Full Arch Milling vs Traditional Dental Restoration: Which is the Best Option for Your Patients?

People want to enjoy the best smile possible, and dentists managing dental practices want to make sure they provide their clients with the best possible service. That’s why more and more dental practices across the nation are turning to full arch milling to restore smiles. Quite simply, full arch milling allows for a more precise fit and a better-looking smile. While traditional dental restoration can still produce good results for patients, full arch milling is a cut above. This allows dental practices to boost patient satisfaction and their bottom line. So what’s the best option? For nearly every patient, full arch milling will produce the best outcome.

 Let’s take a closer look at the evolution of dental implants and why full arch milling has emerged as the industry-leading solution. If you work at or manage a dental clinic and have any questions about how milling can boost your practice, however, feel free to reach out to us. We’d be glad to help.

Dental Implants Come From Humble Beginnings

You’d be surprised at just how rich the history of dental implants is. It’s believed that ancient Egyptians fashioned fake teeth out of ivory and we have uncovered evidence of dental implants being used around 2000 BC in ancient China. These implants were made out of bamboo. Ancient Mayans in 600 AD, meanwhile, figured out how to use sea shells to make artificial teeth. Many other ancient civilizations came up with their own versions of dental implants using locally available materials. In some cases, teeth were even taken from the deceased and implanted in patients.

 While we should certainly laud these early efforts, modern dental implant technology has come a long way since and full arch milling now represents both the present and future of dental restoration. Still, full arch milling stands on the shoulders of giants. In the 1930s brothers and doctors Alvin and Moses Strock successfully implanted teeth into the bone and also developed early screw models to connect implants with artificial teeth. In 1965, the first titanium implant was placed in a volunteer and titanium quickly became a preferred material owing to its biocompatibility.

From this point forward, dental implants continued to evolve and more dental practices across the United States and indeed the world began offering implant services to boost patient health and satisfaction. Different materials were tried and adopted for making crowns, and through trial and error, dentists continued to improve what we now consider to be “traditional” dental restoration techniques. Now, however, we’ve firmly entered a new era in which traditional dental implant techniques are falling to the wayside in favor of full arch milling.

Full Arch Milling Boosts Dental Practices and Patient Satisfaction

By the 1980s, dentists began using CEREC dental milling machines to craft individual crowns and in-lays. Early on, many dentists milled the artificial teeth in their own office. However, the machines themselves were expensive, and using them effectively required a lot of practice and skill. Still, some of the best dental practices in the USA began to use these technologies to better serve clients and improve their bottom line.

 At the same time, computer technology was advancing rapidly. CAD/CAM technology allowed dentists to make teeth that optimized strength while also emulating the natural shape and appearance of teeth. Overall, these early milling machines greatly improved dental restoration and thus patient outcomes and dental practice revenues. Restorations today can be made more quickly and installed relatively easily while producing more accurate results. In other words, milling has improved dental restoration and dental practices pretty much across the board.

Now Dental Milling is Evolving and Dental Practices Are Benefiting

There were some drawbacks to milling. The machinery and technologies used remain expensive, and it takes a lot of skill to produce the best results.  As a result, some dentists have continued to rely on more traditional and familiar dental restoration methods. Unfortunately, doing so could mean missing out on increased dental patient satisfaction and dental practice revenues.

 Fortunately, there’s now a better solution: cutting-edge labs have been set up to focus specifically on crafting dental implants. This allows the labs to deliver economies of scale by creating dental implants for countless dental practices. This way, the dental milling machines and technologies are put into full production rather than gathering dust while a dentist waits for his or her next restoration patient. 

 Focusing exclusively on dental milling also allows technicians to develop extensive specialized skills. Practice makes perfect, and it’s difficult if not impossible for the average dentist to produce as high-quality of results as a dedicated milling lab. This is due to no shortcomings on the dentist’s part. They have a lot on their plate and are busy serving patients in myriad other ways.

 Ultimately, if dental practice in the US wants to produce the best results in terms of both quality and value, it’s wise to work with a full arch dental milling lab. You can get exceptionally high-quality, customized full arch implants that completely restore a patient’s smile while offering natural looks and exceptional performance. Installation is straightforward, and for patients, upkeep is rather simple. In the long run, dental practices across the United States can boost revenues and profits while raising patient satisfaction with full arch milling.

Want to learn more about how full arch milling can help your dental practice thrive? Wondering why so many leading dentists and orthodontists are turning to our cutting-edge dental implant solutions? Reach out for a free welcome kit and we can get the conversation started. By contacting us today, your patients may enjoy better oral health and increased satisfaction, and your dental practice may enjoy even more success.

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