[labdude]

Hi Don,
I just talked again to Ron & Rachel, they are very interested. They have your #, and now you have theirs on your voice mail at your lab.

The study model thing that won't die.

This is based on what I have heard over many years. It still plays out the same.

There is better protection for a doctor if he or she is challenged in court over the finishing or treatment of a case, if that doctor has good record models. Good record models being a model made of stone.
A photo record hasn't been thought of as being as strong evidence as a stone model.
Same goes for digital. Reasons are sort of obvious.
Photos and digital can be altered to easily.
But, so can a stone cast in the hands of a professional.
Thing is, if it comes to blows in court, a stone model will win where a photo will carry far less weight. Measuring a photo is sort of accurate, measurements of a digital is the same. A stone model in your hand, for a court case, speaks more strongly.
Again....this is only what I have heard in various ways over the years.

Lately, there seems to be larger acceptance of the photo or digital. Still, if a dr has a case he or she might feel differently about for many reasons, stone is the choice.
This feeling may never be gotten over completely. Good news if you just make study models.

My experience making study models is this, I worked for John Jensen for 11 years. His lab...California Orthodontic Model Laboratory. He started around 1964 or so. Great guy to work for. At the largest point of production the lab was producing 96 models per day, based on a 21 day month. We did 2016 models per month. His lab still exsists, worked by others, under the same name. Unless it has closed or changed names in the last 2 years. John has had enough also, he is retired, owns a home in La Crescenta, Ca. and a home in Denmark.

Who knows really, models will probably go on for another 20 years, till technology takes over.
Mike.

edit: I sold my first study model portion of my lab in 1985. Started again in 1990 so I could easily change over to nothing but mail order, and move to Cascades in Oregon. Linda my wife, also had one going in her name. After the move, I transfered my cases over to "Linda's Models". Then we gave it away to a young person in Oregon.
Been nothing but appliances since around 1996 when we gave the model portion away. We have been..."Precision Orthodonitc Study Models", "Somnium Retainers", "Linda's Models", and are now "Mckenzie Ortho."
Named for where we live, the Mckenzie river valley. Google earth Vida, Oregon. There we are.