Are we being eliminated?

TheLabGuy

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To a certain degree, we are being eliminated but to be fair, it's not like anything that hasn't been done before. Let me explain, Henry Ford developed the 'assembly line', tons of workers doing one or two jobs on the line. Now the robots do most of it. We see the same in our industry...to an extent. I think you could say we have more pressure to adapt than they did back then because we are getting hammered by big companies getting into our lab industry. Then the manufactures deciding, we can play lab guy too. On top of that, add in the expansion of chairside services has taken a lot of lab work out of the labs. It's a massive trifecta and we are holding the losing ticket. Unless, you get off your arse and diversify, show how valuable you are and market that to the current business client. This transition will take time, maybe even decades, but it will happen. Where will you be when the dust clears?
 
aidihra

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Met a very nice doctor who cuts excellent preps and impressions using IOS, also has printer and lab scanner /no porcelain oven. Sends files to xx milling lab to design/$10.00 and milled FCZ $22.00 = $32.00
Cases come back to polish zir and LD. More difficult cases sent to lab #2 to design then back to milling lab xx to mill. Practically everything is monolithic.
FCZ at $32.00 model free plus shipping and this will end up being the competition for many labs going forward. Growing fad is doctors milling inhouse using IOS or both lab scanners, milling zir with nice lab mills and using MiYO. I thought the downfall for many small labs is other labs charging $79.00 model free to design & mill off IOS files. I have no answers other than growing a larger digital lab in order to stay in business, or working in-house. Hmmmm2
In the cities there are dental offices opening up on every corner. Most of those offices won't have as many customers as the more established ones. One way for them to compete is to possibly have an in house lab if they're willing to do the lab work themselves. I think this will become more common.

I feel like I'm at the point where I'm happy with the clients I work with and if for whatever reason they're gone, I'll probably find something else to do. I've been to many dental offices where they don't have any respect for the lab. Whether it's the dentist, receptionist or even the assistant, I'm not willing to waste my time with those types anymore. There are a lot of miserable dental techs and I don't want to be one of them.
 
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Well let's hope it's better than there auto placement proposals.

I find myself being a miserable tech. Every once a while.

Aidihra, just curious on what other career would you look at? I have only been in dental and often wonder how any of my skills would transfer over to another career.
 
rkm rdt

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everyone wants to be a dental technician
 
JMN

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Well let's hope it's better than there auto placement proposals.

I find myself being a miserable tech. Every once a while.

Aidihra, just curious on what other career would you look at? I have only been in dental and often wonder how any of my skills would transfer over to another career.
The detail attention, 'procedural cleanliness' (how well you adhere to protocols),communication, dexterity, a lot transfers.

Those are what transferred to this from other jobs as electronics tech, locksmith, DMV counter person, etc.
 
sidesh0wb0b

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Don't get me started on this subject. I used to have a back and forth "discussion" with Texas Tom here about all the work going to China, lol, that was the least of our problems... or so it would seem... in the end stem cells will win and people will grow their own teeth back, but until then I hate to say this but maybe the "tenured" techs should "organize" (ok what does organize mean, that needs to be defined) and actually get paid for expertise the corporations cutting us out don't have. Don't be so quick to give it away, and take note of the ones who are trying to do away with us and don't buy from them.
i am in
 
aidihra

aidihra

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Well let's hope it's better than there auto placement proposals.

I find myself being a miserable tech. Every once a while.

Aidihra, just curious on what other career would you look at? I have only been in dental and often wonder how any of my skills would transfer over to another career.
This is the only job I've ever done besides working at a hot dog stand. I'd prefer to transition into something that I can still do in my lab. What that would be..., I'm not sure. Jewelry seems logical, but I'm not really interested in that. Becoming a welder was something I had thought about. I used to solder much more often, but not much now. Soldering is close to welding, so I'd say I have some experience already. :cool:
 
rkm rdt

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This is the only job I've ever done besides working at a hot dog stand. I'd prefer to transition into something that I can still do in my lab. What that would be..., I'm not sure. Jewelry seems logical, but I'm not really interested in that. Becoming a welder was something I had thought about. I used to solder much more often, but not much now. Soldering is close to welding, so I'd say I have some experience already. :cool:
You would be acetylene for an entry level position.
 
Tayebdental

Tayebdental

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That's my plan: run an in-house lab with dentists on my payroll.... coming by Nov. this year
Still you need a dentist license to operate a dental clinic
 
Tayebdental

Tayebdental

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I think as we said before , if not much education or certification required to open and operate a dental lab, (Serious dental lab education) with no organization for the dental laboratory Profession such as ADA and others, no wonder the decline we see now. As for me I am really appreciated of what I do by my few dentists and they know the quality I provide to them comparing with big labs after 43 years in this business and counting. I actually now enjoy doing dental lab work since went digital.
 
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sidesh0wb0b

sidesh0wb0b

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I think as we said before , if not much education or certification required to open and operate a dental lab, (Serious dental lab education) with no organization for the dental laboratory Profession such as ADA and others, no wonder the decline we see now. As for me I am really appreciated of what I do by my few dentists and they know the quality I provide to them comparing with big labs after 43 years in this business and counting. I actually now enjoy doing dental lab work since went digital a while ago.
im not a fan of suggesting more government intervention to "fix" anything pertaining to our industry. its up to us.

if youre not suggesting big brother step in to regulate things, what are you suggesting?
 
Tayebdental

Tayebdental

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im not a fan of suggesting more government intervention to "fix" anything pertaining to our industry. its up to us.

if youre not suggesting big brother step in to regulate things, what are you suggesting?
I am suggesting as indicated, education and certification with Professional organization to promote and lobby our interests as all do.
 
Flipperlady

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Back in 1986 I was training to be a jeweler, one day I was standing at the lathe polishing a ring next to a guy in a lab coat named "Doc". I got the full story about what he did and why he was called doc, heard a story about restoring teeth and how it was a lot like jewelry, and I was hooked. I thought I was making up something new, had never heard of lab techs. I made my self a nuisance at every dental lab and dentist office I could, gave up a career in jewelry to become a dental assistant to see if I liked it. I applied at the college in Waco, but darn if it was closing right as I applied, not only that, there was a short period of time that as someone with about a month into dentistry could have grandfathered myself in as a lab and never had to get certified. I didn't take that path, I got the training and many years experience, certifications, and here we are: buy a digital machine and you too can be an expert restoration specialist. I have problems with this and being stabbed in the back by the manufacturers. Lol women have very long memories :)
 
Flipperlady

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I am suggesting as indicated, education and certification with Professional organization to promote and lobby our interests as all do.
Read the professional magazines, they already drank the koolaide, there would need to be something new.
 
Tayebdental

Tayebdental

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That‘s why no dentists or medical doctor from overseas can come and practice dentistry /medical unless they go through dental/ medical school, this way you control the flow and education Standard. If you call this big brother big sister! I don’t know what to say,
I heard the same complaints since the early seventies and counting.
for me I alway believe in education and this passed to my kids, I am grateful
 
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sidesh0wb0b

sidesh0wb0b

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I am suggesting as indicated, education and certification with Professional organization to promote and lobby our interests as all do.
the "professional" organizations that lobby on our behalf do a complete sh*t job at it and you want to give them more power to oversee our affairs? nah, im out
 
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