Shofu Stands Out
Inside Dental Technology delivers updates on digital workflows, materials, lab techniques, and innovation in dental technology through expert articles and videos.
July 1, 2014
Volume 5, Issue 7, July 2014
Page(s): p. 28-29
Shofu Dental has been a high-quality manufacturer of acrylic denture teeth for more than 65 years and a manufacturer of porcelain teeth for even longer. Over the decades, Shofu has become one of the leading suppliers of teeth to the global market. Although the denture market is only one facet of Shofu’s presence within the dental industry, it is an area in which the company clearly asserts its role as a business leader. First and foremost, Shofu is a market innovator rather than a market follower in terms of denture-tooth design. Its Veracia SA (semi-anatomical) line of teeth and related products are the result of years of research into tooth wear and physiological function. Based on its research findings, Shofu developed and extensively tested the unique Veracia SA line of teeth. The teeth are innovative in composition, consisting of a micro-filled hybrid composite reinforced with layered glass to provide superb esthetics, long durability, and exceptional bonding strength with the denture base. This tooth material is homogenous, so there is no concern about fracturing tooth layers that can occur with other composite teeth. Also, abrasion zones of the posterior teeth have been pre-milled to afford better mastication and movement in the mouth.
In addition, the company’s Veracia SA denture tooth line is specifically developed to take into consideration the business needs of its laboratory user. The saying that “it takes a business to understand a business” applies to the way Shofu has developed its Veracia SA tooth line. Shofu appreciates that when it comes to denture teeth, laboratory owners in the dental business are concerned with having ease of use, minimizing technician production time, and choosing quality products. As a result and as part of the line, Shofu invented a distinctive tooth placement system called the Q3 Pack. The Q3 Pack consists of four individual posterior teeth set into an occlusal template for each side of the arch to facilitate a quick, precise setup. The Q3 Pack is available for each arch, upper or lower, to accommodate different methods of setting teeth. Once the template is placed, the opposing teeth (using a standard 1x8 card) is dropped right into place because the posterior teeth from the Q3 Pack are set into an ideal 20° Curve of Spee and Curve of Wilson. The Q3 Pack can be used for other occlusal schemes by adjusting the inside ends of the template upward or downward during setup to increase or decrease the curves of Spee and Wilson. The teeth are also separate from one another in the template so that once the template is removed, the teeth can be individually rotated or moved, if necessary, for esthetics.
In terms of ease of use, the Veracia SA posterior teeth are designed with concave and convex mesial and distal surfaces so that the teeth fit together easily during the setup process. In addition, the Q3 Pack is a tremendous timesaver when setting teeth, and even less-experienced technicians can save as much as 50% in setup time, representing a huge cost savings for the laboratory. Also important to a dental laboratory’s business concerns is the fact that Veracia SA teeth are high-quality, durable teeth at a competitive price.
Shofu has successfully introduced the Veracia SA line of teeth into the European market, and the teeth are now available in the United States. To supplement the Veracia SA tooth line, Shofu also developed the Ceramage Gum Color Kit, the Ceramage Lite Art Kit, and Ceraresin Bond. These products can be used to distinguish the technician’s denture work and add significant value to the finished product. The Ceramage Gum Color Kit was designed to allow the technician to naturalize (esthetically enhance with natural gum colors) the denture base. The Ceramage Lite Art Kit was designed to allow the technician to naturalize the denture teeth (i.e., partial dentures) to more closely match natural dentition in the patient’s mouth or, in the case of full dentures, to customize tooth color to further enhance the denture. Ceraresin Bond is a two-part bonding system, unique compared with other systems on the market. Used in conjunction with either the Ceramage Gum Color Kit or the Ceramage Lite Art Kit, Ceraresin Bond bonds composite to acrylic or to porcelain without delamination. The first part of the bonding system, Ceraresin Bond 1 is painted onto an already abraded surface of the acrylic, composite, or porcelain to etch the surface. Once dried (approximately 10 seconds), Ceraresin Bond 2 is applied and light cured for 1 minute. Then, following directions provided with the kits, either the Ceramage Gum Color or the Ceramage Lite Art product can be applied and light cured. The use of these products can add tremendous artistry and value to the finished appliance.
Shofu offers its clients exceptional customer service that is not exceeded within the industry. For the denture market, Shofu’s customer support is unequalled in the marketplace. If Shofu customers contact the company for technical support regarding its denture teeth or any related removable product, they can be referred to an experienced removable technician who uses the same products rather than just talking to a salesperson who sells the products but has no practical experience using them. The Shofu customer service technician has the technical background to address any question or concern that the customer may have, which is a tremendous advantage for the Shofu customer.
Shofu
P 800-827-4638
W www.shofu.com
