Lab Processing Times

One of the most convenient benefits of investing in a digital scanner is that you can automatically send your digital impressions to your dental lab of choice – which can allow you to communicate with them immediately increasing the overall accuracy of the work.

If your current digital lab cannot accept your digital impressions, it might be time to consider working with a lab that can.

At SML Global, we are equipped to accept dental impressions from the most common digital scanners on the market: .STL files, ITERO, 3M, 3SHAPE, CARESTREAM, SIRONA, and the new Condor Intra-Oral Scanner.

We provide a wide range of digital services, including the creation of 3D digital models based on your scans…

There are a couple of uses for the “Essix” retainer. The Essix Retainer is a popular retainer for the extremely appearance-conscious patient and is most commonly used in orthodontic treatment as a final retainer to prevent teeth from shifting. 

When you have patient’s that won’t leave your dental office with missing teeth, another use for an essix retainer is to esthetically hold the place for the missing teeth that will eventually be replaced with dental implant supported crowns. This is especially effective during the healing process when you don’t want the teeth shifting. 

The picture above is an example of this type of retainer. The plastic extensions hug around the existing upper teeth…

SML Product Catalog Prescription Forms | Shipping LabelsWith locations throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, and Taiwan, SML® services more than 150,000 dentists and orthodontists worldwide, providing direct and personal access to everything required for success in appliance therapy…and we’ve been doing it for more than 60 years. We specialize in the design and fabrication of orthodontic and orthopedic appliances -- prominent among them a full range of snoring, OSA and pediatric appliances; TMJ splints; fixed, removable and functional…

SML is currently open with an on-site staff that allows us to maintain social distancing and a safe environment for our employees. We are now open from 7:30am to 4:30pm Pacific Standard Time. Although we continue to improve our turnaround time, you may still experience a longer in lab time than you may be used to.  This is occurring because of the new protocols that have been put in place to insure the health and safety of our workers, you, your staff and the patients who will use our products.

If you have concerns about getting a case and you need something on an emergent basis, PLEASE CALL us!  We will assign a technician to fulfill your order as rapidly as possible.

Our Products department is fully functional. All product orders can be placed by accessing our products division online or, if you prefer, by calling us directly. Although there is still a significant disruption of our supply…

Even a small amount of pressure when exerted over a long period of time can create big changes -- like pushing a patient's teeth out of alignment. That’s exactly what can happen if there have a tongue-thrusting habit. The patient may not feel it happening and may not know it’s happening, but the tongue is a strong muscle and if pushing against the patient's front teeth repeatedly, chances are their teeth are shifting.

Tongue thrusting can be an especially problematic in young children. As they lose their baby teeth and adult teeth begin to grow in, the new teeth are vulnerable to outside pressure. If you notice that your young patients have a habit of thrusting thier tongue…

The Rick-A-Nator is a popular and easy-to-use dental appliance that can help you open a patient’s bite and create the correct vertical dimension. It is especially useful in treating non-compliant patients where other removable appliances have proven to be ineffective.

A less well-known use of the Rick-A-Nator is to help address temporomandibular disorders (TMD). It can help advance the mandibles and increase the vertical opening, which can alleviate some of the stress on the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).

According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, as many as 10 million Americans may be suffering from TMD (also often called TMJ). Multiple factors can contribute to the jaw…

• Grinding or clenching breaks down enamel and can eventually reduce teeth to stumps.

• Absence of enamel makes it easier for bacteria to penetrate the softer part of teeth and produce cavities.

• As long as bruxism continues, the situation keeps getting worse.

“Although no hard and fast figures on the frequency of bruxism are available currently, it is known that 80% of all bruxers may be unaware of the habit (Thompson, Blount, and Krumholtz, 1994) or ashamed of it… and that evidence of the self-destructive behavior (worn teeth) may take years to actually appear.

Estimates of the prevalence ranges from 5% to 100% …but it can safely be said that at the very least, one out of twenty Americans brux.…