Bradley C. Bockhorst, DMD
After receiving his dental degree from Washington University School of Dental Medicine, Dr. Bradley Bockhorst served as a Navy Dental Officer. Dr. Bockhorst is director of clinical technologies at Glidewell Laboratories, where he oversees Inclusive® Digital Implant Treatment Planning services and is editor-in-chief
and clinical editor of Inclusive magazine. A member of the CDA, ADA, AO, ICOI and the AAID, Dr. Bockhorst lectures internationally on an array of dental implant topics. Contact him at 800-521-0576 or inclusivemagazine@glidewelldental.com.
Turbulent economic times often motivate dentists to research and incorporate new means of maintaining, or even growing, their practices. One option is to expand service offerings. Mini implants might be a good choice. Once considered for transitional use only, small-diameter implants can provide a viable long-term solution in appropriate cases, at an affordable price.
In this issue of Inclusive, we discuss access to dental care, as well as utilization of small-diameter implants, with Dr. Michael McCracken of the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry. We also have a follow-up article on the fabrication of a mini implant overdenture by Dr. Christopher Travis. Online, you can view the case appointment-by-appointment from preliminary impressions to delivery of the final prosthesis.
Another goal might be to incorporate products that reduce costs for both you and your patients. Due in part to the skyrocketing price of gold, all-ceramic restorations continue to gain in popularity. In fact, thanks to its high strength, low price point and patients' demand for improved esthetics, monolithic BruxZir® Solid Zirconia is the fastest-growing restoration in Glidewell's history. Included are two articles from our R&D group: one on the optical properties of zirconia, and the other a finite element analysis of the Inclusive® All-Zirconia Custom Abutment.
As an adjunct to the abutment study, Dzevad Ceranic, CDT, reviews the fabrication and use of jigs as an aid to delivering abutments and screw-retained crowns easily and precisely.
Newer technologies can also help you provide a higher quality of care to your patients while improving efficiencies. As a superior diagnostic tool, CBCT is becoming a standard of care for implant treatment. Dr. James Jesse reviews the use of this 3-D imaging to accurately identify the mandibular canal, while Dr. Perry Jones demonstrates the use of intraoral scanning and CAD/CAM fabrication of an abutment and crown to deliver a model-free, implant-borne restoration.
It is our hope that the information contained in this publication will provide insight into opportunities for strengthening your practice in these challenging times. Please enjoy the issue and expanded online content.
Dr. Bradley C. Bockhorst
Editor-in-Chief, Clinical Editor
inclusivemagazine@glidewelldental.com
