The Whip Mix Blog

Disclaimer:  This chapter of my history blog contains very little Whip Mix history, but chronicles at a distance of 50 years how the ties between a family and family business were woven and then redefined  into what has now endured for 4 generations.  If this interests you, gentle reader, please continue. 

The law of unintended consequences applied (in a good way) to the “Baby Stuart” articulator that Whip Mix had begun selling early in 1962. My Dad, Ed Steinbock, Jr, began to realize that over 45 North American dental schools were potential customers, and also that he’d best not be away from his seven children, aged 6 to 14, for extended lengths of time. So he hatched a novel, low-budget plan --- take the whole family of 9 on an extended cross-country sales call that would include Canada, 10 dental schools and the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. 

Each of us want the best support we can possibly have, especially when it comes to the CAD/CAM technology we've invested in. When issues do arise that are beyond our ability to correct, it can be very frustrating.

Many of you have been kind enough to share your stories and challenges with me as I spent my 2^nd year in the dental lab industry. Organizations such as Whip Mix, and NADL, and countless state dental lab associations have included me in various meetings and gatherings so I can better understand how this industry works, and what opportunities lie in front of us.

3D printing of models has been available for the larger dental laboratory for a few years, but 3D printing has finally become available for the small dental laboratory. The very small and very affordable 3D Systems ProJet 1200 prints burnout patterns for pressed ceramics or casting alloys and is ideal not only for small labs, but for labs of every size.

The learning curve is short and easy, but there are a few things that the operator should know before starting their first print job. 

Happy New Year!

It's a new year, and you know what that means? Goal planning. Where do you see your dental lab going in the the new year? Do you still need to incorporate digital technology? Do you want to expand your product offering or Lean up your processes?

Whatever your goals for the year may be here are 5 tips to help you achieve them.

It's hard to believe that 2014 has all but come and gone. It has been an exciting year for Whip Mix and the dental industry. We are excited to see what 2015 brings, but before we begin the new year, we wanted to share with you the most read articles from our blog in 2014. Enjoy!

I’ve had several calls in the last few weeks from both laboratory personal and dentists, regarding the fit of contacts on laboratory restorations returned to the Doctor for placement. Most have been loose contacts some have been tight, but either way the situation is frustrating to the laboratory, dentist, clinical staff and the patient.

Generally, the Doctors call in to see how they can get their labs to improve the model work being done, and are sure that it is something with the expansion of the stone. After many years of working with hundreds of dentists, I can tell you from experience that the number one reason for contact issues is temporaries. The second is distorted impressions and third is the laboratory process.

Digitally produced temporaries, utilizing today’s materials, have esthetic potential and physical properties far superior to those of traditionally processed acrylic. In addition, they can open up new markets and profit centers for labs that have shied away from them in the past due to the logistics and labor involved with traditional temporary processing. The ability to digitally design and mill them simplifies the process immensely.

Dr. Charles E. Stuart was always “Charlie” to me from when we first met in 1962 when I was a young teenager. While not a tall man, he seemed to be larger than life to me, talking about his citrus groves and trout farm and introducing me to such dental terms as true hinge axis and incisal guidance.

Over the course of the next 2 decades leading up to his death in January, 1982, he was like a Dutch uncle, visiting Whip Mix and my family in Louisville at irregular intervals to discuss articulator and face bow design details, manufacturing issues and sales opportunities. Eventually, I became employed full time in 1974 at the family business as a mechanical engineer, so that we spoke more regularly and crossed paths at the major dental meetings in the U.S. and abroad.

Turkey, stuffing and pie, oh my! Today, Thanksgiving is a day that we spend with our families, eating way too much turkey, stuffing and pie. It’s a day for watching football and planning our shopping strategy for Black Friday. As we spend the morning preparing our feast and give thanks, lets take a look back at what the first Thanksgiving celebration looked like in 1621 – it might even surprise you!