WELCOME TO THE STUDIO AT NYC PROSTHODONTICS
Our lab studio is the heartbeat and hub of the office, where the art and science of prosthodontics come together to create teeth and restore smiles. A state-of-the-art facility that holds to the same high standards as the clinical treatment areas, the lab is a bright, welcoming space where learning is continuous, technology is continually upgraded, and creativity flourishes.
QUALITY CONTROL
Daily interaction allows for true collaboration between doctor and lab technician. The doctor supervises procedures in progress at each stage of fabrication in the lab studio and provides feedback, answers questions, and makes clarifications. Restorations are completed on time and at the highest level of quality possible.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Due to rising costs and shrinking numbers of dental lab technicians, there are a growing number of US dental labs outsourcing work overseas, where the regulations and guidelines mandated by the FDA cannot be effectively enforced. This overseas outsourcing can pose serious health risks to patients since the average consumer cannot know the exact nature of the materials used in their dental restorations. Since the health and safety of our patients is our primary concern, at NYC Prosthodontics all materials are carefully selected and restorations are fabricated on-site with strict adherence to FDA and ADA regulations for dental materials.
CUSTOMIZATION
Since the lab studio is on site, the technicians can meet with each patient, so restorations are created with a real-life person in mind, instead of being fabricated from just an anonymous mold. The technician also has the opportunity to interact with the patient in a natural setting and take note of how the person’s face and teeth move doing everyday things, like speaking, smiling, and laughing. Restorations are then custom designed and created for the individual. Unlike a typical commercial lab, where restorations are generally made in assembly line fashion and technicians are rewarded for volume over quality, our lab studio technicians are given the time and resources to design and create custom restorations that are unique for each patient.
ESTHETIC COLLABORATION
For the majority of esthetic cases, the patient has the opportunity to see a model of his/her restorations prior to completion. Under the dentist’s supervision, the clinical team, lab technician, and patient all consult together on the esthetics of the restorations - from the color to the shape, contour, and surface texture. This process allows patients to preview the final result and provide valuable feedback regarding the design of their own restorations.
TECHNICAL SKILLS
Each of our four technicians is a Registered Dental Technician. The senior technicians have a combined 35 years of experience and the Lab Supervisor is also a lecturer for leading manufacturers of dental implant and esthetic components worldwide and has contributed articles to dental periodicals. In addition, the technicians have periodically received specialized training in Switzerland, the current epicenter of artistry, technology, and the collaborative model in dental technology.
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES
Our lab studio is continually updating techniques, materials, and processes used in the fabrication of tooth replacements. We were among the first practices to use CAD/CAM (computer assisted design and manufacturing) in the creation of metal-free* crowns and bridges. The CAD/CAM process involves scanning a model of a prepared tooth, producing a pattern for the design of the substructure (core) of the restoration, resulting in the most consistent and accurate fit. Since the CAD/CAM designed core isn’t metallic, but closely resembles the internal color of a natural tooth, ceramics that capture and reflect light and have all of the gleam, translucency, and optical properties of enamel can be used to create natural looking restorations.
ALL CERAMIC (METAL-FREE*)
Clinical research and testing of ceramic alternatives to metals has been ongoing throughout the past several decades. Today, high-strength ceramics are no longer just an experimental option, but frequently are the preferred choice. These metal-free* restorations have the potential to last as long as their metal counterparts, they fit with great precision, are unmatched in biocompatibility and esthetics, and typically match the surrounding teeth so well that they cannot be detected.
*The use of the term “metal-free” throughout this website refers to high-strength ceramics that include oxides of zirconia and alumina. Although technically classified as metals, there are no known allergies to these materials and there is no metallic appearance since they are naturally white in color.