Professional Courtesy: An Eye-Opening Tour at Glidewell by Dr. Thomas Giacobbi

Professional Courtesy: An Eye-Opening Tour at Glidewell


by Thomas Giacobbi, DDS, FAGD, editorial director


September is the beginning of the school year in many parts of the country, when the most frequently asked question is, “How did you spend your summer vacation?” I live in Arizona, which some refer to as “the land of perpetual summer.” Despite the rumors, we do have seasons, but for the most part they’re just four different versions of summer. The hot version is when most of us try to get out of town to escape, and the relative proximity of California beaches is hard to resist.

This summer, my family traveled to Huntington Beach to enjoy the sand, surf, golf, pickleball … and dentistry. (Huh?!) My summer vacation didn’t feel complete without a bit of dentistry sprinkled in, so I took a tour of Glidewell during my trip. I was fortunate enough to have Andy Klein, director of clinical education and events, lead my personal tour of the 33-acre campus via golf cart.

Company tours not only let you see how the sausage is made but also provide a unique perspective on what’s happening on the company’s end before a product reaches your practice. I was impressed by the vast scale and depth of vertical integration—how Glidewell has taken ownership of so many elements in its supply chain. The list is staggering: manufacturing its own zirconia from raw materials to pucks and blocks; developing numerous robotic processes throughout the lab; manufacturing its own implant line; milling the burs used in its milling machines; creating its own CT scanner for analog impressions; building furniture and fixtures for the offices on campus; even printing many of its advertising materials and brochures.

A great example of this coming together was the production line for BruxZir crowns. Imagine stacks of milling machines and a robot arm that continuously loads blocks and unloads finished crowns. The finished restorations travel down a conveyor belt equipped with a camera to verify the crown matches the design. Then the crowns make their first contact with human hands for custom staining before being whisked off to another robot that applies a precise layer of glaze and, finally, an array of ovens for the final bake. At this scale, it’s amazing how a crown can be tracked throughout the process to ensure the right one ends up in the right office.

Innovations in efficiency
Glidewell’s innovations can trickle down to dentists in the form of their in-office design software and milling units. Same-day dentistry continues to evolve as doctors seek different ways to deliver quality restorations quickly. Some offices do their own design and milling, while others have adopted intraoral scans that are sent to lab partners and yet others will scan, then send for a design, and do the milling or printing in-office. Another area of vertical integration in dental practices is 3D printing: Many offices now scan, design and print their own occlusal guards or models for a clear aligner case. Implant-oriented practices plan their cases and print surgical guides on site. I hope to see continued innovation in these areas as the cost of labor continues to climb and team members disappear more frequently.

Please share your comments on the online version of this article! I’d love to hear about your summer experiences or new efficiencies in your dental practice. If you want to invite me for a tour or send a comment directly, my email is tom@dentaltown.com.


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