Lab Value

Times are difficult. The economy is down and in-turn dentistry has also seen a decline. Concurrently, we have experienced an unprecedented increase in the cost of gold and other precious metals. This is having a profound effect on the cost of prosthodontics. Many doctors and laboratory technicians have sought relief from high material costs through the use of base metals. Base metals are a proven alternative to noble alloys and their efficacy has been established over decades of clinical service.

Times have changed

Gold prices are so high that consumers are cashing in anything they've got that has gold in it, including teeth, bridges, crowns and other dental work. "I've seen them pop the gold right out of their mouth," says Dave Crume, president of the National Pawnbrokers Association and executive vice president of Wichita, Kansas, pawnbroker A-OK Enterprises. ABC Nightline (April 21, 2011)

The prices of gold and other precious metals are soaring, a trend that is expected to continue. How is this affecting your business? Are your doctors and patients complaining about lab fees? Have they inquired about ways for relief?

Alternatives to gold?

The answer is simple. Offer your customers a proven alternative to expensive noble metals. Aalba Dent’s base metal alloys are supported by decades of clinical service and they are priced to help you keep dentistry affordable.

Why base metals today?

Base metals make great economic sense. Base metals do everything precious alloys can do but at a fraction of the cost.

Base metals offer superior properties

Base metals also provide you with properties which are superior to those provided by standard precious alloys.

Base metals offer higher yield strengths than their noble metal counterparts. Higher yield strengths allow you to design and fabricate stronger thinner appliances which can preserve natural tooth structure and provide lighter more comfortable restorations. They also exhibit excellent castability which further facilitates your design and construction capabilities. Base metal’s inherently low specific gravity leads to a higher yield (units) per ounce which provides an additional fiscal advantage over precious metals.

Their ability to provide a strong tenacious porcelain bond combined with their structural strength has lead to base metals proven clinical durability. Decades of clinical service has established their safety and clinical efficacy.

Safety proven

Don’t be fooled, there is a lot of misinformation out there. The gold companies want you to believe that the incidence of base metal sensitivity is high. The truth is that real occurrences are extremely infrequent and rare.

Here at Aalba Dent, we produce and market over 2,400,000 ounces of nickel base alloy per year. That equates to approximately 17 million units entering clinical service every year. Even at that extensive rate, our post marketing surveillance system only records the incidence of potential nickel sensitivity at a rate of one or two cases per year. Our experiences have also been confirmed in actual clinical reviews…

Stop the risk of theft and lost profits

It’s becoming all too common. Lab owners are reporting the theft of dental gold from internal and external sources and the internet is filled with stories of dental gold theft. Using base metals can help you minimize your risk of theft and lost profits.

Quality counts

When it comes to base metal alloys, you have the choice of many different products offered by an array of manufacturers. It is unfortunate but true; most of our competitors don’t even produce their metal products. They rely upon out-sourced venders and foundries for their casting alloys.

Here at Aalba Dent, we don’t view ourselves as just another manufacturer. We are known for innovative industry firsts such as VeraBond, the first successful ceramic nickel-chrome alloy pioneered in the late 60’s and early 70’s. In 1987 we introduced NPG, the first yellow-gold colored alternative to noble crown and bridge alloys.

Today our innovative firsts continue by offering our proven alloys in uniquely branded and packaged products which have been produced via our exclusive continuous cast process.

Aalba Dent’s gold alternatives

Aalba Dent offers you “lab value” with an array of gold alternatives for a variety of restorative applications.

For your metal-ceramic (PFM) applications, see our renowned VeraBond Series or our new Titanium enhanced Continum or Comandium Series. If full metal coverage (FMC) is the requirement, refer to our NPG and VeraSoft Series which provides you with the option of Type 2, 3 and 4 applications. If you need a partial chrome alloy, our Vera PD Series alloys provide excellent quality in an assortment of presentations.