Increased productivity and outstanding fit drive popularity of system for doctors and labs
ST. PAUL, Minn. – (December 13, 2010) – Since the launch of the 3M™ ESPE™ Lava™ Chairside Oral Scanner C.O.S. in 2008, dentists have been won over by the system’s productivity and accuracy, which enable them to efficiently create precisely fitting restorations. Successes for the scanner have been mounting worldwide, and 3M ESPE recently observed the 50,000th case completed with the device.
The case was completed by Dr. William Bethke of Eau Claire, Wis. Dr. Bethke adopted the system in early 2010 and has been making heavy use of it since. “The accuracy is number one,” Dr. Bethke says. “There is no impression material in the world that can equal the accuracy of the Lava C.O.S. in combination with CAD/CAM technology. This is an important part of dentistry’s drive for perfection.”
Users of the system have consistently noted that restorations created with the Lava C.O.S. fit with outstanding accuracy, reducing seating time and stress in the operatory. Data shows that seating times for single unit crowns created with the Lava C.O.S. are an average of 41 percent shorter than for crowns made with traditional impressions. To provide dentists with additional confidence, 3M ESPE also offers a one year guarantee for new doctors using the system for Lava restorations, with an agreement to compensate both the doctor and laboratory in the event of a remake.
In addition to the exceptional accuracy made possible with the device, dentists have a high degree of flexibility in choosing the materials used in their restorations with the ability to prescribe PFM or CAD/CAM restorations. Dr. Bethke’s milestone case utilized a monolithic all-ceramic material to restore a patient’s smile.
The accuracy of the digital scans has been a boon to laboratories as well, as dentists now have the capability to assess the accuracy of their impression before submitting a case. “We are seeing remake rates of less than one percent due to the accuracy of the digital data,” says Brad Slominski, CDT, of Dental Crafters Laboratory. “Reducing remakes helps us strengthen our relationships with dentists, and helps dentists save both money and time.”
“The Lava C.O.S. continues to deliver greater productivity and flexibility to dentists and laboratories,” said Mark Farmer, general manager of the 3M Digital Oral Care Department. “With more than 50,000 cases completed, more dentists, lab technicians and patients are discovering the clinical excellence made possible by this system every day.”
For more information, visit www.LavaCOS.com or call 1-800-634-2249.
3M ESPE manufactures and markets more than 2,000 products and services designed to help dental professionals improve their patients’ oral health care. 3M Health Care, one of 3M’s six major business segments, provides world-class innovative products and services to help health care professionals improve the practice and delivery of patient care in medical, oral care, drug delivery and health information markets. The recently created 3M Digital Oral Care Department, part of the 3M ESPE Division, aims to accelerate and strengthen 3M’s efforts to lead the digital transformation that is occurring in oral care. For more information on the complete 3M ESPE line of dental products visit the 3M ESPE Web site atwww.3MESPE.com or call the 3M ESPE Technical Hotline at 1-800-634-2249. Products are available for purchase through authorized 3M ESPE distributors.
3M, ESPE, Impregum, Penta, Pentamix, Lava, RelyX, Ketac, Filtek, Adper, Sof-Lex and Imprint are trademarks of 3M ESPE or 3M ESPE AG.
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A recognized leader in research and development, 3M produces thousands of innovative products for dozens of diverse markets. 3M’s core strength is applying its more than 40 distinct technology platforms – often in combination – to a wide array of customer needs. With $23 billion in sales, 3M employs 75,000 people worldwide and has operations in more than 65 countries. For more information, visit www.3m.com or follow @3MNews on Twitter.
