Questions

TEN

and technical support departments that help

us uncover how these new opportunities
may improve our customers proftability and
product offerings.

machines that would make it more proftable,

but ultimately the laboratory can continue to
follow the workfow that is comfortable for its
business model.

03.

07.

How have you seen the lab

world change in 2015 so far?

The dental laboratory industry has seen a

huge change in the past few years, and 2015
is no different. Laboratories that have adopted
technology are able to offer more products by
partnering with production centers, such as
Custom Milling Center (CMC). Labs that have
increased their production now have affordable
solutions for milling and printing in house.

Q+A

Rita Acquafredda
VICE PRESIDENT AND
GENERAL MANAGER
OF ZAHN DENTAL

01.

Zahn Dental has announced

some signifcant partnerships
in the early months of 2015. Can you
tell us more about some of these?

As the leading distributor in the industry,

our team looks at all products, services
and equipment that may add value to our
customers. As 3D printing continues to grow, we
recently began offering new printing solutions
from Bego USA and 3D Systems. We feel these
new offerings will help meet laboratories
diverse needs, and each printer offers different
solutions for laboratories looking to enter or
add to their 3D printing technology. In addition,
we have entered into an exclusive partnership
with Glidewell Laboratories to distribute BruxZir
Zirconia and Obsidian Lithium Silicate, as well
as BruxZir Anterior. Given the rapidly evolving
area of guided surgery, we are also now offering
360imaging, which enables dental laboratories
to penetrate the guided surgery feld quickly,
more effciently and with more confdence.

02.

When Zahn is considering

what next products to offer,
what is your selection process?

Before we offer new products and services to

our customers, our team reviews what kind of
impact they will have on the laboratory: Will it
improve production time? Does this enhance
connectivity to their clients? Can a laboratory
now offer more products and services to
clinicians?
To best understand the potential effect of
innovative solutions, we organize focus groups
and work closely with our extensive education

04.

How do you see dental

laboratories changing in the
rest of 2015?

We f o r e s e e t h e n e e d f o r d i g i t a l - r e a d y
laboratories to continue to grow. As dental
practices begin to accept digital impression
systems, we foresee the need for properly
trained laboratories capable of receiving digital
fles to continue to grow. The future of digital
dentistry is now. Clinicians are just starting to
embrace the workfow, and laboratories that
have already invested in digital technology will
be a valuable resource in the near future.

05.

What, in your opinion, is the

main challenge presented to
labs by digital technologies?
We feel that the main challenge in the digital
workflow is support. When a laboratory
integrates a CAD/CAM system into its workfow,
that is just the beginning of the process. There is
an installation, training and learning curve that
is different for each laboratory and technician.
To ensure our partners get the support they
need, we recently launched a specialized North
America CAD/CAM technical support team. This
team consists of CDTs, RDTs and experienced
repair technicians available by phone and email
to support laboratories.

06.

Flipping the question: What is

one of the main opportunities
afforded to labs by digital technology?

The main opportunity for laboratories in regards

to digital technology is entering at comfortable
stages for each laboratory. Not every laboratory
can justify adopting all of the technology on
the market; it is a process of understanding
the benefits of each system and what that
technology is currently able to do to improve
the laboratorys workfow. Laboratories can get
started by outsourcing to CMC to offer materials
they are not able to produce in their lab. When
a lab has enough volume, we have trained
consultants to advise on printers and milling

How does technology allow

labs to better work with GPs?

Laboratories that have embraced an open

architecture scanner are already equipped to
take the next step with their clients. Clinicians
are beginning to embrace digital impressions
and the need for digital-ready labs that are
trained and comfortable with providing support
will be in high demand. We feel that clinicians
will view the laboratory more as a consultant
and partner when it comes to working within
the digital workfow, and we are excited about
the opportunity of connecting digital-ready
laboratories to digital-ready practices. In addition
to entering the digital space at a comfortable
pace, labs that embrace digital practices have
an opportunity to fnd new dental customers.
By working with Zahn, customers have a unique
opportunity to also beneft from Henry Schein
Dental, which not only promotes our brands of
digital materials but helps connect our digitized
lab customers to these dental customers.

08.

How does Zahn Dental help

labs achieve this goal?

Digital materials and equipment continue to

enter the market at an accelerated rate, and
being able to offer materials like Zirlux and
services from CMC enables our customers to
have access to leading products.

09.

How does Zahn Dental help

labs of every size meet the
challenges of 2015?
We have solutions for every size laboratory.
What works for a production lab with 100
technicians wont work for a one- or two-man
lab. CMC is the frst step for laboratories that
want to access some of the leading materials on
the market without making investments in CAD/
CAM equipment. CMC can receive traditional
models, as well as STL fles, help with design
services and manufacture the latest materials
and custom abutments/bars.

10.

Anything else youd like to

add?

The landscape in our industry continues to

evolve. New products, technology and services
are introduced at a rapid pace, and we pride
ourselves on making these products available
to our customers. We look forward to partnering
with our customers as we connect laboratories
and clinicians to improve workflow and
ultimately improve patient care.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ZAHN DENTAL

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June 2015

dlpmagazine.com