Waxing labor

[BobCDT]

Hi All,
We do lots of e.max. We have 6or 8 presses that press all day long. We have been pressing for decades. In addition we have wax printers and many different milling machines. Truth be told, e.max was developed to be pressed. My instinct, Ivoclar developed the blue block solely to sell more materials into a huge Cerec network. No question, e.max is more accurate, stronger and cheaper to press than mill. In addition, milling e.max is very abusive to mill spindles,tools and other mill parts.
Frankly, i dont really think dentist have any clue about the potential of repressed e.max ingots. Generally speaking, I dont even think they know if we press or mill. They prescribe e.max and labs process as they see fit.
So, best road for best product is pressing. The Automation work flow, scan, design and mill,or print a wax ups. If you are after high quality margins milling is better than printing. Yes, milling is a little less efficient but requires less labor for perfection from pattern to press. Automating the waxup can definitely provide very high quality tooth forms with little labor.
If you are happy with the results you get with a 5 minute analog wax up I think you should stay the course. There is no way that automation will improve your profits.
Bob

 

[bullit]

investment

WOW!!! Russ, What investment are you using?

 

[Crownu2]

Hey Al, do you use any of those silicone wax form for waxing full contour crowns?, and also can you tell me when you wax up full contour crowns for Emax do you add a little wax to the contact and grind in the contacts after pressing, or do you get every thing precisely waxed and press?

As always thank you Guys!

Tony

It usually takes me 15 min for posteriors, or 4 per hour complete.
That's dipping, waxing, smoothing the wax, putting art paper to the occlusion, finalizing the contacts, sealing the margins, sprueing than setting them in groups by shade.

That leaves almost no work finishing. fitting smoothing the sprue finalizing the contacts and occ etc. Mabey less than 5 min and ready for glaze.

Bicuspids are faster maybe 5 an hour and anteriors are super fast to wax because I only make the linguals 3/4 full contour.

 

[DeVreugd]

WOW!!! Russ, What investment are you using?

I am using Press Vest Speed. Go by the book

 

[Al.]

Hey Al, do you use any of those silicone wax form for waxing full contour crowns?, and also can you tell me when you wax up full contour crowns for Emax do you add a little wax to the contact and grind in the contacts after pressing, or do you get every thing precisely waxed and press?

As always thank you Guys!

Tony

Hi Tony, yes I use the wax molds. Only fill them up enough to barely cover the anatomy and not break when I take them out and put them on while they are still warm so they are pliable.

 

[paulg100]

"and put them on while they are still warm so they are pliable."

the other thing i do is use a hair dryer to soften em.

 

[labdreamer]

I do about 4-6 units a day of emax start to finish. I mean die trimming to glazing. I do posteriors and prepare anteriors to be layered for the skilled ceramist which i am hoping to become. I just started the profession one year out of school. Any advice or hints? I get paid 15/hr over here in Toronto. I also use 20x mag throughout the whole process.

 

[rkm rdt]

I do about 4-6 units a day of emax start to finish. I mean die trimming to glazing. I do posteriors and prepare anteriors to be layered for the skilled ceramist which i am hoping to become. I just started the profession one year out of school. Any advice or hints? I get paid 15/hr over here in Toronto. I also use 20x mag throughout the whole process.

Get some cad/cam experience,you're getting paid to learn and George Brown was your starting point.

I hired a GB grad rdt and she couldn't wax a coping if her life depended on it.

 

[2thm8kr]

That's because your standards are probably to high.

 

[rkm rdt]

That's because your standards are probably to high.

The microscope doesn't lie.

 

[disturbed]

That's because your standards are probably to high.

high standards are required when doing quality work, quality work is required to make good crowns...

do you make good crowns?.....rhetorical question...

 

[2thm8kr]

high standards are required when doing quality work, quality work is required to make good crowns...

do you make good crowns?.....rhetorical question...

Sheesh kid, you need to learn about satire/sarcasm.

 

[labdreamer]

I do very nice work, Ill put some photos up... Why do you suggest I learn Cad... Unfortunately my lab does not have cad. Our owner dislikes the marginal integrity.

 

[rkm rdt]

I do very nice work, Ill put some photos up... Why do you suggest I learn Cad... Unfortunately my lab does not have cad. Our owner dislikes the marginal integrity.

I recommend learning cad for your future,not your owners.