New Oral Design Centre Melbourne opens

Well known Melbourne-based ceramist, Peter Vryonis, has opened the Oral Design Centre Melbourne within his Collins Street premises to allow dentists to "try-in" and cement crowns produced at the high tech laboratory on-site.

The Centre comprises a full working dental surgery and sterilisation area that can be hired on an hourly basis by dentists to deliver the gamut of dental procedures to their patients.

"Following deregulation of the dental laboratory market and changes introduced to the Dental Act in 2000, the Dental Board of Victoria has written to all dentists in the state warning them that if they allow a technician to 'try-in' a crown, they will be prosecuted," Mr Vyronis explained.

"As a result, we have installed a full surgery within our laboratory as a value-added benefit to our dentist clients."

Mr Vryonis said that a number of dentists are now regularly using the Centre for this purpose since its opening in February.

"We also have a dentist employed full-time on Tuesdays to do the try-ins for dentists who do not want to come along personally" he said. "Plus, one interstate dentist regularly hires the surgery for two days at a time for implant procedures."

The Oral Design Centre Melbourne includes a KaVo Systematica dental unit, Trophy Elitys x-ray, Dürr x-ray film processor, Statim 2000S cassette autoclave, amalgamator, curing light, Oxygen, Nitrous, bibs, gloves, IC products and barriers. Dentists bring their own staff, handpieces, instruments, consumables, etc. A full list of what is supplied and what to bring is available.

The equipment was supplied by Ivoclar Vivadent and consumables by Gunz. The lab does all its ordering using the Ezy-Order barcode reader through the Just4Dental website.

The surgery can be hired for $88 per hour with the laboratory work obviously being extra. The surgery is "clean" on arrival and infection control products are included in the price to leave it in the same condition on departure.

The major advantage of using the Centre is having the full services of the laboratory available at all times. Mr Vryonis has over 40 years experience in cosmetic and implant dentistry and is at hand when required.

"People just love it," Mr Vryonis said. "They come in with their patients and we solve any problems on the spot, in one appointment.

"The other day, for instance, a dentist came in with their patient who had a broken screw in a four unit bridge attached to an implant abutment. We removed the abutment, drilled out the broken screw, laser welded the hole, redrilled, retapped and refitted the bridge, all in one appointment, all in under an hour. Normally that would take two or three visits to complete, plus temporaries and a lot of inconvenience and expense for the patient.

"The Centre is a very cost-effective solution for the dentist, patient and for us and we are happy to provide the service."