Is it time to eliminate the model room?

Ashley Byrne the reasons behind his ‘risky’ decision to close his model room, and why he would encourage others labs to do the same.

It’s been two years since I lost my experienced model worker who returned to the EU. In that time, I’ve employed several people to run the model room, but finding someone who genuinely wants to take ownership of it has been impossible. One applicant even ghosted me after scheduling an interview and never responded to my follow-up emails or calls.

Fortunately, 78% of the work value at my lab is now generated by intraoral scanners (IOS). If this figure were lower, I’d be in trouble.

Model rooms are unappealing

The truth is, no one really wants to work in a dental plaster room anymore, and I can’t blame them. Our industry has shifted towards high-tech solutions like CAD machines and 3D printers, leaving the plaster room as one of the last noisy and messy holdouts. No one enjoys cleaning the horrific plaster trap or lugging around 20kg bags of gypsum.

You might argue that increasing salaries could help, but even with a generous compensation package, we still haven’t attracted the right candidate. The trainees who start in the model room usually want to move on to CAD and CAM roles within a few months. If I don’t provide that career path, they leave, which is a loss for everyone involved.

Additionally, working with gypsum and models is neither the greenest nor healthiest part of a dental lab. The dust from plaster and trimming poses health risks, and the environmental impact of mining and producing gypsum isn’t great. Today’s younger workforce is more health and environmentally conscious, and they find working in a model room unappealing.

Closing the model room

So, is it time to eliminate the model room? In my opinion, yes.

While some argue that our industry still heavily relies on gypsum products for flasking, packing and articulations, I believe these too will fade as we digitise our processes. The future of my lab depends on getting our clients to adopt IOS. Neither I nor my team want to continue with analog workflows, pouring models, or performing flasking and packing. Digital workflows not only streamline operations but also provide opportunities for career development.

To drive this change, we’ve informed our clients that we plan to close our model room later this year. We will maintain a small batch for occasional needs, but we won’t handle dozens of models daily. This move has prompted our clients to either switch labs or invest in IOS technology.

Thankfully, they are choosing the latter. While this is a risky strategy, the benefits outweigh the risks, and I believe that gypsum’s days are numbered. With the rise of digital solutions like full-contour zirconia and digital dentures, the use of plaster for articulation and flasking will eventually vanish.

Leading the way to digital

Ultimately, it’s up to us to lead the transition away from this outdated material. By encouraging clients to adopt an IOS workflow and investing in digital processes and our team’s future development, we can reap long-term rewards.

Some might say I’ll miss the gypsum model, but I disagree. It’s time to let go of this antiquated, smelly, and dusty method and embrace a clean, efficient modern workflow.

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