While organizing the lab recently, I came across something that stopped me in my tracks. It was an old articulated model from a case I did back in 2010. It’s not just any case. This one holds a special place in my memory.
At the time, I’d already been working here in the lab for over 18 years, but I had only owned it for two. We were still fully analog. Doctors haven't adopted intraoral scanners and I have not yet purchased and installed our digital CAD/CAM equipment, so the bridge was made entirely by hand. Although I've already done many large cases, I remember this well because it was the first complex case I had as the new lab owner. This was one those cases that pushed my skill set.
It was a 7-unit anterior PFM bridge with porcelain margins on all four abutments and with a canteliver pontic on #5. To make things trickier, the patient needed to have a tooth extracted. After taking the impression, the doctor requested to have #8 removed from the model and to design a pontic there while the tissue was still healing. Once the model work was done, I thought, “Okay, here we go.”
I didn’t have a photo of the final restoration (unfortunately!), but holding the model again reminded me of the hours I spent getting the model work ready, waxing and finishing the metal framework, hand layering the porcelain prior to multiple bakes in the oven and the pressure I felt to get the contour and shade just right — I especially remember the satisfaction I had when the doctor called to tell me the patient was so happy with the outcome of his new smile.
That case challenged me and it also taught me a lot. I didn’t realize it then, but it was one of those turning points that helped build the quiet confidence I carry with me today. I still lean on the lessons I learned from it.
These days, so much of what we do has gone digital, but whether a restoration is designed and made digitally via CAD/CAM or made the analog way by hand — I always give my best craftsmanship to every case! This articulated model from 2010 is a great reminder of why I love what I do. I've had so many opportunities to help my doctors and patients throughout the many years of my career and I get to improve their lives every day!
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Copyright 2024 | Berkeley Dental Laboratory™ | Terms & Conditions
Copyright 2025 | Berkeley Dental Laboratory™ | Terms & Conditions