The ten most common all-ceramic preparation errors: a doctor/technician liaison's perspective.

About one third of my dental career has been spent as a doctor/technician liaison and technical consultant for a highend commercial dental laboratory. I have also had the pleasure of speaking for, consulting, and visiting many other dental laboratories throughout the United States and Canada. Through these experiences, I have witnessed the dramatic effects that seemingly insignificant, overlooked treatment planning, preparation, impression, and occlusion issues can have on the stress levels, profits, and final outcomes for both doctors and their dental technicians. I have observed and heard from others that there is an ongoing need for an educational emphasis on many of the basics in dentistry. This need seems to be universal, spanning all regions, ages, and experience levels in dentistry. It can even be seen regardless of the quantity, quality, or type of postgraduate continuing education that has been undertaken by the most dedicated practitioners. Most notably, this includes certain preparation skills, a practical working knowledge of restorative dental materials, and interpersonal relationship skills.