DPM (Digital Precious Metal) and SLM (Selective Laser Melting) are key advances in manufacturing technology, revolutionising the way crowns, copings and bridges are produced.

We have adopted both technologies into our design and manufacturing as part of our digital workflow.

DPM – Digital Precious Metal

We now use Skillbond’s Argen Digital process for the  production of crowns, copings and bridges in a range of precious alloys.

Using your scans (or impression) as our startpoint, we design the case and send digital files of our design down the line to the Skillbond Digital Centre.

Using high quality, precision 3D printers, Skillbond processes the units in a resin/wax material which gives outstanding accuracy and stability.

They then use the latest vacuum casting systems to manufacture highly accurate, precision units.

Argen Digital DPM is indicated for crowns, copings and bridges up to 6 units. The process and range offers 11 different precious alloys from high Gold alloys to high Palladium alloys.

The crown in the photo on this page was manufactured in this way.

SLM – Selective Laser Melting

SLM is a form of rapid-prototyping that we now use in preference to traditional lost-wax casting.

It utilises laser technology to melt alloy powder into thin layers, which are then fused together to create homogeneous copings, bridges and substructures for porcelain-bonded-to-metal type restorations.

SLM has many advantages over casting and milling fabrication techniques.

It provides a superior microstructure, with minimal internal porosity and internal fitting, marginal adaptation, and comparable strength in its bonding to porcelain.

The mechanical and electrochemical properties of SLM structures are better than those of castings, while the clinical longevity of single-metal ceramic crowns is comparable to that obtained using Au-Pt dental alloy.

The bridge unit in the photo on this page was manufactured in this way.