Technician is first of his kind to graduate from a world-famous dental programme
Richard Elliott has become the first dental technician to successfully graduate from the prestigious Kois Center, which specialises in aesthetics, implant and restorative dentistry.
Since completing the intense educational experience in the USA and becoming Kois accredited, the dental laboratory manager of Queensway Dental Laboratory in Teesside is really starting to reap the benefits.
Importance
Richard, who has more than 19 years’ experience as a technician, now more than ever understands the importance of both the clinical and technical teams working closely together, in order to achieve successful and consistent results.
He said: ‘I am delighted to become the first accredited Kois Technician in the UK, which is one of the most challenging and rewarding accomplishments of my career.
‘The course has helped my colleagues and I bridge the gap between technicians and dentists.
‘The clinical insight I have gained means we now have a system of working together, following the Kois principles that can only be of benefit to our patients and practice.’
The treasurer of the British Institute of Dental and Surgical Technologists (BIDST) and Straumann Platinum Technician, continued: ‘One of the main skills taught on the Kois course is how to plan for complex cases as a team.
‘We were introduced to the Kois deprogrammer, which enables cases with Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMJ) to achieve their optimal position, and the assessment of this position on an articulator with a possible trial equilibration, if required.’
Perfect diagnostic wax up
Richard went on to explain, from this assessment they can use the Kois facebow to produce a perfect diagnostic wax-up on which we will base the definitive restorative work.
The facebow allows the seamless transfer of information from the clinic to the laboratory, taking away any guess work from achieving an aesthetic outcome.
The restorative modules look in depth at failure rates for each restoration and material, providing you with a definitive understanding of the type of restoration and material to use for each indication.
With this knowledge Richard is in a position to recommend what type of restoration will give the required aesthetic result and the best longevity.
The technician, who lectures for Nobel Biocare and whose interest and qualifications lie in implantology, added: ‘The Kois course teaches you how to use the systems and protocols they have developed over many years using evidence based research.
‘Because of this, the course is constantly developing and evolving best practice, and as new ground breaking research papers are released they are incorporated into the syllabus.’
Queensway Dental Laboratory is located on-site at Queensway Dental Clinic where four of the partners are also Kois accredited, accounting for five of only 15 practitioners in the UK who have graduated from the innovative Kois Center.
For more information on Queensway Dental Laboratory visit: www.queensway.co.uk
For more information on the Kois Center visit: www.koiscenter.com
