Did you know that Dental Designs Laboratory has been helping serve needs for the men and women at the Lincoln People’s City Mission?  People’s City Mission provides services to more that 26,000 people in the Lincoln/Lancaster County.  They have provided over 103,000 nights of shelter and serviced over 156,000 meals.  The Mission has also served more than 6,000 patients through their Free clinic by providing free dental care to low-income Lincoln residents without insurance.

The Free Medical Clinic provides services through a network of practicing and retired volunteer dentists.  The clinic’s costs are covered entirely by private donations.  Dental Designs has been providing free dental appliances for those needing a denture, partial or repairing their existing appliance.  This is completely volunteer on our part and we feel strongly about giving back to our community.  On occasion Steve, the coordinator from the Mission, stops by with some donuts.

We recently attended NADL’s Vision 21 in Las Vegas.  The meeting was held at The Paris.  Much  of the meeting was centered around the overall well being and economy of the dental lab business.  Part of the growing success dental labs have is due to advances in CAD/CAM and digitally designed crowns.  We were excited to find out that when compared to the majority of dental labs in America, we are among the few labs that have had growth in this down economy.  Sadly, many dental labs have decreased in size or closed their doors. We feel that our growth is largely due to our advances in digital dentistry, our large variety of esthetic all ceramic crowns, and our understanding of cutting edge technology.  It was very informative to hear our colleagues across the nation give their views on what dental labs can do to keep things on the rise for this incredible business of making teeth!  We are looking forward to the year ahead!

Happy Holidays!!! This is time of year can often be summed up with one word…BUSY. Thanksgiving is almost upon us and Christmas is right around the corner. The days are filled with family, cooking, decorating and, for us here in Nebraska,  Husker football. So to keep you updated on all the new and exciting things going on at the lab we have our Dental Designs 2011 Winter Newsletter . If your office is on our mailing list you will be receiving a copy in the mail. If you are not on our mailing list and would like to be, please email us your address and we will gladly add you to the list!

In 2009, I was fortunate to participate in the NMOM – the Nebraska Mission of Mercy.  It was an eye-opener for me. First, I was totally unaware of the amount of people in need of dental care that can’t afford it.  Secondly, it was the amount of volunteers so willing to support the NMOM.  The organization of the whole project was amazing.  There were hundreds of dentist, dental assistants, hygienists, staff, lab techs and volunteers during the two day event.  All professional care, equipment and materials were donated.

A little history about the Nebraska Mission of Mercy – NMOM.

It started in 2001 in Virginia.  The Mission of Mercy Projects are conducted in identified, underserved areas of the state where there are not enough dental practitioners to adequately address the oral health needs of the community.  Nebraska held its first NMOM 2005 in North Platte.  Over 900 patients were seen in two days with over $350,000 of dental care provided.

NMOM 2006 was held in Grand Island.  Over 1,600 patients were seen and over $700,000 of dental care was administered to “those who need it the most”.

NMOM 2007 was held in Norfolk. 1,393 patients were served and $504,606 in dental care was provided.

NMOM 2008 took place in Mitchell. 1.065 patients were seen, providing $571,515 worth of dental care.

NMOM 2009 was held at Papillion/LaVista, treating 1,427 patients and providing $608,621 in dental services.

NMOM 2005-2009 a total of more than 6,000 people have been treated, with dentists providing nearly $2.75 million in free dental care.

Wow, some big dollars and a lot of people.  I felt so good about volunteering in 2009 that when I was asked by Dr. Vicki Treat to assist her this year, I jumped at the chance to help more people.  Out stint was for Friday from 11:00 – 6:00.  I think we helped about 8 people with a number of amalgams, a composite and re-cementing a crown.

NMOM 2011 was held in Grand Island and served 1,378 patients and did 6,264 procedures over the course of two days.  Many people camped out 24 hours in advance of the first day.  Even though the line had to be cut off both days they still managed 1,519 extractions, 1976 fillings, 492 cleanings, 30 root canals and 1005 x-rays.

NMOM 2012 will be in Alliance.  I am looking forward to helping out.  I hope you all get a chance to volunteer.  It is really fun and rewarding.  The people are great and they feed you well.  So, if you are looking for an assistant, give me a call.  That is, if Dr. Treat doesn’t ask first!                                                            Robin Miller

For more than a year now, Dental Designs has been volunteering our time and talent to the Sharing Clinic at UNL Dental College.  The clinic meets quarterly to provide free dental work to the underserved, uninsured and low income populations.

Lisa, Cindy, Viki, Deb and Darla from our removable department make flipper partials for those who are missing a tooth or just had a tooth extracted.  Sometimes it is just a simple repair to add a tooth or clasp to an existing partial.  I usually deliver the partial to the student, hunt down a shade or help the ladies with some model work.

It is very rewarding to see these people leave with a smile. Thanks to all our staff who participate at the Sharing Clinic.  You’re the best!                          Robin

Let’s all admit something together… realizing that you are going to have to go sit through some presentation or conference just to have enough CE credits isn’t exactly thrilling. A few years ago we had great idea, why not bring the CE courses right to our doctors and their staff. No traveling, no hotel conference rooms with uncomfortable chairs and lukewarm coffee and no boring, monotonous speakers. That is exactly why we decided to start our “Lunch and Learn” program.
The Dental Designs “Lunch and Learn” program is very simple. You pick which ADA CE accredited presentation you would like from our “Dental Designs Lecture Series” and we take care of the rest. We will send one of our experienced technicians to your office with lunch for your whole staff and then give a casual, interactive PowerPoint presentation on whatever topic you chose. That’s it. It’s that simple. You and your entire staff get lunch, new knowledge, and 2-4 CE credits all in the comfort of your office, free of charge.
Our presentations cover a wide array of topics. We have presentations that cover everything from implant abutment selection to communication between the dental office and lab. We have some presentations that are incredibly in-depth, discussing things like treatment planning, design and restoring implants for fully edentulous patients. Other topics, such as how to understand and communicating color or exploring the new all-ceramic systems are more interactive and lend themselves very well to staff meetings.
The dental industry is changing at a rapid pace. Dental Designs is committed to helping you stay ahead of the curve. Give us a call and schedule a “Lunch and Learn“ for your office.You’ll gain new knowledge for yourself and your staff, have an experienced dental technician in your office to answer any of your questions, and you’ll get free lunch. Who can argue with free lunch???

In 1980 two brothers and a brother-in-law decided to take one of the biggest risks that one can take in life, they started a business. Now, 30 years later those two brothers, Tom and Doug Barrett, and brother-in-law, Tim Sweeney, have been met with success that is uncommon in any industry, let alone the dental industry.  When Dental Designs opened its doors Tom, Doug, and Tim had no employees but themselves and worked long hours seven days a week. They then took another big risk and hired their first employee. That employee, Bill Pugsley, also just celebrated his 30 year anniversary with our company. The business slowly grew and now boasts not only a lab in Lincoln but one in Omaha as well. One employee has now become 50 employees and we are still growing.

Last summer we held a 30 year celebration for all of our employees and their families. It was a day filled with swimming, golfing, food, and laughter. After a wonderful dinner we all sat and watched a slideshow filled with pictures from the time the lab started to present day.  Once again the room filled with laughter as we all pointed out some of the questionable fashion choices and changing hairlines of certain employees and owners.  Looking around the room it was plain to see what has made Dental Designs such a success .  We are a company built on integrity, family values, and hard work. We sometimes joke about being a part of the Dental Designs Family, but that’s exactly what we are, a family. Here’s to another thirty years.

Over the years Dental Designs has strived to stay on the cutting edge of technology. One of theways we are continuing to do this is by rethinking and redesigning our website. A few of the highlightsfrom the new site are product overviews, tips and techniques, blog posts, and links to CEREC Connectand other frequently visited sites. Our goals for the new website are to make it more interactive andeasier to use.
Communication is one of the most important parts of the relationship between doctor andlab. We realize that the way we communicate with each other in professional and social situationsis changing rapidly. Therefore, I am happy to announce that Dental Designs is now on Facebook andTwitter. To stay up to date with all of our news follow us on Twitter @dentaldesignsNE and Like us onFacebook at Dental Designs of Nebraska.