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Dentistry has come on a long way in recent years, and none recognize the change more than dental technician Steve Watling. Steve is a Director at Dental Studio Prosthetics, Whitley Bay – a family run business with a heritage stretching back over 50 years. The business started in the early 1960s when Steve’s father, William, Watling, joined the profession as an apprentice at the tender age of 14.

“It all began with my father,” says Steve. “Once he finished his apprenticeship he started out on his own, and the business acorned from there really. There are now nine of us all from the same family working in the lab. Of course my father still works with us. He’s in his 70s now but he loves his job so much he doesn’t want to retire!”

Over the years, Dental Studio Prosthetics has carved out a successful niche offering high quality prosthetics for both the NHS and private sectors. However, to remain competitive Steve and his fellow Directors realised that they would have to invest to keep up with changing trends within the profession.

“As a laboratory we’ve been in prosthetics for over 50 years,” says Steve. “The big question we had to ask ourselves though was ‘where is the next 50 years going to take us?’ From my father’s day the basics of dental technology haven’t changed too much. However in the last 10 years or so there have been a number of major developments that have led us to look at our position and see where we could adapt our business to meet new demand.

“It would seem clear that the momentum in dentistry is now shifting towards dental implants, and implant-retained dentures. As a lab, we recognised that this was a market we were well placed to meet, and so looked into ways we could expand our business in this area.

“As colleagues will know, CAD/CAM technology has really taken off in recent years, and we saw an opportunity to adopt computer scanning and 3D design software to help us deliver extremely high quality restorations for our customers.”

Having made the decision to introduce CAD/CAM to the lab, Steve and his fellow Directors then set about the process of finding the best company to work with. In a process that lasted many months, Steve and his colleagues researched each of the major implant and CAD/CAM providers in turn, investigating factors such as the initial set-up cost, the quality of the finished product, and the level of support the lab could expect.

“We looked at all of the main implant companies,” continues Steve. “We also spoke to our existing clients, and our contacts within the dental hospital. We knew this would be a major investment so we wanted to be sure we made the right choice. Because we pride ourselves on being one of the best at what we do, we had to make sure we were working with a company that could match our same high expectations. With our lab only just starting out in Dental CAD/CAM, we wanted to work with a company that could make us better – a company that would also remain at the forefront of dentistry even 10, 20, 30 years down the line.”

After a long period of research Steve and his team chose Nobel Biocare as their ideal partner of choice:

“When you look at who’s out there, Nobel Biocare is one of the very best. Everything from the company history to the scientific research, the materials used, the quality of products and the level of support available – everything is of just such a high quality. I think sometimes people may look at Nobel Biocare and think that it’s an expensive brand, but when you look at the other companies out there, their prices are just the same, if not higher. Not only that, but when you take into account all of the other factors you know that you’re investing in a company that will remain at the forefront of dentistry for many years to come.”

As part of their package, Steve and his team at Dental Studio Prosthetics invested in NobelProcera® CAD/CAM including the latest 2G Scanner and NobelProcera Software.

“It’s an incredibly easy to use system,” says Steve. “It enables us to customise any device entirely for the patient, while working in tandem with the dentist. The level of control it gives you is absolutely astounding. You can control every part of the restoration to create exactly what the patient needs. Whether it’s a simple case, or something more complex we have everything to hand, and we know that anything we produce will be of the absolute highest standard in terms of accuracy and quality of fit.

“Not only that but the support we receive is absolutely fantastic. Any problems at all Nobel Biocare are just a phone call away, and the rep we deal with will always have an answer – and if he doesn’t know, then he will find someone who does. The peace of mind that gives you is absolutely priceless.”

As Steve points out, dental CAD/CAM is a major investment for any laboratory, but is one well worth making. Not only has it ensured his lab remains at the cutting-edge of dental technology, but it has also equipped the lab to meet the challenging demands of the modern dental profession.

“NobelProcera has been a big investment for us,” concludes Steve, “but it’s already starting to pay dividends. We’ve even joined the Nobel Biocare Scan Centre Network. This means that other labs can send models that we can scan for them and even design if they so wish. It’s certainly opened more doors for us and it’s been a great tool for business development.