A board-certified prosthodontist and owner of Scottsdale Center for Implant Dentistry, Michael L. Bleeker, DMD, FACP, spent most of his early career using an analog workflow. But after purchasing Amann Girrbach’s Ceramill Matron, he wishes he had made the digital leap sooner. Here, he shares how his brand-new digital workflow has saved time, slashed his lab bill, and been an unexpected creativity booster.
I had an analog workflow in my office for more than 30 years. To be honest, my goal was to get through my career without ever having to purchase an intraoral scanner! I had a great relationship with my local labs for all my crown and bridge work, but my lab bills were huge. Technology was literally crashing down on me, and even my labs warned me that the time was approaching when they would no longer accept polyvinyl siloxane impressions. It was at that point I knew I’d either need to start learning a digital workflow or just retire. So, I chose the digital workflow, and it’s made all the difference.
A Time Saver & Patient Pleaser
I started with a smaller, closed system but found that my workflow outgrew it very quickly. I then purchased Amann Girrbach’s Ceramill Matron, and if I knew years ago what I know now, I would’ve brought in the Matron a long time ago.
It’s been a game changer. It’s not at all complicated, and I’m happy I invested in a technology that will grow my practice. Patients appreciate it, too. We offer them tours of our digital lab, and I believe having the Matron is a marketing tool because it shows we’re keeping up with technology.
I’m milling both zirconia and e.max for crowns and bridges, custom abutments for implants, and overdenture implant bars. It’s super versatile and saves me so much time. I can mill just about anything with the Matron, including a full arch, an All-on-X denture, or an implant-retained denture—none of which I could do with the previous system. That would have required me to mill each single crown through the entire process, one at a time, taking hours and hours.
Efficiency Meets Creativity
You can design restorations with the easy-to-use Ceramill Mind CAD software, and I’ve also had success with third-party design companies. I just scan the patient, upload the file, and the next morning, I have an STL ready to send to the Matron for milling. I use my oven to sinter the zirconia, and then glaze, polish, or do some custom shading. It’s very efficient. Plus, I enjoy being able to embrace the creative side of dentistry. The Matron presents many possibilities, especially if you have a large crown-and-bridge workflow like I do. It will significantly decrease your lab expenses. In fact, I rarely send things out anymore.
MICHAEL L. BLEEKER, DMD, FACP
Dr. Bleeker earned his dental degree from the Medical University of South Carolina and completed a general practice residency at the University of Virginia Medical Center. He then completed a combined prosthodontics residency at the Veterans Administration Medical Center and The University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston. He achieved a fellowship in maxillofacial prosthetics at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and studied implant dentistry at The Ohio State University College of Dentistry. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Prosthodontics, as well as a fellow of both the American College of Prosthodontists and the American Academy of Maxillofacial Prosthetics. He is a past president of the Central Arizona Dental Society.
