“We were not interested in owning a commercial laboratory and having impersonal relationships with clients,” Zoller says. “We wanted to be recognized as a relationship-oriented laboratory. We wanted to really feel we were a part of the dental practice and that we brought value to the dental team. We wanted to be a resource in terms of education, materials, service, etc.”

The venture has been a success. Mountain Dental Lab is now a 13-person operation in a 5,000-square-foot facility, serving mostly regional clients but some nationwide. “We have found that clients who are of that same collaborative mindset gravitate toward us,” says Zoller, who specializes in implants and education. “The client that comes here is interested in what we do, how we do it, and how it complements the practice.” Mountain Dental Lab’s slogan is “We love being part of your practice.” The laboratory’s three guiding principles are being a part of the dental team, providing only the finest materials, and good, old-fashioned customer service.

Dentsply Sirona has helped the laboratory fulfil those promises for several years. Zoller began using the company’s CAD/CAM equipment more than a decade ago and acquired an inLab MC X5 mill and inEos X5 scanner approximately 2 years ago.

More recently, Zoller began using Dentsply Sirona’s Celtra Press zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate (ZLS) material. “We fabricate a high volume of lithium disilicate restorations, and the first thing we noticed when we began using Celtra Press was the reaction layer, which saves an incredible amount of time,” Zoller says. “It is not necessary to put the restoration in an acid bath, worry about the fit, or worry about the margins chipping. Right away, that was a significant benefit for our workflow efficiency.”

As Mountain Dental Lab continues to strive to provide its customers with the best products and service, Zoller has also been investigating digital dentures. He has paid particularly close attention over the past few years to AvaDent Digital Dental Solutions, which has partnered with Dentsply Sirona to promote, distribute, and service digital denture products in the US. “Clients are starting to call us about digital dentures, so we hope to offer that service soon,” he says. “I am really anxious to continue learning about the partnership between AvaDent and Dentsply Sirona, and the developments that arise from it.”

The prospect of working on digital dentures with the same company that provides CAD/CAM equipment, materials such as Celtra Press, and more is enticing to Zoller. “It is certainly an advantage to have all systems running in the same gear, and to have the same company providing not only the materials but also the equipment to handle every need,” he says. “They can handle everything. When you are working through cases, it is nice to have that range of abilities within the same family. In the future, as the merger matures, it will be fantastic for consistency across the board.”