Doctors: How to Scan a Full Arch

The Lava C.O.S. supports full arch scanning. Please review the video for our recommended protocol.

The Past, Present and Future of Margin Marking

Thank you to Jeff Saylors for his candid comments on outsourced margin marking for Lava C.O.S. cases.

With the holidays, and the arrival of a New Year, it seems like a good time to review where we've been and where we are going with margin marking.

The Past
When we first launched the Lava C.O.S. at the end of 2007, we required doctors to work with trained and certified margin marking Partner Labs. We recognize that the doctor/lab relationship is the cornerstone to building a successful restoration. Our initial lab business model required doctors to either change labs, labs to make a significant investment in the margin marking computer and software, or precluded doctors from purchasing the C.O.S. We knew we needed to make a change.

The Present
In 2008, we launched the Affiliate Lab model. This allows labs to receive Lava C.O.S. cases without investing in the Lava C.O.S. Lab Software. It required labs to outsource the margin marking to an approved Margin Marking Outsourcing Provider. These were labs with extensive experience marking their doctor's margins. The advantage to this model was that it maintained the doctor/lab relationship. However, margin marking for a doctor that you are not familiar with can be a challenge as Jeff noted. Some of our outsourcing providers have found that margin marking helps them build relationships with new labs and can help drive other outsourcing. For many of our affiliate labs and their doctors, this process works. For others, this process has gaps and we know that we need to continue to strive for better.

The Future
The ideal scenario from my perspective is to enable any lab (or doctor) that would like to mark margins the ability to do so. In addition, we would like to enable margin markers to be more self sufficient with regard to hole filling and other data clean up. We have a few challenges to overcome but we are looking forward to some exciting new releases next year to help make these changes.

Thanks for a great year! Thanks also for your great feedback on the lab software. If you have thoughts or concerns, please let us know either by posting on our blog or contacting us directly.

Shana Cooper, Senior Product Manager, Lab Products

New Models Coming Soon!

We are pleased to announce Lava C.O.S. Model 2.0.

This includes:
- New Resin
- Customized model options
- Alternate model configurations

The new resin is a lighter color and has an altered opacity. It was specifically designed for dental applications. Also, the new resin has been optimized to improve the surface texture and detail. You may begin to see these models in January. They will be broadly distributed by the end of Q1. The only change that we recommend is that you use a red pencil to mark the margin if needed.

We will have more information on customized model options and alternate model configurations shortly!

Doctors: How to Activate a Lab on the Lava C.O.S.

To activate a lab:
1. Login to the COS using the doctor's Personal Identification Number (PIN).

Log In screen

2. On the home screen, press the Management button.
3. Select the Settings tab, if it is not already selected.

4. Press the Labs button to display a list of labs in your state and their status, “active” or “Inactive.”

Management screen > Settings tab > Labs

5. Touch the name of the lab you want to add. The name is highlighted.
Note: To arrange for models to be sent directly to the doctor, select the 3M ESPE lab.
6. Press “Activate/Deactivate” at the bottom of the screen to toggle the selected lab.
For more details, refer to your Lava C.O.S. User Guide.
To add a lab that is not on this list, please call Customer Service at 877-SCAN-LAVA.

How Much Will This Case Cost?

We have received questions from doctors and labs about how a given case will cost for scan and model fees. To help you, we have created cost calculators posted on the right sidebar of this blog. If you have further questions, please contact Customer Support.

Digital Workflow for the Lava C.O.S. System.

New digital system blends the lines between laboratory-based and dental office-based CAD/CAM systems to digitally record tooth preparations.

The Lava Chairside Oral Scanner blends the lines between laboratory and chairside CAD/CAM systems. The dentist records the tooth preparation intraorally with a digital impression instead of using a traditional impression. The immediate feedback of the digital impression affords the opportunity to correct model deficiencies before the patient leaves the office. Digital impressions avoid the tedious technique of final impressions with the added benefit of a more comfortable patient experience. A number of conventional steps are avoided with the digital impression technique, such as time-consuming, conventional impression techniques, pouring models, trimming dies, and packaging, shipping, and tracking the models. The digital workflow of the Lava COS system results in an efficient and accurate technique for the fabrication of Lava zirconium crowns and fixed partial dentures.

Check out the full article by Dr. Fasbinder

Dennis J. Fasbinder, DDS, ABGD
Clinical Professor of Dentistry Director, Advanced Education in General Dentistry University of Michigan School of Dentistry
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Reference: Fasbinder, Dennis, In Practice Clinical Brief, "Digital Workflow for the Lava COS System, October 2009, V5, Issue 9

Happy Holidays from 3M Digital Oral Care

3M Digital Oral Care wishes you a very happy and healthy holiday season! Please be aware that 3M Digital Oral Care and our model production partners will be closed for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. Models will be printed on the next business day.