Courses for ceramists always get top billing as more often than not, the principal technician in every laboratory is the ceramists and often the owner. Gifted technicians demonstrate a new porcelain in the hope of convincing attendees that by purchasing a new porcelain kit, all their problems will be solve. Of course, there is also kudos by association.

In September, Mr. Jan Schmoger from Bredent, came to Australia to hold three, two day courses in  Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney.

Although sponsored by Bredent, these courses aimed to teach technicians the intricacies of casting dental alloys. Based on the studies and practices of Mr. Andreas Sabath, a material scientists with over 30 years of experience in the field. Course similar to this have been held throughout Europe, offering technicians offering the knowledge of 30 years experience is alloy casting.

The Sabath course covered topics such as:

• The difference between duplicating silicones, why some give accurate results and others do not.
• How to correctly wax a bridge, ratios between pontic thickness and connectors.
• How to sprue correctly, controlling the passage of molten alloy during casting, as per the Sabath Casting Manual
• Alleviating tension in the wax.
• Investing: How to avoid the common pitfalls and why your current practices give you problems and why it is worth investing in equipment that will give you predictable results.
• How to select a good burnout furnace, what to look for and how to program it properly. Understanding how investments behave through the heat cycle and where to position your muffle in the furnace.
• The correct way to cast with a torch/casting machine, what to look for as the alloy melts and when to cast
• The correct way to de-vest and fitting

Every technician commented that they took home with them a wealth of knowledge from the Sabath course. As one of the course organisers, for me it was encouraging to see the interstate and international visitors making the effort to support an event like this. My special thanks to Holmesglen, Griffith University, Libby Bick(Cosmetic Dental Laboratory) and Alex Massey who generously opened his laboratory to us on Sunday morning, allowing us to cast.