Mike Young and Mac Perry
Owners, Perry & Young
 At Perry & Young, we're always looking for ways to improve our efficiencies to make our business stronger and more productive. Just like our dental partners, we have to maximize our staff productivity and minimize our redos in order to maintain our profits. That's why we're so fascinated by the Lean Manufacturing process first introduced in the United States by the Japanese auto maker, Toyota. Lean principles have changed the way we make and deliver products, for the better. We thought you'd be interested to learn more about it and our consulting partner, Whip Mix, which is helping to guide us through the implementation process.

Strong partner relationships are also key to our success and we're proud that we've had a working relationship with Dr. John Warner in Breckenridge since we began our dental lab back in 1979. What a privilege to have clients that stay with you decade after decade. Just like you, we enjoy long term relationships where we get to know you not just as a business but as an individual and friend.

Thanks for your support and enjoy your summer!


 
 Spotlight on Products and Services

The Price of Gold and Deciphering Noble versus High Noble

Predictably when the price of gold rises, our phones ring with dentists asking about alternatives to gold crowns. We recently received a call from a dentist asking about the difference between Noble and High Noble. We're glad he asked. With gold at over $1,200 an ounce, its a question that could save you and your patients a great deal of money.

There are three options for Porcelain Fused to Metal (PFM) Restorations:
  • High Noble alloys, which have a noble metal content of 60 percent or great (at least 40 percent must be gold).
  • Noble alloys, which have a noble metal content of at least 25 percent.
  • Predominately base alloys, which are less than 25 percent noble metal.
Noble alloys are commonly misperceived as being a base alloy. Base alloys have components that may cause a reaction to a patient's tissue or a patient could experience an allergic reaction. Noble alloys do not contain nickle or non-biocompatible agents. If your patient experiences an allergic reaction to Noble, he or she will most likely be allergic to High Noble as well. In that case, a metal-free restoration is the best option.

Don't forget to order your Ident Alloy Stickers from us. These stickers are a visible means on insuring alloy content. The sticker is placed in the patients' chart for documentation and verification of selected alloy. For more information on this program, visit www.identalloy.com. Perry & Young is a proud participant of the Ident Alloy program. Please contact Perry & Young at 303-671-0903 to discuss the incredible savings by using Noble Restorations.


Practice Development
Lean Practice Saves Time and Cuts Costs

Whip Mix, based in Louisville, Kentucky, has worked with dental labs and practices for 90-plus years. Its unique name is derived from the fact that Whip Mix created the first complete dental inlay investment casting unit with a mechanical spatulator that whipped and mixed better than anything else.

Perry & Young has worked with Whip Mix for many years. Not only is Whip Mix a trusted vendor, but also a valuable partner to Perry & Young because of its consulting practice that teaches labs cost-cutting and timesaving practices Lean Manufacturing.

Lean Manufacturing principles come from the Japanese manufacturing industry, although the principles have been around for many more years. The Lean approach uncovers and eliminates waste in the manufacturing process. A lean business system is made up of principles, practices and tools used to organize and manage product development. It allows an organization to emphasize workers' needs and increase communication and input into the organization, creating a cohesive unit to serve customers more efficiently. Lean is used successfully in manufacturing, service industries, education, health care, as well as the government and military.

Click here to read more about Lean Manufacturing.






 		 Partners in Practice
Dr. John Warner
Dentist, Avid Back-Country Skiier and Mayor of Breckenridge 
Some patients like to talk politics with their dentist, but not every patient gets the chance to talk politics with their mayor while in the dentist’s chair. But visit Dr. John Warner’s dental office and you are talking with the mayor because Dr. Warner has been the Mayor of the Town of Breckenridge for several years.

John pursues his passions with vigor, whether it’s dentistry, serving the town where he lives with his wife Carre, or backcountry skiing. His love of backcountry skiing lead him and some friends to co-found the Summit Huts Association. The association has built three huts in various backcountry locations to serve skiers and hikers.

“I love back country skiing, and in 1984 I was staying in a hut near Crested Butte with friends and I made the comment that we should do this in Summit County,” says Warner. “We built our first hut, Janet’s Cabin, between Vail and Copper Mountain in 1990, our second hut called Francis’ cabin in 1994 and outfitted a third one in 1997.  We’re hoping to build a fourth sometime soon.”

John’s busy life means that his skiing trips have become less frequent, but he did just return from a hut trip in the Alps. His passion for skiing has not diminished even as most people’s thoughts are turning to summer activities such as golf.

John is committed to relationships, both with his patients and with his lab, Perry & Young. He sees relationships as key to his success.

“We really do get to know our patients. In a small town, you see your patients at the grocery store, cultural events and softball games,” says Warner.

The same is true with John’s long-term relationship with Perry & Young. Perry & Young was founded in 1979 and in 1980, when John started his practice, he became one of Perry & Young's very first customers. The relationship is still going strong after 30 years.

“Having a long term relationship with Perry & Young has been very helpful. I know that our relationship with the lab is directly proportional; the more we communicate and put into it, the better it is,” John says. “We are using Perry & Young as a valued resource, helping us with patient cases. When I think about cases, I’m thinking about how to get them involved in order to have the best possible outcome.”

John says that one of the biggest thrills in dentistry, even after practicing for 30 years is “having a crown fit perfectly, and I don’t even have to touch it!” With Perry & Young as his primary lab partner, John gets to experience that thrill more often than not!

Click here to view a virtual tour of Dr. Warner's dental office.



 		 Perry & Young Case Study

The Ultimate Crown is Perry & Young’s preeminent Crown and Bridge restoration, and because this is so we go to great lengths to determine which patients are in need of this level of service based on a number of criteria. When a patient comes to the lab for a custom shade, they are met by one of P&Y’s highly trained ceramists who after evaluating the patient’s shade and expectations may make the determination that an Ultimate Crown is needed. Patients that are found to be candidates for the Ultimate Crown are found to meet several of the following criteria:

1.    Recent or excessive bleaching
2.    High levels of translucency
3.    Multiple colors within the structure of adjacent teeth
4.    Implant abutments/metal posts/very dark stump
5.    Very high cosmetic expectations

A great example of a patient who recently came to the lab meeting several of these criteria is the Marilyn. Marilyn is the office manager for Dr. Victor Burdick, and she came to P&Y with very high expectations about the result of her restoration, wanting her new crown to look flawless. Upon examination our ceramist found that Marilyn had very multi-colored adjacent teeth along with high levels of incisal translucency and the crown was to be built over an implant abutment, she had also bleached her teeth. The decision was made that Marilyn was in need of an Ultimate Crown and an appointment was set for her to return to the lab after the initial steps of fabrication of the crown were completed.

When she returned our ceramist then spent an additional 6 hours with Marilyn performing the final steps of fabrication of the crown along with custom staining of the crown intra-orally. When finished and seated Marilyn was extremely happy with her new crown, noting that it looked just like a natural tooth, and counted the several hours she spent at Perry & Young as time very well spent! If you feel you have a patient that may be a candidate for an Ultimate Crown please call the lab and we can work with both you and your patient to determine what will be the best restoration for them.

Click here to see the case study photos.


Continuing Education

Perry & Young offers continuing education by partnering with experts and specialists in the industry. We are proud of the relationships we have and want to share the valuable information they have with you. Please click here for details on an upcoming educational opportunity in September sponsored by Perry & Young.


Frequently Asked Questions

At Perry & Young, we're frequently asked questions about products, services, procedures, etc. Here are few questions that our clients have asked us recently:

Do you work with CAD/CAM technology?
We have two Lava Milling machines in our laboratory ensuring the best design and manufacturing for Lava Crowns and Bridges as well as custom Zirconia Lava abutments using OEM parts. We also use Atlantis, Encode, 3i CAM Structure Bars, and Nobel CAD implant abutments and titanium bars. 

How long does it take for a custom shade?
A custom shade appointment takes anywhere from 30 to 40 minutes in the lab. The technician takes a detailed inventory of the patients color and characterization. We take digital photos and carefully map out the colors in the teeth. We allow for several appointments a day, if you know of a patient that needs a custom shade please plan ahead as we schedule about 1 to 2 weeks out.

Can your lab repair or reline dentures in one day?
Yes we have same day turnaround times for repairs and relines. For the quickest turnaround please schedule the repair/reline in advance. We understand emergencies happen and are happy to accommodate you, please call the lab before 9AM to schedule a pick up.