Making It Real

Over the years I've noticed a trend that is the cause of death or, at least, a dying art in the field of Dental Lab Technology. When I first crossed the threshold of this fascinating career, I was trained by artists who regularly jumped out of their seat to show off their latest creation to anyone who was interested and even those who were not. I learned about things like striations, craze lines, and stains. The shades chosen that our dentists assigned utilized the full spectrum of the colors from their guides. New shades were even introduced between the existing shades because of the demand for accuracy. Shades like A4, C4, and Bioform 69 were enhanced by prescriptions with penned arrows and scratch marks for a closer description in hopes the dental crown would not be discovered by observers and any possible passersby.

We don't see much of that these days. Today the war cry is, "The whiter the better". Once bleaching shades were introduced our creative world had changed significantly. No longer are people concerned about others knowing they might have an artificial fixed or removable appliance. Almost everyone is looking for the Hollywood smile. The word "Esthetic" is a must for any advertising dentist. Dentists are forced to become contractors who coordinate the design of your new, bright, and straight smile in order to see a profit.

Of course, our artistic techniques have been moved into another direction in leu of the digital movement that is taking over our industry. But it is always nice to see an A3.5 come through the lab every once in a while.