A "reassuring" letter from Straumann

[rkm rdt]

I want to hear from dentists that visit this site.

 

[French Cadman]

No letter in France, I sent US letter to the French Straumann management !
No answer yet ....
Is that a localized problem ?
We stay armed and vigilant ...

 

[paulg100]

i hate to say it and i dont like it, but personally i think making a stand against this is a waste of time. Its like trying to hold back the tide.

Ill bet my bottom dollar that most if not all of the major implant companies will be doing the same sooner or later. Including the ones you guys will be trying to direct your clients too . Especially as intra oral scanning gains penetration and matures.

Your already doing the right thing by setting up to compete with them Bob.
Most of us cant afford the amount of investment needed to do that.

Ive chosen the alternative route of CDT qualification to create a viable revenue stream, although even this is going to cost me heaps.

Aside from the gifted/dedicated few at the top of their game, anyone that thinks they are going to just carry on doing what they've been doing for the past 20-30 years... well good luck

You probably dont want to admit it either, but come on.. reality check time.

Welcome to the cad/cam revolution.

 

[rkm rdt]

I think the other companies will be sitting back and observing the repurcussions of this action.If we just bend over and take it like you are suggesting, then of course they will follow suit.

At this point the competition has just stepped in it, I doubt we'll be receiving any Dear John letters from Nobel.

 

[paulg100]

"I think the other companies will be sitting back and observing the repurcussions of this action."

Sadly i think the competition will be quick to jump in when they see that Struamnn have increased their profits.

You think the MASSIVE amount of investment these companies have put into intra oral scanning will be returned by just selling the scanners? or by selling per click fee's?

No i think as soon as there is enough penetration then the companies switch to phase two. Its so obvious.

Im not suggesting bend over and take it, im suggesting the industry is evolving, de-skill'ing and automating, and im reasonable enough to accept that and put my efforts into evolving with it, not trying to fight the inevitable.

 

[rkm rdt]

Closed systems will never dominate the market!

 

[Gru]

Paulg100,
You are of course right that the industry has dramatically changed. Perhaps well beyond labs surviving except as "boutique" labs. I'm not one to fight the inevitable, but really don't like being misled in purchasing equipment if that's what this turns out as. All the large companies have multi-year plans, so we will see whether their plans make us obsolete.

Do please explain to me how any sort of certification is going to help us. I don't see it, unless legislation requires the production facilities to employ certified techs.

 

[rkm rdt]

Relax everyone,they are only going to be doing the easy cases.

 

[paulg100]

"but really don't like being misled in purchasing equipment"

if theres one think i hate in life, its liars.

But if i was the CEO of someone like Staumann or Nobel and my advisors came to me and said we should not go direct to surgeries in the mid to long term once the technology and penetration are in place then id probably fire em.

They already have the facilities and the infrastructure. Just need enough intra oral scanners in place, closed or STL output dosent matter, and that is just a matter of time.

 

[CoolHandLuke]

while i have not read the letter, i'd like to take a minute and suggest that this partnership between Straumann and Dentists may not be so bad. heres why:

1. most importantly, it means Straumann can interact with the dentist on an IOS level. this does 2 things to help us as Dental Techs: A, Straumann gets to deal with bad scans and bad users. B, Straumann gets to design the abutments for the lab to finish the restorations.

A helps us because it means Straumann will be assisting the doctors take better impressions and this is always a great thing. working on terrible impressionry can finally become a thing of the past, and with the financial backing of Straumann it can mean IOS devices can finally penetrate where they are needed the most.

B also helps us because now we do not have wasted time in the design phase; it also potentially means straumann can send the Lab the design for approval before commencing, which would ultimately save the Lab time.

2: this process integrates the DDS in the manufacturing stream, allowing more control of his desired product and less misinformation.

by its very nature this makes the whole process Less closed as compared to a process by which we as labs were finding remakes due mostly to miscommunication and other technical difficulties.

if it is implemented right, yes this process rips some money out from the wallets of labs, but it comes with the added benefit of unloading some of the headaches too.

 

[paulg100]

"B, Straumann gets to design the abutments for the lab to finish the restorations"

so why dont they provide the finish restoration as well. Software promotes the design of the crown then the abutment to fit the crown, which is the best way.

So why dont they supply the crown? mill out of emax cad or lava ultimate? maybe not even stained, just mill and ship with the abutment.

 

[Gru]

Not with you, CoolHand.

B) I charge for correctly designing cases, and why does Straumann need an outside lab for approval or anything else? They have talented, highly qualified people there already. Mill the restoration at the same time or as one piece.

I do agree that until the IOS are cost effective and the older generations retire, we aren't out of work.

 

[CoolHandLuke]

"B, Straumann gets to design the abutments for the lab to finish the restorations"

so why dont they provide the finish restoration as well. Software promotes the design of the crown then the abutment to fit the crown, which is the best way.

So why dont they supply the crown? mill out of emax cad or lava ultimate? maybe not even stained, just mill and ship with the abutment.

again i havent read the letter but if i were straumann i would be aiming only to supply the abutments, to keep the Labs relationships with the doctor intact; also because this way there would be less of those really fun doctors to play with, you know the kind who finds your every crown to be a black spot on God's green earth, but continues to send you everything they can, several times while you remake everything for free.

yeah straumann doesnt want that.

let the dentists tell straumann where to ship the physical abutment, and digital scan files so the lab can continue the headache, i mean perfectly reasonable case.

cuts down on waiting for abutments anyway.

 

[rkm rdt]

So Paul, in the mean time, will you be using authentic Straumann components,or third party?

 

[paulg100]

"yeah straumann doesnt want that."

neither do i, thats why i charge for remakes.

 

[paulg100]

well im a Straumann platinum technician, of course i would.

But I dont work with anyone that uses Straumann so i can honestly say ive never used a third party component for a Straumann case

Thats true but in seriousness i need to work with companies that have research to back up their gear, especially when it comes to implant work.

Were registered professionals in the UK now remember so we are answerable to the General Dental Council in the same way as dentists.. That dosent mean i wouldnt/dont use third party components, they just need proper data to back the stuff up, or im dead in the water in a disciplinary hearing. Im not talking about things like model analogs, but certainly anything thats going in some ones mouth, and my clients always know exactly what ive used.

Im not qualified to argue if the research is BS or not, but as an end user it at least demonstrates that the company has taken due care in ensuring that their components perform to the necessary standards.

This point seems to be overlooked alot of the time here. Were supplying regulated medical devices remember, not coat hangers.
You might argue that regulation is BS half the time but thats life. The initial radioactive crap that was coming out of china is probably enough to justify why its there.

Of course tons of techs ignore that but thats up to them. Im trying to raise my profile to get the right type of work in, so i cant afford to mess around. And i always make sure my indemnity insurance is up to date. If you get found without that your struck off the register anyway.

You sure you still want professional status in the US/Canada It will sure cost you money but you wont earn any more for it.

 

[martintay]

i hate to say it and i dont like it, but personally i think making a stand against this is a waste of time. Its like trying to hold back the tide.

Ill bet my bottom dollar that most if not all of the major implant companies will be doing the same sooner or later. Including the ones you guys will be trying to direct your clients too . Especially as intra oral scanning gains penetration and matures.

Your already doing the right thing by setting up to compete with them Bob.
Most of us cant afford the amount of investment needed to do that.

Ive chosen the alternative route of CDT qualification to create a viable revenue stream, although even this is going to cost me heaps.

Aside from the gifted/dedicated few at the top of their game, anyone that thinks they are going to just carry on doing what they've been doing for the past 20-30 years... well good luck

You probably dont want to admit it either, but come on.. reality check time.

Welcome to the cad/cam revolution.

Best of luck with CDT Paul . I see a big problem,,,,, to many techs are doing or are going to do it !! What do you think ?

 

[paulg100]

Best of luck with CDT Paul . I see a big problem,,,,, to many techs are doing or are going to do it !! What do you think ?

I think its the same as any other vocation in dentistry,

There will be good CDT's crap CDT's, those that cant market and those that cant run a business VS those that can. Theres thousands of dentists but not everyone is successful.

Most dentists dont like doing denture work and a good CDT has a massive advantage when they are doing the clinical and lab work them selves. Whether its from referrals or their own patients, i reckon theres plenty of work to go around for good CDT's.

Im already accomplished at C&B work and prosthetics, and I see the CDT side as a way to supplement this so it means im not totally reliant or one or the other. It will just give me more strings to my bow and maybe help me get some control back over my destiny by running my own appointment book and seeing my own patients. Plus my labs already on site at a practice anyway.

We already have a CDT coming in one day a week who also works at a couple of other practices and he is doing quite nicely.

At least for me it sounds like a good idea

Now back on topic....

 

[rkm rdt]

"You sure you still want professional status in the US/Canada It will sure cost you money but you wont earn any more for it."

We've had it for over 22 years here.

 

[paulg100]

oh didnt realize that sorry!

Is that why theres so many wealthy dental technicians in Canada then? :flypig: