Premium Hardware and Zirconia for New Boutique Laboratory
Inside Dental Technology delivers updates on digital workflows, materials, lab techniques, and innovation in dental technology through expert articles and videos.
May 1, 2024
Volume 15, Issue 4, May 2024
Page(s): p. 18
Miladinov Milos established a reputation as one of the leading high-end dental technicians in the world over the course of 20 years owning a laboratory in his native Romania. He went fully digital in 2017, transitioning from a mostly analog local client base to an international reach stretching from the United States to Hong Kong. He was one of the first to utilize face scanning, and he developed digital protocols and workflows for feldspathic veneers that were included the book Biomimetic Restorative Dentistry by Pascal Magne, DMD, MSc, PhD, and Urs Belser, DMD. Perhaps most importantly, Milos became widely recognized as an expert on dental photography, and with demand skyrocketing for his courses and trainings, he decided to capitalize by moving to the US and collaborating with renowned Norwegian technician Jorgen Gad to open Dental Lab Miami in Dania Beach, Florida. "We are aiming to be one of the top boutique, niche laboratories for high-end work in the US," Milos says.
Milos started building the fully digital laboratory in September 2023 and opened it in mid-April. Gad plans to join him this month, and they intend to hire two more technicians this year and potentially employ up to six in the future.
Like Milos's laboratory in Romania, Dental Lab Miami will include a state-of-the-art training center. One of the features Milos is most proud of is a 12.5-by-6.6-foot LED screen on the wall for displaying photography. "I want to introduce this as a trend in the USA, not only for training centers but also for dentists, so they can have LED walls in their waiting rooms," he says. "Instead of seeing boring pictures of small TV screens, patients can see an entire wall with the dentist's portfolio."
Of course, Milos wanted premium equipment for Dental Lab Miami, and around the time when he started building the facility, he was contacted by Upcera about serving as a key opinion leader for the company. "When I learned that Upcera's new furnace line would be manufactured by DEKEMA in Germany," Milos says, "that was the moment I decided I really wanted to be close to this company. Upcera has big plans for expansion, and they want to dominate the market. I always like being associated with companies that are leaders in the industry."
In addition to the furnaces, Milos purchased an Upcera A53 5-axis milling machine. The A53 features outstanding stability and high accuracy with a premium spindle and automatic tool changer. It has a 12-inch touchscreen and Internet of Things (IoT) technology. Perhaps most importantly for Milos, it has a 24-disc changer. "Upcera offers a wide range of milling machines, and I chose the biggest one to be prepared for the future when our business grows," he says. Perhaps only partially tongue-in-cheek, he adds: "With this mill, I can load 24 zirconia discs, upload all of the jobs, and go on vacation for a couple days while it mills everything."
Milos has found the Upcera Explore line of zirconia to be up to his high standards for both esthetics and strength. "It has very good properties that are competitive with the leading zirconia discs on the market," he says. "Upcera has its own powder supply, and they have a really high-end zirconia production facility. I trust the material, and the cases look really nice."
For All-on-X cases, Milos uses Upcera Explore Functional, which features strength of 1,300 MPa to 1,027 MPa from cervical to incisal, and 43% to 46.6% translucency. For crowns and other more esthetic cases, he utilizes Upcera Explore Esthetic, which has 1,000 MPA to 727 MPa from cervical to incisal and 47% to 48.8% translucency. Both Upcera Explore varieties feature a seamless gradient of strength, translucency, and chroma.
Of course, quality products are only part of the equation when selecting hardware and materials. Especially for a new laboratory, Milos knows he needs strong customer support from manufacturer partners, and he says Upcera has been up to the task. "They are very easy to work with," he says. "The communication has been good, and they are very friendly. My representative jumps on calls whenever I have a question. It is really good support, which is important for any company to provide."
With such a strong partner for his zirconia work, Milos is confident that Miami Dental Lab will match the success of his laboratory in Romania. "I came to the US because it was the right time in my career," he says, "and it has been perfect so far."
Upcera’s Explore line includes Explore Functional, Explore Esthetic, and Explore Hybrid—the last of which is a pre-shaded, seamless gradated 30-mm zirconia disc. Offering a balance of strength and translucency, it provides 1,027 MPa to 1,300 MPa of strength and up to 46.6% translucency.
For more information, contact:
Upcera Dental America
upceradentalamerica.com
888-352-3549
