Best CAD/CAM setup for a dental office

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Chad Gardner

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My boss (and husband) has an omnicam and I design, mill and stain/glaze etc. He purchased an MCX5 used for a great price but now Sirona is trying to stick it to us with about $35k worth of scanners, software, licenses etc.

He does a lot of full mouth rehab in a very poor area and is wanting to do milling from the 98mm pucks to make crowns more affordable for people so they are more out to save teeth rather than extract them. I know in office milling is a sore subject among lab techs, but we have a unique situation with me being a CDT and married to the DDS.

What do you think would be the ideal setup? Purchase the stuff from Sirona or go with a Roland? Also what software? Any help is appreciated.
 
CoolHandLuke

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so you are married to the business eh?

well i have every doubt you can buy a roland, replete with tooling, pucks, software, vacuum, training, and the requisite CAD for under 35k especially anywhere north of the southern Canadian border AND keep your cerec.

but if you want to venture down this road, great idea is to sell that setup to fund a better one.

for example Medit 500 intraoral scanner plus Exocad and any of the milling machines worth 45-60k (plus an oven but you might have one),you have probably easily surpassed the value of the cerec.

so dump it and dont look back. cerec is not the only chairside player in the game; and if chairside singles is your game theres 2 other scan/mill combos to look at, Planscan and Carestream. personally i'd go Carestream just due to the quality of the 3600 (don't go for a used 3500)
 
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so you are married to the business eh?

well i have every doubt you can buy a roland, replete with tooling, pucks, software, vacuum, training, and the requisite CAD for under 35k especially anywhere north of the southern Canadian border AND keep your cerec.

but if you want to venture down this road, great idea is to sell that setup to fund a better one.

for example Medit 500 intraoral scanner plus Exocad and any of the milling machines worth 45-60k (plus an oven but you might have one),you have probably easily surpassed the value of the cerec.

so dump it and dont look back. cerec is not the only chairside player in the game; and if chairside singles is your game theres 2 other scan/mill combos to look at, Planscan and Carestream. personally i'd go Carestream just due to the quality of the 3600 (don't go for a used 3500)
so you are married to the business eh?

well i have every doubt you can buy a roland, replete with tooling, pucks, software, vacuum, training, and the requisite CAD for under 35k especially anywhere north of the southern Canadian border AND keep your cerec.

but if you want to venture down this road, great idea is to sell that setup to fund a better one.

for example Medit 500 intraoral scanner plus Exocad and any of the milling machines worth 45-60k (plus an oven but you might have one),you have probably easily surpassed the value of the cerec.

so dump it and dont look back. cerec is not the only chairside player in the game; and if chairside singles is your game theres 2 other scan/mill combos to look at, Planscan and Carestream. personally i'd go Carestream just due to the quality of the 3600 (don't go for a used 3500)


He uses the Omnicam and does full mouth rehabs with it. He’s extremely good with it but It’s painstakingly slow and tedious so that’s why he wants a puck system. Honestly I think he just wants a new toy so he can do smile makeovers for $5k and pat himself on the back when taking the photos. But I told him I’d ask! I’m thinking Roland or Ceramill.
 
CoolHandLuke

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Ceramill as a package deal scanner, mill, oven. works great. a good friend of mine (my ex work wife) now uses it in a new lab.

i dont know what those run for though.
 
PRO ARTS DL

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In my opinion the AG system is the ideal system for a dental office. It is not completely open however that saves you a lot of other headaches that a dental office doesn't have time to deal with.
 
Manny Ramirez

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Add a 3D printer. You can print temps for a few bucks!
 
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Our clients, including clinicians (inPractice),dental labs and milling centers (inStudio) are fully enjoying these solutions packaged for them:

InPracticeFoundation.jpg
For restorative dental practices, our inPractice Foundation solution provides the ability to process a wide range of indications and dental materials. It is the most cost effective of the inPractice digital dentistry solutions.

Fabricate models and restorations ranging from single-tooth crowns to full-arch rehabilitation's from soft materials that include; zirconia, PMMA, wax, PEEK and more, there is nothing “entry-level” about inPractice Foundation except the cost of the solution.

Practices requiring removable prosthesis can add an optional module to facilitate the creation of implant bridges and more from soft dental materials such as zirconia and PMMA... $ 69,950

Read the Datasheet

InPracticeRestore.jpg
For restorative dental practices, our inPractice Restore solution provides the ability to process a wide range of indications and dental materials. It is one of the most cost effective of the inPractice digital dentistry solutions.

It has the ability to fabricate models and restorations ranging from single-tooth crowns to full-arch rehabilitation's from materials that include; zirconia, PMMA, lithium disilicate and more - even titanium abutments. There is nothing “entry-level” about inPractice Restore except the cost of the solution.

Practices requiring removable prosthesis can add an optional module to facilitate the creation of implant bridges and more from soft dental materials such as zirconia and PMMA... $79,900

Read the Datasheet

Systems include CAD, CAM, Workstation w/Monitor, Machine, Furnace, Starter Tooling and Material Packages, Training, Support and Desktop Scanner (Substitute for Medit i500 IOS for $4,750). Other packaged solutions available that include our Versamill 5X200.

Visit our website to Learn More.

Just say'n...
 
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Chad Gardner

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Add a 3D printer. You can print temps for a few bucks!

He has a moonray already. We are in a very remote area of Louisiana where the nearest labs are 2-3 hours away. He thinks it’s possible for me to make a decent profit scanning triple trays and milling Zirconia crowns for other DDSs. Only the easy to please, select few. IDK. I think it’s going to be a waste of money but it’s his toys that keep him practicing. Without them, he gets burnout, depression, etc and doesn’t want to go to work. He has no hobbies. Only family and dentistry.
 
CoolHandLuke

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get into social games like warhammer and that moonray will be making figurines, and painting them will occupy all kinds of idle time
 
Affinity

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Check out the DOF sharp2 mill. I have one coming in a few weeks, the price is close to half of what you will pay with the others listed here. PM me if you want more info. You can mill everything you listed even ti abutments.

The only thing to beware of with Amann is that they are experiencing huge growth with the motion2 and Im pretty sure they are not capable of handling it. I only know from my experience as a motion owner. Also in talking to someone who repairs them, the newer machines arent made like the first generation.. it has to do with duty cycles and the longevity of the machine and parts used. They are great machines and a great solution.. to put us out of business...
 
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Chad Gardner

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Ok. I see my wife has been posting on my account! Lol. I’m going to start this business for the main reason of giving her a way to make an income if something happens to me. I have been diagnosed with a very, very treatable cancer, but it’s not a guaranteed 100% treatment. She has an associates degree from LSU in lab technology where she won the Deans award. She already designs my smile makeover and TMJ cases on my omnicam, AND manages my office which is an extremely high production practice with her as the captain.

I think I’m going to go with the Roland 52D, dry only. As much as I despise Sirona, she and I know their chairside design software in and out. Would you guys recommend I go with inLab and the .stl export module, or would you recommend another CAD software? Also, any input on desktop scanners? ANY ideas are greatly appreciated, but please no vendors unless you are offering true information and not plugging a product.

I have her a 1500 sq ft lab built in the second story of my office. We plan to mill my large cases and accept triple trays from the other 4 local DDSs, which all still use PFM-NP. From there, I’m going to let her take it where she wants. I figure, God forbid I don’t make it, the building is paid for, she can sell it but keep the lab for the buyer, move it home or whatever. With her business skills, she can do anything. Insurance is nice but we have 2 kids not far from starting college and I figure a $50-75k investment while I’m practicing and producing well could leave her with a solid income and if I end up ok (which statistically I will be) it’ll only help the practice.

No pity party please. Just solid information/suggestions by you guys in the trenches. Thanks for any help
 
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basler

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Exocad+Roland+hyperdent and you are set ........
 
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Chad Gardner

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That’s my thoughts. Thanks a ton. I got to beta test BlueSkyBio’s C&B module and was decent at it fast. I think it was based off exocad.
 
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