Southern Cross Dental expands to include onshore denture manufacturing.

By Danny Chan

The market value of the Australian dental prosthetics market, estimated at around $354.9m in 2020, is predicted to surpass $500m by 2027. Growing at a rate of 6.3%, the total value is composed of revenues from the dental crown, bridge and denture markets.

Southern Cross Dental’s resolve to grow its presence in the latter market is strengthened by its July acquisition of Swift Dental Laboratory, the former supplier of SCD’s Australia-made denture range.

Natural progression

With the market for dentures booming, and expected to grow further in years to come, Southern Cross identified onshore denture manufacturing capacity as a strategic priority. This was in response to growing consumer demand for locally produced prosthetics.

The Swift acquisition was, in many ways, a natural progression for SCD. For about 5 years, the mid-sized Sydney-based lab had been a reliable outsource partner responsible for producing SCD’s popular Quest denture range.
The good working relationship and Swift’s high quality wares made it a straightforward decision when it came time for SCD to take on in-house denture manufacturing.  

“Swift Dental has been a strong partner for many years. When the opportunity arose to bring them into the fold as part of the Southern Cross family, we jumped on it,” says James Squirrell, CEO of Modern Dental Pacific, SCD’s parent company.

The acquisition of a denture-focused Australian lab, Squirrell says, really boils down to raising product quality and service reliability.

“From a dentist’s point of view, there’s a particular need with dentures to have consistent and fast turnaround speeds. Their patients, with missing teeth, often need a fast solution for a new or replacement denture,” he says.
“Swift’s facility, located about 5km from our head office, allows us to make that work onshore with much faster delivery times.

“Along with a proven track record for producing high quality dentures, Swift’s team of 9 technicians – pretty good size for Aussie standards – can turn around the high volume we require at a fast pace.”

Technological springboard

Established in 1983, Southern Cross Dental is one of the country’s foremost dental labs. Integration with Modern Dental in 2015 helped the Australian lab gain invaluable access to a wealth of technological resources from the world leader in the production of dental prostheses, orthodontics and anti-snoring devices.

Through the global affiliation, Squirrell wants to see Southern Cross raise the technological bar for locally produced dentures.

“Broadly speaking, the technology around how you make dentures is evolving very quickly in the last couple of years, especially in regards to the use of mills and 3D printers. Buying Swift allows us to be at the forefront of this development,” he adds.

“The acquisition also serves as an Australian springboard to develop international technologies and processes in our own backyard while growing the denture side of the business.”

Ready for the future

Where processes and protocols are concerned, Swift Dental operated largely as a traditional lab. Nonetheless, the Swift team boasts a collection of skillsets that will help accelerate the adoption of future technologies.

“Our new team members have exceptional denture-making experience. They were one of the biggest attractions of the acquisition. The lab manager William Perez, for example, has decades of experience and is an influential figure in the denture market,” says Jonathan Evans, General Manager of Southern Cross Dental.

“With the technological expertise of Modern Dental behind us, these individuals provide a core set of skills to help transition our denture-making abilities into the digital future.”

The Peakhurst facility further promises immense growth potential.

“With some adjustments to office space, the building has the capacity to allow a threefold increase in the workforce,” he reveals.  “We have great plans to invest significantly in both our people and our facility, to create a world class denture lab.”

Hybrid model

The Swift acquisition also boosts SCD’s “Made in Australia” credentials, which appeals to customers that want to support Aussie-made products, along with local businesses and jobs.

“Everything we do is about providing choice to our customers, whether it is how fast they get the product back, their choice of materials or where the product is made,” Squirrell says.

“Our hybrid model works really well in terms of giving customers more options.  The combination of specialised manufacturing in Sydney and Melbourne, combined with the reliability and scale of offshore work provides us with an unbeatable product offering.”

With in-house denture manufacturing capabilities, SCD is finally able to commit to the same quality assurance standards that the lab’s crown and bridge customers already enjoy.  

‘With Swift on board, we can fully apply the SCD stamp on denture manufacturing as we have for crown and bridge production,” Evans assures.  

SCD has been producing crowns, bridges, implants as well as mouthguards and splints for a long time. Now they have the capacity and expertise to give their denture customers even better quality control, consistent turnaround and competitive pricing.
​
“I’m personally excited to be involved with Southern Cross at this time,” Evans says.
“For now, all I can say is: Watch this space!”

​NSK’s latest electric micromotor promises high-speed rotations and massive torque for efficient cutting, not to mention, quick conversion for air driven systems.
 
By Danny Chan
 
While air-powered handpieces are still commonly used in our dental offices, dentistry is trending towards the electric variety. The tangible benefits of using an electric handpiece, with its consistent torque that delivers quiet and efficient cutting, have certainly not gone unnoticed.
 
For those contemplating a conversion, handpiece manufacturer NSK has launched their latest NLZ range of electric micromotors, which makes it easier for users of air driven handpieces to board the electric bandwagon.
 
Game-changing technology
 
The NLZ-E electric micromotor was unveiled during the ADX Melbourne show in May. The “E” stands for Endodontics, meaning the NLZ-E motor system can be used across a variety of dental restorations, prophylaxis and endodontic rotary and reciprocating procedures.
 
According to Phil Fitzgibbon, Managing Director of NSK Oceania, the NLZ-E represents convenience, versatility and game-changing technology.
 
“It gives you the flexibility to change a standard air operated piece of dental equipment like a dental chair and dental cart into a fully functional electric unit,” he says. The NLZ-E can be connected to a dental unit with ISO 9168-compliant chair line Type 2 Midwest 4 holes or Type 3 Midwest 4 holes with optics.
 
“If you have a basic air motor on your existing dental chair, it can be removed with a very simple installation process and upgraded to a state-of-the art, brushless electric motor system.”
 
A typical installation takes roughly about 30 minutes to an hour, he adds, depending on whether a technician does it or dentists were to set it up themselves.
 
The small footprint and lightweight design makes the NLZ-E highly configurable to suit your clinical environment. No matter your preferred style of installation, it takes up very little room – sitting on your instrument or operatory tray or mounted to an extended arm.
 
The cutting edge
 
Don’t let its compact size fool you though, because this electric micromotor packs a punch.
 
Touting high-speed rotations from 100 - 40,000 rpm and a maximum torque of 4.2Ncm – one of the highest in the market – the high-end NLZ-E is compatible for use with all contra-angle handpieces.
 
“The high end speed is compatible with all red-band 1:5 speed increasing handpieces – especially with the NSK Ti-Max Z95LSW with aerosol spray adjustment,” FItzgibbon adds.
 
Considered the Ferrari of handpieces, red-band handpieces deliver notably smoother and quieter cutting action. According to Phil, the 1:5 speed increasing handpieces can be used in conjunction with the NLZ-E running at 200,000 rpm.
 
The NSK Ti-Max Z95LSW red band handpiece lets users control aerosols by selecting either mist or jet spray at the flick of a switch with the world’s first two-way spray technology.
 
On trial
 
The majority of people who have not converted to electric motor handpieces, Fitzgibbon avers, are those who have yet to trial and experience the system for themselves. He believes the portability of the NSK NLZ-E unit presents a unique opportunity for dentists in this category.
 
“It is very easy to temporarily install the compact NLZ-E into a dental practice for a trial period,” he says.
 
“It gives dentists a chance to test the much talked about red-band technology and see the advantages for themselves.”
 
Dentists can catch the NLZ-E in action at the ADA Training Centre, where 2 units have recently been installed.
 
“The NLZ-E is ideal for pre-clinical training and may be retrofitted into any existing training facility. It works with almost any dental handpiece on the market, delivering precise and constant speeds to ensure everyone is working to the same training standards,” Fitzgibbon adds.
 
Advanced safety features
 
The high-end features also extend to those promising safer and more efficient endodontic treatment.
 
The new NLZ Endo motor has a reciprocating function which when used with the NSK NLZ Endo 6:1 handpiece allows it to work in reciprocating mode, using the endodontic reciprocating file from Dentsply Sirona – Waveone Gold.
 
The NLZ-E can also be used in Rotary Endo mode allowing dentists to use a range of file systems whilst achieving continuous rotation up to 1000 rpm and torque from 0.3-6.0 Ncm.
 
Other safety functions include the “Contra-Check Function” that helps detect abnormalities caused by deterioration of the electric attachment and insufficient maintenance before use.
 
“This is an advanced function that lets the dentist know if the handpiece needs maintenance, oiling or repair – by indicating the specific issue on the display panel. This helps to prevent the contra-angle handpiece from overheating or premature damage,” Fitzgibbon explains.
  
Not bigger but better
 
The NLZ-E has built on previous NSK models to produce an even more lightweight and powerful electric motor, Fitzgibbon attests.
 
“We have replaced the conventional magnet rotor with an improved version and integrated the water and air lines with the motor. We’ve also incorporated into the compact system a simple non-layered coil that shortens the pathway for heat generating current,” he says.
 
“As a result, the new NLZ-E is able to achieve more powerful rotation in a lighter, more efficient configuration, while generating less heat without reducing the output power.
 
“In addition, the brushless motor of the NLZ-E increases its life span, reduces noise and has a smoother start.”
 
For the dental practice that has yet to embrace electric motors, he concludes, the NSK NLZ-E simply provides the perfect opportunity to get the latest technology with a very simple installation.