Telephone disruptions
Here are a few suggestions for ways to minimize the flow of calls between your clinic and our laboratory. This is a (very short) list of the most frequently asked questions from technicians, occasionally due to a lack of information on the prescription or to a simple oversight. When faced with any of these situations, the technician will have no choice but to pick up the phone and call you.
1- Description of the prepared tooth shade. From a technical perspective, this information is very important, even critical. Should a very dark devitalized tooth be concealed or not? Depending on the technique requested, these are questions that need asking before initiating any work. Ceramic materials provide several grades of translucency.
2- Removable partial denture to follow or not? When a crown is put in adjacent to an edentulous space, the technician will invariably wonder whether to consider a future partial denture. Should they prepare a guide plane, rests? Including this information on the prescription saves time.
3- Preoperative model included. A preoperative model is very useful, especially in manufacturing anterior crowns. It can help determine what should or should not be reproduced. It helps visualize the initial lip support, tooth axis, occlusal or interpupillary plane, etc.
4- Interocclusal space. This space can often be mere tenths of a millimetre too small. But even that space can be significant when it comes to a crown or bridge. This is one more situation that involves a phone call. This type of problem is most commonly located in less visible places, e.g. the lingual cusps of opposing posterior teeth. We are always glad to hear from you. We learn a great deal from talking with our clients on a range of topics, both dental and non-dental. We are also always available to offer advice and alternatives to optimize your case outcomes. While we truly appreciate communicating with you, we realize your time is valuable.
