D-Entity is a 50-year-old, full-service dental and orthodontic laboratory that has embraced technology change.
It has two facilities in Italy, in Modena and Rimini, and co-owner Roberto Accorsi says the company has embraced all things digital.
“We deeply believe that technological development and research of innovative materials help make our product more powerful and therefore obtain a higher possibility of expanding into the market,” he said. “Every single step of our work is computerized from the receiving of a commission to the final invoice.”
In 2015, D-Entity purchased an EnvisionTEC Ultra 3SP Ortho printer for the production of orthodontic parts. Accorsi said the Ultra was chosen for a few reasons:
[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][boc_top_icon_box title=”Productivity” icon=”icon icon-refresh-2″]The company can print up to 35 models per build plate, and notes that it does so regularly, producing about 70 per day. “The system is perfect for us because today we can now produce more than 20,000 dental models a year,” he said.[/boc_top_icon_box][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][boc_top_icon_box title=”Quality” icon=”icon icon-diamond”]The surface quality of the EnvisionTEC printers was superior to those offered by competitors. Because the surface finish of the model is so excellent, he noted, “We can produce a very clear aligner without any distortion in the model during vacuum forming under heat.”[/boc_top_icon_box][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][boc_top_icon_box title=”Management costs” icon=”icon icon-cash”]The EnvisionTEC printer cost about 30% less in total cost of ownership than competing systems that it examined and the company has found it very reliable, adding to its value. Accorsi also likes the fact that the material for supports is the same as for the build project, making the system easy to use.[/boc_top_icon_box][/vc_column][/vc_row]
“The main problem that we used to have with the other printers was the low quality of the model, where visible layers could be seen, and the ability to jump from one job to another quickly,” he said.
Because other printers delivered models with visible stair-stepping, the aligners were opaque and gave some patients discomfort.
“We are very pleased with our Ultra 3SP Ortho,” Accorsi said. “It allows us to be more productivity and deliver an elevated level of quality. It also allows us to accept more work from new clients.”