Oral Arts Dental Lab

Oral Arts Dental Lab Full-service dental lab serving the US nationwide.

Flexible partials behave very differently from acrylic dentures, and most failures come from overlooking that difference...
12/01/2025

Flexible partials behave very differently from acrylic dentures, and most failures come from overlooking that difference in case planning.

There is no chemical bond between acrylic teeth and the flexible base, so the teeth must be fully surrounded by flexible resin and drilled for mechanical retention. We need about 5 mm of vertical space to do this; if we over-reduce to gain clearance, the base usually survives while the denture teeth fracture or debond.

Flexible partials are tissue borne and the base tends to flex toward the center of the arch, which loads the abutments. On lower arches with few abutments or severe ridge resorption, a metal substructure helps keep the framework rigid, and tall isolated teeth or teeth with heavy buccal undercuts should be avoided as abutments whenever possible.

What criteria are non-negotiable for you before you prescribe a flexible partial, and how are you communicating those limits to your lab team?

This case involves a 41 year old male army veteran with a history of night terrors, bruxism related heavy occlusal and i...
11/29/2025

This case involves a 41 year old male army veteran with a history of night terrors, bruxism related heavy occlusal and incisal wear, and loss of VDO in the care of Dr. Trenton Dunford in Dothan, AL.

We restored VDO with Element Z 4Y single unit monolithic zirconia crowns, stained and glazed. Zero porcelain layering means there is no veneering porcelain to chip or fracture, and the lifetime warranty against fracture gives us confidence this case will not return due to material failure.

To protect the occlusion, the case was completed with a soft day guard and a hard night guard.

Prep design still decides how long these restorations last, so we recommend a moderately deep chamfer with smooth, clean margins to help prevent marginal fractures.

If you would like to walk through a bruxism or implant case and match prep design with the right zirconia, send it our way and let us review it with you.

Patients understand the value of treatment when they can see a realistic preview of the outcome, which supports higher c...
11/29/2025

Patients understand the value of treatment when they can see a realistic preview of the outcome, which supports higher case acceptance and more referrals.

According to the Inside High Earning Practices 2025 Edition report, high earning practices are 106 percent more likely to use Digital Smile Design.

For us in the lab, DSD provides a shared visual starting point for every esthetic case.

With an agreed 2D and 3D plan, communication is clearer, remakes are reduced and patients receive the same outcome you presented in the consult.

To every dentist, technician, and team member at Oral Arts, your commitment means everything.Thank you for trusting us w...
11/27/2025

To every dentist, technician, and team member at Oral Arts, your commitment means everything.

Thank you for trusting us with your work. This Thanksgiving, we’re especially grateful for the partnerships, dedication, and expertise that bring thoughtful care to every patient.

Today’s honorary supervisor, Chris Feathers, Beak Alignment Supervisor, is here to represent all the dentists, technicians, and support teams who keep cases moving every day.

Wishing you a holiday as satisfying as a first-try fit 😎

11/26/2025

For selected indications, we design metal frameworks digitally and print them with SLM.

This includes full-arch implant bars as well as specific removable partial frameworks. After printing, we use 5-axis milling to refine implant platforms and screw channels so the fit remains consistent where it matters most.

This is not the only approach in the lab. It works alongside our conventional and other digital workflows and is chosen when the clinical situation and restorative plan support a printed framework.

If you are planning a full-arch or complex removable case and want to compare framework options, our team is available to review designs with you.

How do these numbers line up with what you see in your market? New survey insights on DSO affiliated doctors:• 44% earn ...
11/24/2025

How do these numbers line up with what you see in your market?

New survey insights on DSO affiliated doctors:

• 44% earn less than $200K a year
• 50% fall between $200K and $400K
• Around 7% report more than $400K in personal income

The tradeoff often shows up in work patterns. DSO dentists report more consistent schedules, standard 31–40 hour weeks, and are least likely to work beyond 40 hours. They are also four times more likely to aim for a non clinical role by age 50, treating DSO experience as a pathway into other career opportunities.

Use this information to compare income ceilings, workload, and long term goals when mapping out your own career path in dentistry.

Dark, heavily restored anteriors with a skeptical patient.That was the starting point for this LiSi Press case on 6–11.C...
11/22/2025

Dark, heavily restored anteriors with a skeptical patient.
That was the starting point for this LiSi Press case on 6–11.

Clinical challenges:

🔹 Multiple large, failing composites
🔹 Dark underlying tooth structure
🔹 Alignment issues in the esthetic zone
🔹 A patient who expected another disappointment

For this case we used LiSi Press on teeth 6–11. With detailed photos and stump shades, our team focused on:

🔹 Uniform value and shade across 6–11
🔹 Harmonized incisal edge position
🔹 A single, coherent anterior composition instead of six individual “close enough” units

The turning point began with the temps. The doctor noted that once the patient saw a uniform color for the first time, her attitude changed, and by the time the LiSi Press crowns and veneers were delivered she was in tears and decided to move forward with the premolars she had previously declined.

For our colleagues, cases like this show what consistent lab communication and a stable lithium disilicate system can do for dark, heavily restored anteriors, patient trust, and chair time.

📷

Regenerative enamel gel is not in your drawer yet, but it is already on our radar. What happens to prep design and mater...
11/21/2025

Regenerative enamel gel is not in your drawer yet, but it is already on our radar.

What happens to prep design and material selection when tooth structure can be biologically rebuilt rather than replaced with a restoration?

From a lab perspective, a predictable regenerative enamel gel could reshape the way we approach:

🔹Margin design and where you choose to finish in enamel
🔹Substrate quality at the interface of gel treated areas and restorations
🔹Case planning for early lesions, NCCLs and hypersensitivity that might once have gone straight to a bur

We are following the science so we can support you as these protocols evolve, whether that means advising on restorative options after regeneration or helping you decide when a case is ready to move from “regenerate first” to “restore when indicated.”

Reference: “Scientists create gel that can repair and regenerate tooth enamel” published by Oral Health Group

11/20/2025

What to write on the RX:

⊳ Shade tab used (brand/model + tab ID)
⊳ Tooth numbers and views included (e.g., #8 buccal + tab)
⊳ Prep/stump shade if different (include separate photo if possible)
⊳ Desired translucency/incisal comments (e.g., “incisal edge slightly more translucent than tab”)
⊳ Any masking/opaque request if stump is dark.

Questions about shade matching? Drop them in the comments or DM.

Address

2700 Memorial Pkwy SW
Huntsville, AL
35801

Opening Hours

Monday 7am - 6pm
Tuesday 7am - 6pm
Wednesday 7am - 6pm
Thursday 7am - 6pm
Friday 7am - 6pm

Telephone

+18003542075

Website

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