Offering same-day dentistry convenience with all-in-one workflows

Dr Laura Justice from Kentucky, USA, has been practising dentistry for about 31 years. She chose Planmeca’s complete CAD/CAM solution to be able to provide her patients with the convenience of same-day dentistry – and has not regretted the decision. Although she is particular about how the restorations look, she rarely needs to make any adjustments to the restorations her team fabricates in-house using Planmeca CAD/CAM equipment and software.

Dr Laura Justice from Lexington, Kentucky, USA, runs six dental practices together with two partners, but mainly treats patients in the largest one of the locations with 16 operatories. The practice offers a full range of dental procedures from general dentistry to implant surgery and restorations to cosmetic cases.

Dr Justice has been practising dentistry for about 31 years with an emphasis in cosmetic dentistry, being one of 85 dentists accredited as a Fellow by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentists. She got into cosmetic dentistry very early in her career.

“I actually did a porcelain veneer case already 32 years ago when I was still in dental school. Back then, cosmetic dentistry was still quite a new area of interest in dentistry,” Dr Justice recalls.

Planmeca’s complete solution creates efficient digital workflows

Dr Justice got interested in digital dentistry early on and purchased the E4D Dentist* system already in 2008. However, CAD/CAM technology and materials did not live up to Dr Justice’s expectations at the time, so she waited a few more years before making the full transition to digital workflows.

“I am really particular about how I want a crown to look, and in 2008, the digital workflows were not yet as efficient as I would have wanted, and the restorations did not look as natural as I would have preferred. Over the next couple of years, I watched the technology evolve and reinvested in a new scanner in 2014. The mill was great to begin with, so we just re-fired the old mill back up, and went all in with digital dentistry,” Dr Justice tells.

Today, Dr Justice is working with both Planmeca Emerald™ scanners.“There are pluses and minuses in every scanner, I guess, but with Planmeca Emerald and Planmeca Emerald™ S, we can capture a pretty great scan quickly. The scan is in colour, it has a great visual, and both scanners are easy to use. However, it is the all-in-one workflow what makes the scanner really stand out,” she summarises.

Dr Justice loves working with Planmeca's intraoral scanners, software and milling units.

“I chose Planmeca because of the complete workflow, which includes the scanner, the milling unit and Planmeca Romexis® software. Romexis is user-friendly and it has a wide range of capabilities. There are other good software as well, but Romexis is just easy to use,” she summarises.

She has also advised her colleagues to invest in a digital dentistry solution that creates the workflow for them.

“I know some people are randomly buying a scanner from one manufacturer and a mill from another – devices that have not necessarily been designed to function together. I have not seen that working well for anyone. When the equipment and software have been designed to work together seamlessly from the start by the same company, it just makes more sense to invest in and use that workflow,” Dr Justice summarises.

Increasing demand for same-day restorations

There are two reasons why Dr Justice wanted to make the transition to digital dentistry. First, she knew dentistry would move in that direction and wanted to be a part of it right from the beginning. Secondly, she felt it would be more comfortable for the patients if they could get rid of the unappealing dental materials stuck in their mouths and receive a new crown in a day instead.

“My patients love the convenience and speed of our current workflows. Today, they are even demanding same-day crowns! They do not want to wear a temporary or come back for a second appointment. Offering same-day dentistry is a big bonus for the patients, and also a marketing tool for us,” Dr Justice explains.

After going fully digital in 2014, Dr Justice hired a dental laboratory technician to be able to design new restorations quickly and consistently.

“Although I could have taught my auxiliaries, I knew a technician could speed up the design process while performing other functions as well. Plenty of dentists and dental assistants are able to design all crowns by themselves, especially if they are tech-savvy to begin with, but we just chose to use a technician for that. Not only does our technician make our workflows more efficient, but she is also capable of fabricating beautiful outcomes, which is really important to us and our patients."

Dr Laura Justice.

Dr Justice has been happy with the results her team is achieving with Planmeca’s solutions. Fabricating restorations in-house has also reduced the need for adjusting the restorations.

“The fit of the chairside restorations is always excellent. I rarely have to make any adjustments, which is awesome. If you do it the traditional way and first fabricate a dental model to create the design, there are usually slight variations in the final restoration, but not with our digital crowns. Our own lab technician in the practice delivers incredible looking restorations.”

Efficient digital dental workflows and same-day dentistry have become even more important than ever during the global Covid-19 pandemic.

“We might be there in space suits doing dentistry in the future, but there are always teeth to be treated,” Dr Justice laughs.

*The E4D Dentist system was integrated into Planmeca product portfolio in 2013 after Planmeca made a strategic investment in E4D technologies.
 

Copy: Mari Koivunen
Images: Justice Dental

Planmeca Oy and Planmeca Group
Planmeca Oy is one of the world's leading dental equipment manufacturers with a product range covering digital dental units, CAD/CAM solutions, world-class 2D and 3D imaging devices and comprehensive software solutions. Headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, Planmeca’s products are distributed in over 120 countries worldwide. With a strong commitment to pioneering innovations and design, it is the largest privately held company in its field. Planmeca Oy is part of the Finnish Planmeca Group, which operates in the field of healthcare technology. The Group's turnover in 2019 was MEUR 769, and it employs nearly 2,900 people worldwide.
www.planmeca.com

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