Lab Tribune US

LAB TRIBUNE The World’s Dental Lab Newspaper · U.S. Edition March 2011 www.dental-tribune.com Vol. 2, No. 3 Ricki Braswell named CEO of the Pankey Institute The board of directors of the L.D. Pankey Dental Foundation announces that Ricki Braswell, certified association executive (CAE), has been hired to serve as The Pankey Institute’s new chief executive officer. Braswell assumes her role on April 4. Braswell has spent her career successfully leading not-for- profit organizations. For the past 10 years, she has worked in the dental profession, serving as the co-executive director of the National Association of Dental Laboratories (NADL), the National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology (NBC) and the Foundation for Dental Labora- tory Technology. During her tenure with the NADL, Braswell led the organiza- tion through tremendous finan- cial growth, nearly doubling its revenue. She was instrumental in developing a scholarship program and a disaster relief program, revi- talizing the association’s national trade magazine and helping to launch the Foundation for Dental Laboratory Technology. In 2010, Dental Products Report named her one of the Top 25 Women in Den- tistry. “Ricki’s ability to grow an orga- nization and her experience in the dental profession make her a natural fit for the future of The Pankey Institute,” said Dr. Nancy Ward, chair of the Pankey Board of Directors. “We look forward to Ricki’s leadership as she and Jim Kessler, chairman of the depart- ment of education, direct the insti- tute to meet the needs of dentistry today.” “I look forward to working with Ricki as we carry out the mission of making The Pankey Institute a pre- mier learning community for dentists, dental laboratory technicians and interdisciplinary specialist teams,” said Dr. James C. Kessler. Founded in 1970, The Pankey Institute (www.pankey.org) is a non- profit educational organization in Key Biscayne, Fla., dedicated to helping dental professionals master advanced technical skills, improve behavioral skills and nurture a positive philoso- phy toward life and practice. It was the first institute of its kind and remains among the most pres- tigious, attracting dentists from 44 nations. More than 21,000 dentists, dental laboratory technicians and spe- cialists have attended its courses. Ricki Braswell is the new CEO for The Pankey Institute. (Photo/Provided by The Pankey Institute) Astra Tech, a market leader and innovator in the field of implant dentistry and CAD/CAM abutments, announces a global strategic alliance with 3Shape A/S, the Danish-based provider of 3-D scanners and CAD/ CAM software solutions. The first step is the development of a software interface enabling the 3Shape dental scanners to communi- cate with the Atlantis VAD™ (Virtual Abutment Design) software used for the design and production of patient- specific implant abutments. When developed, the interface will make it possible for 3Shape scanner users to quickly and easily transfer digi- tal scan information of patient oral geometry to the Astra Tech Atlantis™ design and manufacturing facilities worldwide. This connectivity reduces costs, eliminates shipping of physical models and reduces turnaround time. “The partnership with 3Shape is a strategic business opportunity, Astra Tech announces strategic alliance with 3Shape for lab-based scanning g LT page 2C Laboratory comparison of CAD/CAM systems The E4D System by D4D. (Photo/ Provided by D4D) Bluestone Center for Clinical Research at the New York Univer- sity College of Dentistry recent- ly released the results of several projects that evaluated the clinical efficacy and performance of the E4D Dentist System (D4D Tech- nologies) and compared the fit and strength of restorations produced by the E4D Dentist System with those from a competitive chairside CAD/CAM system. In the clinical evaluation, the investigators reported the E4D Dentist System was “… easy to learn by both experienced and inexperienced CAD/CAM users. Restorations were captured (scanned), designed, milled, occlu- sion adjusted and inserted in an average of less than 45 minutes. One hundred percent of all resto- rations created were found to be clinically acceptable by an inde- pendent examiner …” In a separate in-vitro investi- gation, full coverage restorations of similar design were fabricated by the E4D Dentist System and a competitive system, seated onto composite dies using resin-based cements and then sectioned for fit analysis. The analysis showed that the E4D fabricated crowns exhib- ited a reduced and more homoge- neous fit at all measured positions (buccal, lingual and center). The results demonstrated a mean mar- g LT page 2C LT