeth more easily.

However, are clear orthodontic aligners right for teens and pre-teens? Certainly, there are risks. Younger teens may have more trouble remembering to put in their clear trays each day and may be more susceptible to losing them. As an orthodontist, you will need to evaluate each teen individually. Some teens are highly responsible, while others are flakey and less compliant at the same age. It is less a matter of age than…

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a condition that progressively destroys the kidneys, which leads to an increasing host of additional problems, including high blood pressure and heart disease. The condition may also impair the immune system, which means that even relatively minor conditions can be a mortal risk to patients with CKD.

New research from Dr. Irundika Dias of Aston University suggests that inflammatory gum problems, such as excess plaque could be worsening cardiovascular disease in CKD patients. This happens, because bacteria from inflamed gum disease enters the bloodstream, causing clots and narrowing arteries.

Dr. Dias is currently studying whether treating periodontitis will reduce heart disease in patients…

Your digital patient records are invaluable. Archived files can help you understand and chart a patient’s long-term progress. They can help you determine if past interventions have been successful and move forward with a more comprehensive health plan for each individual patient --and if your patient relocates, it’s best for your business to have records ready for facilitating smooth transitions.

Are your digital patient files safe? If you are keeping them all on a single server, they could be incredibly vulnerable. What happens if that server goes down, if you experience fire or a natural disaster, or if some nasty hacker blocks the files and tries to blackmail you to get them back?

The SML Global…

Sleep apnea is often consider a male issue, but while over 42 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, a good portion of those troubled sleepers are women. Some studies show that one of out every four people suffering from sleep apnea is female. In fact, a 2008 study found that roughly 9% of middle-aged women suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (compared to 25% of middle-aged men).

Sleep apnea symptoms are often subtle in women, showing up as headaches and fatigue. This leads to a underdiagnosing of the condition in women. Those who suffer from sleep apnea are at an increased risk of being involved in a traffic accident, stroke, heart attack, high blood pressure, diabetes, and even some forms of cancer, including…

I think it would be safe to say that 75 – 80% of all patients experience some relapse or crowding long term, when they stop wearing their retainer(s). Patients always want to know why. So, for the purposes of this blog, here is a sampling of potential causes:

The reality is…retention is forever. Educating your…

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