DENTSPLY Friadent News

Reference laboratories: modern implantology means perfect team work

11-04-2008 | DENTSPLY Friadent is developing selected laboratories to certified specialists in implant prosthetics

Successful implantology therapy is based on a perfectly functioning team: the surgically qualified dentist, the prosthetically qualified partners and an excellent dental laboratory that fabricates the prosthetic work or constructions. To ensure the success of the procedure, a strong partner in the industry who can advise and support this group of highly qualified specialists is vitally important. DENTSPLY Friadent recognized this years ago and as an implant manufacturer is systematically developing robust networks for supporting the company's customers. The Mannheim-based company now has more than 70 certified reference laboratories throughout Germany. The laboratories, as specialists in implant prosthetics, have been providing additional consultant functions for dental practices that specialize in prosthetic restoration of implants. DENTSPLY Friadent is also integrating the laboratory into the overall treatment planning.
The number of dentists moving into implantology has been continuously increasing in recent years. Beginners are often concentrating on prosthetic restoration only while specialists conduct the surgery. Common questions concern the prosthetic restoration on implants. The company has recognized that there is a wide-ranging need for advice in many practices in addition to the comprehensive information and training for the implant systems (ANKYLOS, XiVE and FRIALIT) and is promoting cooperation between dentists and laboratories. In addition to the implantology partnerships (stepps), customers and reference laboratories are being offered another concept with which they can operate professionally and as a business. A certified reference laboratory provides consultation services for practices in actual cases, such as prosthetic planning and implementation.
With this reference laboratory concept DENTSPLY Friadent assists dental laboratories to promote themselves as preferred contacts in their regions and to attract new customers. This concept also assists newcomers to implantology in guiding their patients successfully through the treatment. Laboratories are the ideal partners for referrer practices for supporting their prosthodontists.
Specific requirements for certification as reference laboratory
DENTSPLY Friadent has defined precise conditions for certification as a reference laboratory. Laboratories must be very familiar with implant prosthetics based on the ANKYLOS, XiVE and FRIALIT products and must have all instruments required for prosthetic restoration. A laboratory meets this requirement if it can confirm that it provided at least 100 prosthetic restorations in the previous year with these systems. Another central point is the extensive consultation competence. This requires the laboratory to have sufficient experience in implant prosthetics to be able to provide qualified advice to dentists. The laboratories should also be able to confirm years of successful involvement in active customer consultation, for example, in the form of qualified information presentation on current topics in the area of modern implantology.
Laboratories that do not have sufficient experience in restorations on DENTSPLY Friadent implant systems can – to become reference laboratories – will be required to complete a three-component continuing education course in dental technology: Under the slogan "with competence for reference“ interested laboratories will receive a system-based prosthetics training course in ANKYLOS, XiVE and FRIALIT and a course in consulting in implant prosthetics.
Once a reference laboratory, always a reference laboratory?
The requirements for meeting quality standards for the reference laboratories are very high. The certification by DENTSPLY Friadent will only be awarded for one year at a time to ensure that certified laboratories will continue to qualify for the criteria into the future. The requirements will have to be met again every year in the future. This will require the laboratories to fulfill continuous training requirements. The reference laboratories will be required to participate in at least one professional course offered by DENTSPLY Friadent. For this reason DENTSPLY Friadent presents a major annual continuing education event exclusively for reference laboratories covering current topics in planning, surgery, prosthetics and of course the company's own implant brands. The first of these events was in September this year at DENTSPLY Friadent in Mannheim. The highlight of this event was the presentation by Dr. Paul Weigl on the innovations embodied in ANKYLOS C/X.
Interested laboratories can obtain more information the continuing education series for reference laboratories in 2009 from DENTSPLY Friadent by telephoning 0621 4302-010.