What's on My Bench? With Pam Hanneman, CDT

February 26, 2018 | Pam Hanneman | General

I'm going to take you on a tour of my bench and describe the functionality and purpose of some of my favorite tools. To give you a little background, I've been in the industry for 24 years. For the first 15 years of my career, I was a ceramist and ran a large ceramics department in very large production laboratory. About 5 years ago I joined CAP as a Production Manager in the milling center and went from working in a completely analog world to a completely digital world. This was one of the best moves I've made and allowed me to stay on top of cutting-edge technology.

Since CAP was acquired by Zahn Dental, I've transitioned into a new role; Training & Education Manager. In this role, I do a lot of R & D testing, vetting materials and training our partner laboratories on how to best handle digital materials. The tools on my desk are the very best tools for the job. These tools are easy to use, function well, and fit into either a production lab or small lab.

Here are the products I love and use daily:

• Smile Line Brushes #6 & #4: These pick up porcelain nicely and allow me to apply it smoothly, the bristles don't get damaged quickly, and they hold water well.
• Amann Girrbach Smartwax Duo: If I have any waxing to do, this is what I'll use.
• GC America Laboratory Putty: I really like this product and will use if I need to duplicate any models or make a matrix. It hardens well and preserves shape.
• Zirlux Shading Liquids: I love using the Zirlux Dentin and incisal modifiers.
• Amann Girrbach Shading Liquids: I also use the Ceramill liquid on a variety of zirconia. The end result is very aesthetic.
• Renfert Lay:art Natural Agate Mixing Tray: This is new and I adore it! The reason I love it is because it's great for composite, it sits on the tray nicely but mostly I like it because it has beautiful agate slab. Quick tip: if you leave composite on the slab, cover it with a cloth so that light doesn't cure the composite.
• Renfert Kolinsky Brushes Ceramist Set: I will use these brushes to apply any stains or modifiers.
• Shenpaz Sintra Plus: This is one of my favorite furnaces. The Sintra Plus has the mizo 2, so it's important to dry your crowns first so the fumes burning off in your oven don't contaminate the heating element. The reason I like it is that its super easy to use, its user friendly, and it provides a fast cycle option. It fits 20 crowns and it is very easy to purge and calibrate.

Thanks for spending the time to learn about my favorite tools on my bench! To see more, watch my here full video here.