Digital Practices Delivering Same-Day Care

Long before same-day zirconia became part of the practice, technology was already shaping patient care at Nampa Smiles. Located in Idaho’s Treasure Valley, the practice has spent decades investing in tools that make dentistry easier, faster and more comfortable for patients. Digital radiography, electronic records, guided implant surgery and intraoral scanning were all embraced early because they aligned with a philosophy centered on delivering a better patient experience.

That commitment resonated with Dr. Ryan Humbert from the start. Having entered practice at a time when digital dentistry was already a part of his dental school program and becoming an industry standard, he never developed an attachment to traditional analog workflows. Nearly every implant restoration he has completed has involved digital technology in some form, from guided surgery to digital scanning and restoration design.

For Dr. Humbert, innovation is about finding practical ways to create better outcomes for patients while making treatment more predictable for the clinical team. That mindset led the practice to embrace in-office milling, and five years later, the technology has become seamlessly woven into daily operations.

What began as a way to deliver same-day zirconia restorations has evolved into a streamlined system that supports multiple locations, a centralized design and milling center, and a team empowered to take ownership of the digital workflow. Rather than keeping every step in the dentist’s hands, assistants are trained to design restorations and develop skills that expand their roles, strengthening the entire organization.

Digital scans are captured chairside, restorations are designed and milled through a centralized process, and finished crowns are often delivered within the hour. Patients benefit from fewer appointments, no temporary crowns and significantly less disruption to their schedules, while the team benefits from restorations that arrive with predictable fit, contacts and occlusion. “Being able to provide same-day zirconia for our patients has been a game changer,” says Dr. Humbert.

BruxZir^® NOW Milling Blocks allow the practice to deliver durable, esthetic zirconia restorations in a single visit. What initially began as a solution for posterior teeth gradually expanded into more visible areas of the smile as confidence in the material grew. Matching natural dentition, maintaining strength and eliminating the inconvenience of temporaries have all contributed to a positive patient experience, which Dr. Humbert sums up in one word: trust.

For Dr. Jelani Winslow, the secret to transforming his small boutique office into a modern restorative practice has been a growing emphasis on implants and technology. When he acquired Whittier Palm Dental, the office had limited digital capabilities. He began by incorporating an intraoral scanner for clear aligner cases, then expanded into digital impressions for crowns and other restorative procedures. As his implant workload increased, so did his investment in technology, including CBCT and in-office milling. Today, that digital foundation supports a workflow built around efficiency, patient comfort and predictable longterm outcomes.

That philosophy is one reason Dr. Winslow has become a fan of using BruxZir^® NOW SRC Milling Blocks for screw-retained crowns. For him, the appeal comes down to predictability. As he says, “What you design is exactly what you get, and the level of accuracy makes screw-retained implant restorations easy to deliver with minimal adjustment needed at seating.” Instead of relying on traditional lab turnaround times, he fabricates restorations in-house and maintains greater control over the process, something he sees as a major advantage in implant dentistry.

Initially, Dr. Winslow had the same question many clinicians do: Could an in-office-milled implant crown really deliver the quality of a lab-fabricated restoration without disrupting the day? He found that the answer was yes. The SRC blocks fit smoothly into his workflow, reduce the need for multiple appointments and eliminate the delays that come with sending cases out. Just as importantly, he says the restorations consistently turn out well, helping appointments run more smoothly.

He also values the flexibility the material gives him at the finishing stage. In most cases, little is needed beyond polishing, though he can add characterization if desired. By adjusting the level of polish, he tailors the final esthetics to patient preference, whether that means a high-gloss finish or a more natural look. For Dr. Winslow, that combination of speed, esthetics and control has made BruxZir NOW SRC Milling Blocks a natural fit for the kind of implant-focused practice he is building.

For many patients at Castle Peak Dental, an appointment is more than a quick trip across town. Some drive from rural communities one to two hours away, often because the practice accepts their insurance and offers treatment options that can be completed the same day. Dr. Dominic Milano, who splits his time between Castle Peak Dental in Eagle, and Avon Dental, about 20 miles away in Avon, has seen firsthand how geography, access and affordability can shape a patient’s experience long before they sit in the chair.

For those patients who travel significant distances, returning for multiple appointments can mean more time away from work, family and other responsibilities. In-office milling has become a practical solution to that challenge, allowing the team to deliver definitive restorative care in a single visit when appropriate.

Dr. Milano described patients coming in with cracked teeth or urgent needs and being reassured that the team can treat the problem, match the restoration and have them out the door quickly. With CAMouflage^® NOW Milling Blocks, he said patients have been excited by the ability to complete treatment in one appointment, particularly in an area where same-day crowns are not widely available.

For Dr. Milano, the appeal of CAMouflage NOW is the material’s esthetics. He noted its translucency and natural-looking shade match, especially for premolars forward, where appearance matters most to patients. He also appreciates the milling speed, describing a milling time under 20 minutes as “phenomenal.”

The assistants handle much of the workflow, while Dr. Milano reviews the design, refines margins and gives final approval. Once the crown is milled, the team removes the sprue, tries in the restoration, checks contacts and occlusion, confirms the patient is happy with the appearance, and verifies the result radiographically before and after cementation.

That team-based efficiency allows Dr. Milano to keep care moving without compromising his standards. One particular case offers a great example: A patient visiting for a ski vacation came in with a painful premolar, a large cavity extending into the pulp chamber, an abscess, and food constantly getting trapped around the tooth. The patient had been relying on over-the-counter temporary cement to manage the problem. Castle Peak Dental was able to begin root canal treatment, prepare the tooth, place a CAMouflage NOW crown and complete the visit in about an hour and a half.

For Dr. Milano, those are the moments that make the technology worthwhile — not just because a crown was milled quickly, but because a patient who was away from home, in pain and worried about esthetics, left with confidence.

In-office milling has helped the practice better serve patients who travel long distances, need efficient treatment and value restorations that look like real teeth. For Dr. Milano, CAMouflage NOW material and the Glidewell milling workflow have become tools for access, efficiency and trust, helping the practice deliver care that fits the realities of the community it serves.

Dr. Oussama Founas, cofounder of Dentologie, a multipractice organization with clinics in Chicago and Seattle, believes in taking a comprehensive, preventive approach to oral health, one grounded in patient education and helping people maintain their best smile over time. “The kind of practice we run is very patient-centric,” Dr. Founas says. “Technology is the cost of entry for how we run things. We use everything to its fullest because we really do believe in the technology that we are using.”

He earned his DDS from Marquette University after studying psychology and biology at the University of Michigan, a background that informs both his clinical philosophy and his approach to the patient’s experience. That perspective also helped shape Dentologie, the modern dental network he started in 2013 with two friends he met as an undergraduate at the University of Michigan, before each attended dental school. Today, the Chicago-based group has grown into a digitally intensive, patient-centric organization where technology, efficiency and consistency are built into the model from the ground up.

Dr. Founas leads a growing network of practices where a modern environment and patient-first mindset shape everything from the physical office design to the restorative workflow. In his view, technology is not simply an add-on; it is foundational to how the organization delivers care.

Before adopting a chairside milling system, Dr. Founas had evaluated several milling platforms, but many introduced too many manual steps that did not align with his organization’s operating practices. In a multi-office group built around efficiency and consistency, every extra touch point creates another opportunity for delay or error. “My goal is to limit human touch points to reduce errors,” he says.

He reviewed the glidewell.io™ In-Office Solution and felt it was a natural fit. “This can actually work the way we work,” says Dr. Founas. “And it’s a lab making a machine that does what labs do. That makes a whole lot of sense.”

Dentologie uses a variety of the available in-office milling materials, and among them, BioTemps® NOW and CAMouflage® NOW have become especially useful because they support the practice’s preference for fast, esthetic, low-labor solutions.

Dentologie’s restorative workflow reflects its emphasis on digital continuity. The team prescans all patients. They also route designs through an in-house technician or doctor before sending them directly to the mill. What once took 45 to 50 minutes to mill can now be completed in closer to 30 minutes.

Dr. Founas believes trust drives case acceptance, but digital dentistry deepens patient appreciation by making the practice’s commitment visible. When patients see modern tools, efficient workflows and same-day capabilities, they recognize that their care team is investing in doing things better.

Dr. Todd Curley earned a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from Cal Poly Pomona and his dental degree from Georgetown University, complemented by advanced training in cosmetic and orthodontic dentistry. With more than three decades of experience, he has built a patient-centered practice grounded in precision, trust and continuous clinical advancement.

For Dr. Curley, that commitment to precision naturally extends into how dentistry is delivered. In his seven-operatory, single-doctor practice, he balances a wide range of procedures, from TMD and orthodontics to crown & bridge work, while maintaining clear production goals centered on efficiency and consistency. His team of eight supports a workflow designed to deliver four to five restorations per day, reflecting a disciplined, high-output clinical model.

Digital technology has become essential to achieving that consistency. Dr. Curley started his digital journey more than 25 years ago. He transitioned to a fully digital workflow with the fastscan.io^™ and fastmill.io^™ in 2022 and incorporated a finalstage.io^™ ceramic oven in 2023. The shift was driven by both efficiency and accuracy. As he says, “the technology puts out a more accurate impression and a better final product,” reducing variability and improving outcomes.

Today, Dr. Curley’s workflow is built around speed and flexibility. The ability to mill and deliver highly esthetic restorations in-office supports both same-day and next-day dentistry, particularly with the use of Obsidian® and BruxZir® restorations. Patients presenting with fractured anterior teeth or broken molars have become almost a weekly occurrence and can often be treated and fully restored within hours, just in time to make those important life events such as weddings and graduation parties.

Beyond speed, in-office milling gives him full control over design and esthetics. Whether delivering full-coverage crowns or partial restorations such as inlays and onlays, he can customize each case to meet both functional and cosmetic expectations. That level of control supports consistent outcomes while enabling his practice to operate at a high level of efficiency.

For Dr. Curley, the transition to digital dentistry is not simply about convenience; it is about staying aligned with the future of the profession. As he puts it, “You must go with the wave of the future. You’ve got to invest in technology. There’s no way of getting around it.”