UK dentist and lab owner Dr. Gulshan Murgai explains how ChairsideCAD, the complete open-architecture CAD software platform for single-visit dentistry, offers a flexible digital workflow and simplified user experience.
As a dentist who also owns a laboratory, Dr. Murgai was already using the lab version of exocad when the company’s ChairsideCAD software was released. So, it just made sense for him to add the clinical version of the platform to his practice.
At the time, he was using a competitor’s product that limited what he could do. ChairsideCAD, an open-architecture CAD software platform for single-visit dentistry, offers the ultimate flexibility, he said, giving him more reason to make the switch. “It meant I had fewer restrictions,” Dr. Murgai said, “and that was my primary goal.”
Transitioning his open intraoral scanner system to the intuitive ChairsideCAD software was straightforward, he said, as is his current workflow. He completes the tooth preparation, scans it, and then exports the data straight into ChairsideCAD. From there, he can design the restoration and send it directly to his in-house mill or to a lab for quick fabrication. This allows him to keep straightforward cases in-house and send more complex and financially lucrative cases to the lab—what he describes as a win-win situation.
The software’s step-by-step guide makes designing restorations easy, allowing team members to become comfortable with the new workflow quickly. “I have new users that in the first 6 or 7 weeks have created 50 to 60 restorations,” Dr. Murgai said. “That's lucrative.”
The patient benefit
Dr. Murgai designs restorations while patients watch on the big screen, getting them involved in the process. “They can see the design process really closely. For example, they can visualize what we've done with their teeth and why this type of restoration was required,” he said. “And then we take patients to the milling machine where they can actually watch their restoration being made.”
While not required, working with a lab that uses DentalCAD allows for even better communication and easier collaboration through the dentalshare platform. There’s no need for third-party software; it’s all built into exocad. "With this level of communication and collaboration being available to practitioners worldwide, it means patients get a more predictable end result,” Dr. Murgai said. “That usually means they get a quicker—and hopefully cheaper—result.”
This article was originally published in Dental Product Shopper, July 6, 2021
Dr. Gulshan Murgai qualified in 2001 from The University of Birmingham. He completed his vocational training in Chertsey, Surrey, became an associate dentist in West London and then purchased the Whippendell Dental Clinic in January 2004. With a vision for quality and excellence he totally redeveloped the clinic, introducing a welcoming and open approach alongside cutting-edge techniques and state-of-the-art technology to entirely change the character, scope and feel of the practice. Whilst maintaining his interest and skills in general dentistry, Gulshan developed an international practice in dental implants and cosmetic dental surgery, as well as facial rejuvenation procedures. He has trained and been trained by leading practitioners throughout Europe, ensuring that the practice provides the very latest in dental and facial treatment techniques and technology. Whilst regularly attending courses for continual professional development, Gulshan has also trained other dentists in the use of CEREC 3D, dental implant surgery and smile makeovers. The practice was incorporated, expanded and launched as Skin & Smiles in December 2012. Keep up with Dr. Murgai's latest work on Instagram.
