A few years ago, Sean Keating used four people and a lot of paper to assign, track and manage cases in his laboratory. And a when a doctor called in seeking an update, managers wouldn't always know where a case was — they'd have to physically look for it in the laboratory. With an average volume of about 2,500 units/week, Keating Dental Arts, CDL, in Irvine, Calif., was handling a lot of paper.
Attending the International Dental Show in Germany is always an experience. To compare the show with 2011, the 2013 show was more active, more digitized, and more obvious as to the direction dentistry is taking, regardless of what country you practice in.
What would an FDA inspector think if he walked into your dental lab and knew that you were manufacturing something for his mouth? Most dental labs ensure that their equipment is well-maintained by having preventive maintenance schedules and performing required preventive maintenance, but how about the maintenance of your overall facility?
Successful projects don't complete themselves. People, processes, products and systems all need to work together if a project is to be delivered successfully.
There are dozens of specialist project systems, and many highly qualified experts out there working on projects, but if you believe the research, many projects will still fail.
Why?
By their very nature, projects can often be very different than normal work. This can result in a lack of knowledge, expertise and experience in the work to be done.
We all use e-mail, and we use it all day long. It's both a great help and a great hindrance. Great for some tasks, massively overused for others. In many ways, it has changed the way that we work, and the speed at which we correspond.
The reality is that e-mail is as much a part of our working lives as the telephone is, in fact it has even taken over a lot of what really should still be done by telephone (but I'm not going to get on that high horse today).
4 Pillars of Positive Leadership That Promise Results
Negativity costs $300 billion dollars a year in lost productivity. Disengaged workers lose customers, drive up healthcare costs, and contribute to absenteeism and turnover rates.
In contrast, positivity at work is associated with better relationships, higher productivity, and better customer service. So happiness doesn't just feel good - it is good for you and the organization's bottom line.
Evaluating Contour: The Pen is Mightier than the Handpiece
Career technicians often find themselves discovering personal ingenuity by creating a technique or altering one that currently exists. I believe when these "lightbulb" moments occur and are proven to succeed, they should be passed on to others. In this column of JDT Unbound, I offer "a trick" which is immediately applicable without continued education training or additional expense. The "trick" will be a technique in evaluating contour on the incisal edges of anterior teeth prior to actually defining the final result using a blackout effect.
Since the beginning of time, man has migrated from one area to another. During these travels, the physical landscape provided obstacles along the way in the form of gaps. These gaps may have been rivers, valleys, or any other span that could not be navigated by jumping across or going around. This would usually prevent the traveler from reaching their goal and force them to either turn around in defeat or to figure out how to get across the gap to their future destination.
The Journal of Dental Technology would like your help to create the 2013 WOW! List. Every year, JDT finds the services, materials, tools and equipment that helps laboratory owners and technicians save time, save money and improve quality.
What qualifies as a WOW Product or Service? The truest answer to that is whatever dental laboratory products and services wow you. It should save time and money while improving quality. So, wow us with your insight into the best services, materials, tools and equipment in the industry.
