Denture Teeth Mold Guide - Is it necessary?

[anne2010Ma]

Hi Everyone,

I was wondering if anyone actually use a Denture Teeth Mold Guide? There are so many mold guide out there and they're quite expensive. Is it necessary and which one is the best? Also, doesn't the mold guide just consists of all the different sizes of denture teeth out there and it is used to determine which size of teeth to order. If that is the case would it be cheaper to just order all the existing size of denture teeth and make my own mold guide? Any help and insight is much appreciated! Thank you in advance!

Anne

 

[CYNOSURER]

Yes and no.

Mould guides are considerably cheaper than the teeth themselves and often the teeth in them are not usable for anything but a guide. Some companies offer a 'working' mould guide with usable teeth and at a discount (cheaper than if you bought the individual cards) and often they let you pick the shade.

Some tooth lines are so inexpensive that you can just buy the teeth. I do this with Dentsply classic. I stock shade A1 and A2 for our Bronze (economy/provisional) Denture Service and will order the other shades.

One good mould guide will serve you well. I like Dentsply's Portrait guide because they have a large number of moulds. But, if you check, you'll see that their mould guide doesn't even include all their available moulds. I was told they may be phasing out those (my favorite 'missing' mould is 74H, still available and in their mould guide book.). I suggested some time ago that Dentsply make their mould guide available in the tooth drawer format so that it would just slide into their existing tooth cabinets. The rep thought it was a great idea but so far...not yet available.

I have the Dentsply guide because that is what I use the most. I'd recommend it if you're going to use a lot of different tooth lines as it cross references well enough. But, if you know what tooth line you will be using I'd get their mould guide. And talk to the manufacture rep about it. You never know what they may be able to do for you as opposed to just ordering one from a supply house.

If you ask some of your accounts they may have some mould guides laying about. They rarely use them and they are a bit bulky. Often the mould guide books are good enough for their purposes and space.

I also suggest collecting every mould guide pamphlet/book that you can. I lot of useful info (other than the pics of the teeth) in these things. Ditto for shade guides.

Most tooth lines (like shades) have a cross reference. So you can ask for a Blue Line tooth that matches whatever mould guide you're using and they will find a comparable. But comparable may not be exactly what you want, which is why mould guides are nice to have around.

 

[kcdt]

It may not be necessary to have a working mould guide on hand, but if you are planning on stocking any particular tooth line, they are a great way to go. I have Image and Creapearl in stock, shades A1-A3 and B1, in Image I also stock A0 these are working mould guides, and the purchase of them (in Image) was considerably less than buying the cards individually.
One advantage to these as opposed to paper guides is the ability to actually see the mould in the space you're filling. Also, the time savings can really boost production.

 

[TomZ]

I agree with Kenneth. Having the actual mold to place into a case prior to purchasing lends a more exacting evaluation of how the finished product will look and function. I use a working or non-working mold guide on almost every case that I work on.

With that being said, when I first went into business I found it hard to swallow that a manufacturer of denture teeth wanted to charge me for teeth in a mold guide that I would be using to sell more of their teeth with.

So what I did before I purchased a working mold guide was every time I purchased teeth for a case and before setting, I would duplicate the molds with silicone and self cure resin.
Before long, I had a non-working mold guide of what I found to be the most popular molds I was using. Because of my growing familiarity and comfort level with those molds I eventually justified the purchase of a whole set from the manufacturer.

My suggestion to every tooth manufacturer to this day is offer a mold guide made out of non useable acrylic at a very reasonable price. Make it easy on the people who are selecting and selling your teeth.

 

[JohnWilson]

Great idea Tom,

I have been fortunate over the years to acquire many non working mold guides on Ebay for a fraction of their retail cost. It is however getting much more difficult to find the "Great" deals as there are way too many INTERNET savvy techs these days.

As for the manufactures supplying this for free I agree its in their best interest but alas they don't see it that way. I will say that knowing your inside says rep and making a very good relationship with them is a great place to start to cultivate the freebies that all reps can offer. Calling the company and just asking will almost never work but asking the right person sometimes can.

 

[hydent]

Thats what I don't get too Tom we the techs are the best tooth salesman these companies have, better than any of their reps. My docs give me the freedom to choose, or if I suggest a certain tooth line for a case no matter the cost they go with what I say. You would think they would want to make it easier on us to sell their teeth.

 

[anne2010Ma]

Hi Everyone,

thanks for the qreat input and help. I realized every manufacturers have their own mold guide. I'm trying to offer my clients three levels of teeth - cheap, average and expensive. Can someone suggest what brand to choose for each levels of teeth (cheap, average and expensive)?

Also, is there a mold guide that will correspond to every or most of the other manufacturers? Thank you!

Anne

 

[CloudPeakDL]

Top 3 teeth are Portrait IPN, Candular, Ivoclar, - I offer all three, since next day shipping is so easy, same brands for porcelain -Always vacuum fired.
Mid range I like Zahn Maxima, problem is they are limited in thier molds but the teeth look nice -$12
Low end - Myerson or classic

 

[CYNOSURER]

Again, talk to a manufacturer rep. I happened to mention to my rep this morning that I was misssing a few teeth from my IPN mould guide. Usually, they just order replacement teeth. Today, he went out to his car and brought in a brand new one...well, technically an unused old one (doesn't have their newer zero degree posteriors (600 series).
So I have an old one now with a few teeth missing One 22G eight central and about a half dozen or so single lower anteriors. You're welcome to the new one after I take out the missing teeth I need..

 

[denturist-student]

I have used the teeth from the mould guides to model for a try in or to setup an RPD case..but I do not adjust the teeth.....I also use them for practice setups to develope speed and refresh my occlusal contact scheme....I have both Portrait and Ivoclar mould guides and shade guides both purchased on ebay for about 50 each. During the preliminary appointment I will take photos both straight on and profile, intra oral photos, preliminary impressions, a putty bite rough registration and make impressions of the existing dentures. I know it may be overkill but there is a wealth of information in them. Also take alma guage readings. I use everything to do a rough mount on a Galetti to build bite rims and or an esthetic try in. Nothing gets mounted permanently until the final pin tracer is registered and I use Plastogum for that. Over the years the Instructors at school have said most of the remakes after the students leave for summer were needed using Regisil or another silicone registration material....Being through both the lab tech program and Denturist programs has its benefits as I think I have a better understanding of what I want to accomplish....As well I get to see the fruits of my labor smile at the try in....When people say Wow it makes me feel good. Take care and keep well.....

 

[DentureDude]

Hi Everyone,

I was wondering if anyone actually use a Denture Teeth Mold Guide? There are so many mold guide out there and they're quite expensive. Is it necessary and which one is the best? Also, doesn't the mold guide just consists of all the different sizes of denture teeth out there and it is used to determine which size of teeth to order. If that is the case would it be cheaper to just order all the existing size of denture teeth and make my own mold guide? Any help and insight is much appreciated! Thank you in advance!

Anne

its pretty simple.

if you have a full tooth stock in the teeth you want to use for the case.. you dont need one.
otherwise you do.

 

[droberts]

Something to consider that many small labs don't is to get a full tooth stock if you are happy with
the manufacture / company of teeth you are using. Here I have a full line of Vita in 3D
shades of all anteriors, and double sets of posteriors. It allows to keep the work
flow moving and also to mix the anterior sets if need be. Clients can either send in a cast of the old
denture to match up, or I have bought and placed a working mold guide in their office. Eliminates
any confusion. Photos of bite registrations and try-ins are also good information.

 

[TheLabGuy]

Something to consider that many small labs don't is to get a full tooth stock if you are happy with
the manufacture / company of teeth you are using.

We are getting much more into removables and I agree with your comment. We are only really offering two kinds...Vita MFT (economy) and have a full set, every shade with every mould. As for the Premium, we use Tribos 501's and have quite a few in stock but as with anything, we can pretty much order any brand and mould we need out there so I agree as long as you have an economy line full stock, you can keep the work flow going. I'm curious for those folks using three types (economy, mid, and premium)...is your middle priced being used a lot? Then again, maybe with my two types of teeth, the Vita MFT's would be considered middle?...is why I ask.

 

[AJEL]

I have working mold guides: 3 full sets of; Vita not all shades but all the molds in 3d Physodens, Vita Classic & MFT, I also have 2 full sets of Heraeus Basics. MFT & Basics economy. I started my lab in the 70's & somehow have the Bioblend & NewHue mold guides as well as the myerson & Dr. French.
Like Rob said I can order any tooth in a day or so but having a stock speeds stuff up, and if you have a software that keeps track of the teeth you use (my list only goes back to 1985, you can see a trend and know what shades to keep in your working mold guide.) I will admit the old data is mostly historical as the trend has gone from the old 62,65,69,70, 81 to A1, A2, A3, C1 & D2. This week I had my first B4 in 7 years. If I happened to have made the denture the list is good for replacement denture as well as doing repairs. I think of it as part of GMP GMP GMP.
I was a stocking lab for Ivoclair when they came in (1977),& still have a bunch of those I use them for hospice or shelter cases.
I never got into Candular they look nce but never had a call for them I still have some Swisident, & I like the Creapearl posteriors.
I wouldn't use mold guide teeth for anything other than their intention they are not mfg for any other purpose & I'm not sure how well they would even disinfect.

The reason they each have their own numbering system is to prevent universal anything, I feel lucky they tend to use the Vita shade system, or have reference charts to them.

The other item I have seemed to have is a rubberrmaid container of is shade guides.

 

[droberts]

We are getting much more into removables and I agree with your comment. We are only really offering two kinds...Vita MFT (economy) and have a full set, every shade with every mould. As for the Premium, we use Tribos 501's and have quite a few in stock but as with anything, we can pretty much order any brand and mould we need out there so I agree as long as you have an economy line full stock, you can keep the work flow going. I'm curious for those folks using three types (economy, mid, and premium)...is your middle priced being used a lot? Then again, maybe with my two types of teeth, the Vita MFT's would be considered middle?...is why I ask.

Rob, Here I do not offer a low end denture. If the client ask for a less expensive due to immediate, I use the same teeth with no
custom characterization, and anatomy. The fee is slightly less,but the nice thing about it is the same teeth will be used for the final
so there is no misunderstanding of the molds. Patients do compare old and new as you well know. Also working with Vita, having a
bar scanner to order them and they show up next day. Good to see ya back!