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ePaper created 2016-11-10, 09:52:44 | version 1.38.0
Like a Hollywood film, the upstart son passionately argues with his fa- ther over the need for the family busi- ness to make the digital leap. And true to the script, the son’s vision and hard-headedness eventually earn the grudging respect of his father. Best of all, the story has a happy-ending. The move to model-free has changed the fortunes of the family business. Schmidt Dentalkeramik in Hor- sens in Denmark adopted CAD/CAM technology about ten years ago. Ejner Schmidt, the father, always wanted to stay ahead of the game and embrace new technology. However, when his son came to him with the radical idea ofmodel-freecrowns,troubleerupted. The family laboratory was renowned for its craftsmanship and service. The idea of giving up control of their art- istry by going all-digital—and, even worse, creating a product for half the price—was abhorrent to the father. Sune Schmidt, the son, was insist- ent. He felt the family’s laboratory was not taking advantage of what their CAD/CAM system could do. The machines just produced the same product they always did. Since mak- ing the change, Schmidt Dentalkera- mik has shipped thousands of mod- el-free crowns over the past few years. In a short interview, he re- counts how it all started. What motivated you to go model-free at your laboratory? Sune Schmidt: Over the years, I had seen our laboratory’s molar and premolar business disappearing to low-cost laboratories abroad. Danish laboratories just could not compete on pricing. That motivated me. I spent eight months testing systems, specif- ically milling machines. We had pre- viously outsourced our milling. How- ever, to realise our vision of producing inexpensive model-free crowns, mill- ing then needed to be done in-house. What made model-free crowns pos- sible for you? First, we needed to find an open CAD system. That way we could select whatever milling machine we needed. Having the freedom to choose was important. Second, we needed to be certain we could rely on the accu- racy of the digital impressions from the dentist. In theory, with our open CAD/CAM software (Dental System, 3Shape), we could accept scans from all intra-oral scanners; however, after completing the testing, we ended up working only with 3Shape TRIOS intra-oral scans. We felt that they produced the best impressions. Was it easy for technicians to learn to work model-free? It was very easy for us to learn to use the software (I think it might be due to our age), whereas my father felt it was more difficult. However, in- itially it was still tough for our labo- ratory to adapt to model-free crowns. You have to remember that we are a family business. Traditionally, my father and I check every crown by hand we sent out. We still do it. To suddenly have a finished crown with no means of controlling it—I still cringe a little when we send an order to a new customer. How has it changed your business? Like most laboratories, we saw our business disappearing to low- cost laboratories abroad. Model-free crowns have given us the opportu- nity not only to compete, but also to beat the competition. Going mod- el-free has made our workflow more effective, cutting down on man hours, speeding up turnaround time and, importantly, increasing our market share. It has separated us from the pack. This is basically the first time in history that one is able to produce a crown so quickly and cheaply in Denmark. In the beginning, my father thought I was crazy, but now he is just very proud of what his labora- tory has accomplished. news Editorial/Administrative Office Dental Tribune International GmbH Holbeinstraße 29, 04229 Leipzig, Germany Phone: +49 341 48474-302 Fax: +49 341 48474-173 Internet: www.dti-publishing.com www.dental-tribune.com Publisher Torsten Oemus Director of Finance and Controlling Dan Wunderlich Managing Editor Kristin Hübner Business Development Claudia Salwiczek-Majonek Product Manager Antje Kahnt Production Executive Gernot Meyer Production Franziska Dachsel today will appear at The Annual Dental Congress and Swedental in Stockholm, 16–18 November, 2016. The magazine and all articles and illustrations therein are protected by copyright.Any utilisation without prior consent from the editor or publisher is inadmissible and liable to prosecution. No responsibility shall be assumed for in- formation published about associations, companies and commercial markets. General terms and conditions apply, legal venue is Leipzig, Germany. about the publisher Moving to model-free crowns How a family-owned dental laboratory from Denmark increased its market share by going digital Be confident through life ENGLISH World Oral Health Day 20 March Good oral hygiene habits, avoiding risk factors and having a regular dental check-up from early in life can help maintain optimal oral health into old age. Visit the website to find out how to Live Mouth Smart. www.worldoralhealthday.org Join us for World Oral Health Day 2017! World Oral Health Day 2017 Supporter Official World Oral Health Day 2017 Partners MOUTH SMART Live AD “...the opportunity not only to compete, but also to beat the competition.” “...my father thought I was crazy, but now he is just very proud of what his laboratory has accomplished.” Sune Schmidt of Schmidt Dentalkeramik. Aesthetic and functional results without a model. © Schmidt Dentalkeramik Phone: +4934148474-302 Fax: +4934148474-173