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ePaper created 2015-08-26, 12:18:59 | version 1.38.0
By Whip Mix Staff n If a patient is happy with his or her smile after receiving a restora- tion, the majority of patients will be happy overall. Function and esthet- ics do go hand in hand, and being able to deliver a restoration that fits correctly, as well as looks nice, is the ultimate goal. It is said that approximately 80 percent of restorative cases are sent to the lab without any type of pho- tography. Being a lab technician may be somewhat like being a detective, as you must work to put a puzzle together. Restorations for anterior cases can become especially chal- lenging, as you may not know exactly what they should look like and an error may lead to an unhappy patient while reworking the case. So what if there was an easy way to capture a patient’s photo with high- lighteddatapoints?Whatifthisinfor- mation could be emailed to the lab to be used with patient models? What if the lab could use this photography as an overlay to the actual model? What if the lab could mount the model with confidence knowing that it matched the look of the patient? What if the lab could tell if the model was accurate before mounting at all? Meet Max. Max is an android app that virtually documents this critical data. Max, short for MaxAlign, is a communication vehicle between the dentist office and the laboratory and is, therefore, used in both areas. Max works best on a Samsung Galaxy 10.1 or 10.5 tablet with an 8 mega-pixel rear camera and flash. This size tablet gives a large enough image of the teeth for a clear compari- son,andthecamerawithflashcreates a clear, sharp image. Use of retractors holds the checks out of the way for a clearer view of the anterior/posterior plane. After taking the impression, the doctor uses Max to take a photo of the patient’s teeth and face. This photo should document the patient’s midline, horizontal angle and the A/P plane. Once the photo is taken, the doctor sizes the photo to match the width of the patient’s actual centrals. This measurement is used to ensure a one-to-one ratio when using Max to mount the model in the lab. The doctor may also want to record the patient’s first point of contact in Max as verification that both mod- els are mounted accurately. These records are then easily emailed to the lab for use in fabrication and to the dentist for adding to the patient’s record. In the lab, the photo and models are used to mount the models on most Denar, Hanau and Whip Mix articulators,usingauniqueLabStand and occlusal stand. The LabStand is designed to hold the tablet at the pre- cise distance from the teeth to ensure a one-to-one ratio between the photo and the model. The occlusal stand rotates 20 degrees in all directions as well as moving up and down. With Max showing the patient photo on the tablet, you are able to see through the tablet’s camera and see the model on the occlusal stand at the same time. The model is set at the Bonwillline,andthestandisadjusted to line up exactly with the photo on the tablet, just as you would a trans- parency. The image is then captured for comparison. Next,viewbothphotosasoverlays, to ensure you received a good impres- sionofthepatientandthatthemodels were mounted in the correct location on the articulator. Good data in, including accurate impressions and digital photographic information of the patient, will help ensure good data out, with restora- tions that fit well and, especially in theanterior,matchthepatient’ssmile line. exhibitors12 Chicago Midwinter Meeting — February 26, 2015 Good data in, good data out MaxAlign acts as a communication vehicle between dental office and lab Here in Chicago ToseealivedemoofMaxAlign,stopby booth No. 2221. 5 In the lab, the photo and models are used to mount the models on an articulator using a LabStand and an occlusal stand. 5 With Max showing the patient photo on the tablet, you are able to see through the tablet’s camera and see the model on the occlusal stand at the same time 5 After taking an impression, use MaxAlign to take a photo of the patient’s teeth and face. (Photos/ Provided by Whip Mix)