Behind the surgeries and waiting rooms of our busy practice lies a hidden gem – 543 Dental Centre’s very own in-house dental laboratory. This is an essential part of our practice, a hive of activity that is rarely seen or heard, but is home to the creation of dentures, crowns and all types of dental restorations designed and made on the premises to deliver the fast, personalised restorative solutions for our patients.
What is a dental laboratory?
Dental surgeries could not function without the input of a dental lab, whether the lab is situated in the practice or elsewhere. Labs manufacture and customise a wide range of so-called ‘appliances’ which are designed to restore the function of teeth and improve oral health. Labs work from special prescriptions, made up by the dentist, to create customised dentures, prosthetic devices, implant-retained restorations and orthodontic products to straighten teeth – to name but a few.
Who works in a dental lab?
The dental lab is home to highly skilled dental technicians and clinical dental technicians (CDTs) who are responsible for designing, constructing and repairing a variety of dental appliances. These can be manufactured using a range of materials including stainless steel, titanium, porcelain, plastics, and precious and non-precious alloys, using a range of sophisticated equipment and instruments.
The role of a CDT sits roughly between that of a dentist, who usually takes patients’ dental impressions, and the dental technician who receives the impressions and makes the dentures remotely from the patient. A CDT is qualified to both take impressions and to make and fit the dentures. Unlike dental technicians, CDTs are also legally qualified to give oral examinations to check on the health of the mouth.
Meet our own CDT
Here at 543 Dental Centre, our fantastic in-house CDT is Surendra Naidoo who joined our team to help us provide excellence in denture provision and to develop our on-site denture laboratory production.
Surendra loves to make life-like aesthetic dentures for our patients, using his wealth of experience gained while working in dental schools here in England as well as in South Africa and the USA. Working as a dental technician is a great job for those who like hands-on work and have a natural artistic instinct – a point proved last year when Surendra won the prestigious Kemdent Dental Technician Competition 2022.
The competition judges said: “Surendra’s submission was masterful in its precision and aesthetics. His entry stood out as the competition winner – it scored very highly in almost every attribute.” Huge congratulations to Surendra, but at 543 Dental Centre, we already knew just how good his work is!
A dedicated team
Of course, it takes a dedicated team to make a dental lab work smoothly, and Surendra is ably assisted by a talented team of technicians and assistants, who bring with them a broad range of skills and experience.
For instance, Jenny, our CDT in training, is soon to qualify as a fully fledged CDT. And the multi-talented Holly brings to the team a double-whammy of skills as a trained dental nurse and award-winning creative technician.
What this means for our patients
Having our own in-house dental lab and CDTs means only one thing to our patients – excellence! As always, our patients are our top priority and having a dental lab here on site helps us to deliver even better treatment outcomes – quickly and efficiently -without the extra hidden costs of deliveries and long waiting times. Thanks to his special training, Surendra can see patients directly.
So, if some – or even all – of your teeth are missing or decayed, or your existing dentures do not fit well or look how you want them to, we are here to help. Beautifully crafted and properly fitted dentures can help you smile, speak and even eat your favourite foods again without pain or discomfort.
To find out more about dentures visit 543dentalcentre.co.uk/restorative-dentistry/dentures/ or call us today to book an appointment on 01482 565 488.
Remember – you can save up to 20% on the cost of selected dentures, plus a whole range of other benefits when you join 543 Dencare. Find out more here.
