How you can get more out of your laboratory with digital dentures

Dental technician Okke Kamps runs the “Centrum voor Mondzorg” in Uden, Netherlands, together with dentist Vincent Colenbrander. Seven years ago, the dental technician/dentist team took the first step towards digitally manufacturing. A scanner was the start (the scanner was supported by Cordent B.V.). Technician Okke Kamps is driven by his passion for natural, esthetic dentures, his interest in new, digital technologies that are highly efficient, and in producing full dentures of the best quality every day in a highly efficient manner.

"For us, the great advantage of digital dentures is that we need significantly fewer sessions for our patients' restorations than with conventional production," says Okke Kamps. That is why, for him, digital full dentures are the most efficient way of producing full dentures today. However, the introduction to digital dentures around four years ago was as bumpy as an outdoor motorcycle race. “However, the experience from our time as beginners was important for our progress,” explains the dental technician. CAD software and materials were not yet at today’s level at that time. A satisfying esthetic result could not be achieved, and the manufacturing process did not run smoothly either. "I'm not a video gamer," says Okke Kamps, "I had to really get myself into the whole digital world."

A year and a half ago, a contact with the VITA dental factory gave rise to the opportunity to produce digital dentures made of VITA VIONIC material in cooperation with the Cordent Milling Center (Cordent B.V., Maartensdijk, Netherlands). "VITA helped us in many places. But in the end it was the high motivation of my team that allowed us to take a big step forward with digital dentures." Even at the start with VITA VIONIC, a few hurdles had to be overcome. "We learned a lot about the design process of dentures during this time," says Okke Kamps. For example, everything was designed, calculated, and prepared, but the files could not be loaded in the end. "We constantly learned from these experiences, also in cooperation with VITA," recalls Okke Kamps.

Today, the entire process of producing digital dentures runs without any problems, so that the investments made for the Centre for Oral Health paid off. "At first, you only see the investment in digital dentures, because the VITA VIONIC material is also in the upper price segment," reports Okke Kamps. However, the figures from the practice now clearly support the digital process. While Kamps managed for example one denture per day in conventional production, today he can make three to four "digital" dentures. In addition, fewer treatment appointments are needed for patients. Further advantages for the dental technician are that the digital process leaves more time for quality control.

Okke Kamps is visibly proud today that he has continued on the path to full digital dentures with his team, despite some hurdles and setbacks. It feels good to be prepared for the digital future, says the co-owner of the Center for Oral Health in Uden. Together with VITA, he is working to further improve the CAD software, prefabricated teeth, and materials. "Perhaps in the future we will completely switch to digital production of dentures. We don't necessarily want to expand, but we want to be even more efficient."