The digital production of full dentures saves a lot of time

Ralph van der Reijden has a dental prosthesis practice in Rotterdam. Two of his sons work with him in his small family business. He has been involved in the digital production of dentures since 2015. He now produces 80-90 percent of his full dentures digitally, using denture teeth and materials from the VITA VIONIC System. He has very high quality standards and puts it this way about his company: “I always say we want to be the best denturists in the Netherlands. Whether we will always succeed is another matter." Regarding the advancing digitization of dental technology, he explains: "Everything is changing. It pays to be part of new technical developments early on. That's why we decided to manufacture dentures digitally, and we have not regretted it to this day."

Question: Why did you start digitally manufacturing full dentures with VITA?

Ralph: Of course, it is always an adventure to start with something new, but VITA has a very good reputation in the industry. We worked closely together when introducing VITA VIONIC teeth and materials in our laboratory. We were in close contact and learned a lot from each other. Getting started was not difficult – all we needed was the design software with the prosthetic module and the VITA tooth library as well as the materials. The design of dentures with VITA VIONIC teeth is more or less the same as with other brands, the big advantage is that we can bond the teeth into the milled base very easily.

Question: What was particularly important to you when it came to the teeth for the digital prosthesis?

Ralph: The most important thing for me was the esthetic appearance. We quickly realized that the VITA teeth looked very good and looked natural in the patient's mouth. In addition, the VITA tooth can be processed in a predictable manner because it can be easily and reliably bonded in the cavities of the denture base. After we had made the first prostheses from VITA material, there was a moment when I said: I think this digital prosthesis is better and more attractive than what we have been making by hand up to now. For me, that was the point at which I realized that we were on the right track with the digital prosthesis.

Question: What tips would you give colleagues who want to work with digital dentures?

Ralph: Ultimately, it's about everything fitting together – from the software, to the 3D printer and the CAM milling unit, to the material. And for the digital denture, the following applies: It only works completely or not at all! After the start, it is important to persevere and overcome one or the other setback with optimism; otherwise, there will be no success. You should collect as much information as possible and rely on companies that offer good service. If you fully rely on digital production and everything works together optimally, then you can produce more dentures with fewer people.