What am I missing?

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Stella02

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Hi all,
Getting ready to open the doors to my own set up. I keep sitting here thinking, flipping through catalogs, window shopping online, just wanted some input as to what else I could be missing. (Excitment and nerves have me second guessing all the equipment and materials I have)

I have my equipment and materials for set ups(all electric, no gas) , processing (pack processing) finishing, repairs and relines.

Just looking for any input!

-also open to any diy ideas I may not have thought of!
 
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Air compressor and hoses/fittings, air chisel , plaster trap, stainless sink, steamer, carts, tables, sandblaster, a short list,
 
Doris A

Doris A

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You said no gas, what about your bunsen burner?
 
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Stella02

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Air compressor and hoses/fittings, air chisel , plaster trap, stainless sink, steamer, carts, tables, sandblaster, a short list,

Smaller space, cart isn't a necessity (At this point in time) don't have a sand blaster or air chissel, everything else I'm good on
 
JMN

JMN

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No, but you can get portable burners with refills
  • Wall-lenk torch head - less than $40. Gas from a camping store or wall-lenk brand gas works best. Colman is off on the fitting's standard and sometimes leak-scary
  • Fire extinguisers. One at every flame source and at the farthest point from the door.
  • Vaseline.
  • Lab towels.
  • Air matress-Walmart $8ish and you'll need it eventually when everything went wrong and it's 2am.
  • Cavicide
  • Gloves
  • Eye protection
  • facemasks
  • dawn liquid dish detergent and tooth or nail brushes for cleaning pros. after polishing before sterilizing.
  • wire bending tools -Michaels has 2.5mm ring pliers that bend a perfect circle and cut the excess for the embedded end of a w/w clasp.
  • metal polishing rubber points or barrels-You will nick the metal from time to time and shoukd round the business end pf w/w clasps
  • GC Metal Primer II-makes your cast RPD repairs and additions with standard acrylic chemically bond to the metal. Otherwise they slip/slide off. Charge per arch when you use it. It's $130/5ml.
  • acrylic mixing vessels. Shot glasses from $tree or oyster shots glasses from a restaurant supply place.
Somewhere I still have my startup list. I'll put it up of I can find it.
 
TheLabGuy

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Accountant!!! All this equipment, time to set up, thinking, all cost money...your accountant(s) add this up and if they are great accountants they will give you goals/targets for each quarter on your PnL's. If all that was a foreign language to you, get on it ASAP!!!
 
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Hi all,
Getting ready to open the doors to my own set up. I keep sitting here thinking, flipping through catalogs, window shopping online, just wanted some input as to what else I could be missing. (Excitment and nerves have me second guessing all the equipment and materials I have)

I have my equipment and materials for set ups(all electric, no gas) , processing (pack processing) finishing, repairs and relines.

Just looking for any input!

-also open to any diy ideas I may not have thought of!
Okay, last year a person came by looking to start a non-profit lab, this is the list I supplied to them as a starting point.


20oz Hammer - Tool of last resort
Steel Acrylic Spatula
Small cement spatula, sq on one end, pointed other
White “takedown” lathe wheel for serious acrylic reduction
BuffStone 50lb
Cold cure Reline/Repair acrylic set (I like PERM by Coltene)
#25 Scalpel blade handle
#25 Scalpel blades (Halvel Brand is CHEAPEST 100pcs)
Lathe spiral chuck
Buff wheels/ Rag wheels size modifies price
Condensation putty( Schein brand is cheapest, Excel by St.George and PalaPutty are great)
Plaster Spatula-Narrow
Plaster Spatula-Wide
(Don't go cheap on these, they bend and will not stir large mixes)
Plaster Bowls (at least 2 per stone, and 1 huge one, one tiny one)
White Lab Plaster 50lb
Vaseline 1lb x2
Shot glasses for acryilic mixing (come in 3packs)
Robinson Brushes(144/box(a “gross”) is about $1/ea)
Benchlathe splatter shield-I use a Vaniman suction sheild with a casepan holding the pumice for easy pumice changeout)
Moldent acrylic polishing compound “Rouge”
Pumice (This really is tech choice, technique matters)
white lathe quick reduction wheel
Mandrels for all handpiece wheels
Mandrels for all Lathe wheels if using a Quick Chuck lathe
Tooth Storage cabinet (if you buy enough teeth, these are “free”)
Stone Storage (Wheeled air tight 25lb dog food storage container holds 50lbs stone)
Gloves
Brass Articulators (in a pinch these can, with the set screw on back, used to reline Mand rpds)
Toothbrushes for cleaning
Wrought Wire ( I use .032 ball clasps for everything, the end doesn't bite the pt that way) 100/pk
Calipers – blunt for wax
Calipers – pointy for acrylic and metal
Boley gauge (a different type of calliper, this one slides and stays put instead of springback)
Magnifier Lamps with the bulb in back to give a sense of depth from single source shadows
….......These are usually $300 ish! Check out American Science and Surplus for a better deal ($30ish) using normal bulbs
Burrs will be a Tech Specific thing. Don't buy any until you have the tech.
…...Different material require different burrs, and they CANNOT be used between materials or they will cross contaminate and can destroy a crown.
Mandrels for all handpiece wheels
Case pans ( not cheap anymore.... $5/pan)
Hot Glue gun, glue sticks (for holding models in the bite while plastering to the articulator)
90% Alcohol.......Get it at Walmart! $2/ qt VS $75 special ordered
Alcohol torch(tech specific, either a $10 buffalo plastic squeeze botttle or a $200 Hanau torch)
B-20 wheels for lathe polishing
Acrylic Mixing vessels, Shot glasses for cold cure (above) and Jelly Jars for Heat cure (needs a lid)
Billing Setup/Program
…...I use a free invoicing program I'll include in the event it does enough for you. It's good, but minimalist.
GOOD stapler
3-hole punch
Power Distribution Concerns
Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) for PCs
Delivery system (bags, boxes, etc)
Prescriptions
Glad Brand Zip bags, Quart size are wonderful for Removable Prosthetic transit storage for delivery.
Log Books for Incoming, Shipping, Outgoing, Etc.
Order Book
Filing System and Location for Filled Prescriptions (8 years of retention here because it's a script, Tax regs have their own needs)
#10 Envelopes
Paper Cutter (handy!)
Post it notes (great for date marking and Case # on work pans in add ition to script so you don't have to unfurl the script to see everything.)
Phone System(s)
Business cards
Teeth (Doctor and Tech agreeing on a brand is best if possible, but by law this can be a Dr's call on the Script, but techs see more denture teeth...)
Bunsen Burner(s) & Propane tanks for grills work great with copper pipe to 1-4 stations up against each other
Bunsen burner option: Wall Lenk Torch
Gas for Wall Lenk Torch
White Lab Plaster 50lb
Base formers with slot in back for plastic glue on hinge articulators
Wax tools, 2 sets minimum. 1 for flaming, one for non-flaming. Tech may have their own. We get attached to them. Very attached.
Pressure Pot for cold cure acrylics
…........I am cheap and very careful about what I do, this will open you to liability issues if someone gets stupid and dangerous!
…........I got a pressure cooker from Walmart, a 2pk of tire stems from Automotive and took out the pressure knob and drilled out that
…........hole to the tire stem's directions. I use a bicycle pump with a pressure gauge to pump it since it has no gauge.
…........This cost less than $75 total VS $400 for a “dental pressure pot” and it will blow it's safety valve at about 32lbs pressure (Fig 2,3)
Various paintbrush/brush sizes for Vaseline application, Brush method of acrylic adding.
Tooth Mould charts for all brands you will be wanting to use. Get 2 for the lab and one for each operatory.
Bench lathe
OR Bench lathe with QuickChuck
dappan Dishes
Wax pot
Electric Wax knife (tech choice, the shapes of the heated tips are not universal and technique to tip matters)
(The above two can be found in the same unit frequently)
Baseplate Wax (tech choice) can be very expensive or very cheap.
Shade Guides differ greatly, Vita Classic A1 is not the same on all systems. Get one for each system.
Denture teeth (1 per brand you plan to offer)
Porcelain system (1 per system)
Wax Carvers(tech may have these, attachment issues again)
Email account/system
Cleaning system (Sonicator/ultrasonic cleaner)
Steamer -very handy, but not allway needed – Implants require it!!
Timers. Count up and Count down. One per bench/area. Times setting of stone, acrylic precure bench set, many many things.
Fire extinguishers, plural. One in the back of every room to get out the door, one near any flame or heat device.
Wrought Wire Pliers ( many styles, tech choice. Ususally 3 different kinds, 1 each) Check craft stores' jewlery section too. ($60-300)
Cut off discs for Handpiece
Rubber points, and mandrels/holder for them (polishing)
Shop towels you don't mind throwing away, Don't get too nice or too ratty.
Clipboard or 3
Popsicle sticks – go with hot glue gun process get a 1000 box
rope wax Hard
rope wax soft
lab knives
Plaster nipper
Vibrator(s)
Surveyor for RPD designing
Super Glue, LOTS of super glue – the cheap stuff from walmart (black and yellow)
Articulating marking paper.
Model duplication flasks & Reversible Hydrocolloid (like Dupli-coe-loid)
Hydrocolloid duplication machine OR Microwave
Sticky Wax
DVA's APS separator
Lang Denture Duplication flask
Tooth shade acrylic
Air chisel
Walnut shell blaster
Sand blaster
Boil Out tank (frydaddy) or Microwave
Heat gun, or a 1875Watt new hair dryer with a small opening – Can use less flame and is needed for acetyl (flexible) clasps
Benches/computer desks
Task Lights – Ottlights
Blue Dolphin bite rim former OR sheetrock 6" putty knife
Light Cure oven and Material
Vaccum system, especially with walnut and sand blasters, need to be individual to some degree.
Office Software – Download OpenOffice.Org It is free
Printer – Check with the local office equip places, tell them what you're doing and see if they have a ugly duckling. Keep Toner and Paper in mind for costs. Inkjet is a no-no It'll Kill You.
Plater trap(s) ideally under each sink and at the main sewer hookup. If you plan well you may be able to keep all the water in one place and 1 trap
Plaster trap bags for metal types, plaster trap refills for Tiger Plastics 5 gal bucket style- these are Much Nicer, just put a lid on it and you're done
*******The below assume that you will be press packing dentures into flasks for processing. There are other ways of doing this and all the below could be useless for you.
Curing tank (easily expensive- I use an electric canner, Keystone sells the exact same thing I use for $300 more with a different sticker) May need special hookups
Heat Cure acrylic Powder and Liquid
…....Diamond D is quite the rage right now for those who press pack into flasks, if you're making a lot of dentures, go for the 5lb kit
Brass Denture flasks (upper and lower are different, one set of flasks for each denture set per ½ week is a good rule)
Flask Spring compress ( flasks go into these while curing and stay there till done 1 per 2 sets of flasks at least)
Flask press ( this compresses the flask to the appropriate densitity and closure) Tech choice is likely. Methods vary 300-2500
Rubber mallet for deflasking
 
kcdt

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No, but you can get portable burners with refills
I've gone both ways.
I'm faster with a flame.
I also tend to burn up electric waxer with foot pedals.
They also tend to run too cool for my taste.
I have considered an induction type like you mentioned because summer ac makes my flame float around...

If you go with a butane flame, avoid the refillable kind...too wasteful. Get the Wahl-Lenk canister type. Better bang for the buck.
 
Flipperlady

Flipperlady

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Hi all,
Getting ready to open the doors to my own set up. I keep sitting here thinking, flipping through catalogs, window shopping online, just wanted some input as to what else I could be missing. (Excitment and nerves have me second guessing all the equipment and materials I have)

I have my equipment and materials for set ups(all electric, no gas) , processing (pack processing) finishing, repairs and relines.

Just looking for any input!

-also open to any diy ideas I may not have thought of!

Pneumatic hammer for divesting, hydrolic press to pack, light cure oven to cure baseplates and custom trays. Btw refilling lamp for flame will get old really fast, when that day comes get a small propane tank or have you a gas line run for flame. I'm assuming that you will make dentures. If that's the case don't forget a supply of denture teeth to have on hand. When i started , i underestimated the type of teeth I would need for repairs. If you buy all of the average sizes and a larger tooth comes in for a repair then you will have to order, so i would advise to keep a stock of the unusual sizes and shades for repairs and order the rest as they come in.
 
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Stella02

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Thank you everybody, there are quite a few items I already have on hand, but also a ton of little stuff that slipped my mind. A couple of questions from different replys:

1)using a fry daddy, or pressure cooker for my curing unit (to the people who use these instead of a dental curing unit) cooking times and temperature, what are your suggestions, have it preset to room temp and place flasks in and cook for how long or can I place flasks in turn on to preferred temp and walk away for the night?

2) teeth, I was planning on ordering my teeth on a case by case basis, however, repairs will need to have them on hand. What's your suggestion on shades and how many different molds and different shades to have on hand?
 
JMN

JMN

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Thank you everybody, there are quite a few items I already have on hand, but also a ton of little stuff that slipped my mind. A couple of questions from different replys:

1)using a fry daddy, or pressure cooker for my curing unit (to the people who use these instead of a dental curing unit) cooking times and temperature, what are your suggestions, have it preset to room temp and place flasks in and cook for how long or can I place flasks in turn on to preferred temp and walk away for the night?

2) teeth, I was planning on ordering my teeth on a case by case basis, however, repairs will need to have them on hand. What's your suggestion on shades and how many different molds and different shades to have on hand?
Fry Daddy - most do not have a temperature knob that goes low enough. They will overheat your acrylic, boil off the water, and may end up with the fire department arriving if you forget to turn them off before leaving. How do I know? https://dentallabnetwork.com/forums...-thing-the-landlord-was-in-a-good-mood.23294/

Pressure cookers- use a candy thermometer or something similiar to check your water temps. Unless you modify it, you will not know what pressure you are curing your cold cure. Big no-no. It needs that pressure for density which provides strength.

Teeth.
If you trust you supplier, ask them for the most common shade/mould combinations.
or
Study your tooth chart, there will be a handfull of core moulds that are most common, get them in the most common shades and fill out the gaps as you can. You know what are common in your region.
 
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