My personal experience with Captek goes back to 1989 when it was first brought to the US and distributed by Leach and Dillion. I was about 20 and working at my dad’s lab in NJ when one of our distributors from Dentrex Dental showed us the info on it. We signed up to manufacture Captek and I was sent to the first ever Captek training class in the United States.
I spent years making Captek copings and doing the layering ceramics before moving out of my dads lab and ultimately starting Dale Dental in January 2000. Today, 20 years later, Captek remains better than it ever was despite only getting some minor tweaks to the system and a couple of new materials. In fact, the original materials, Captek Original P&G are still available and widely used today. Only within the last couple of years was a new Nano material used that utilizes a smaller grain size and provides some additional benefits.
We added Captek to the Dale Dental line of products in around 2002 and quickly grew to one of the premier providers of Captek to the US dental marketplace. Like all of our products, we only sell Captek to labs, and only in coping or bridge form, no completed units (no ceramics) and not to dentists. We offer the full line of Captek products and in 2008 brought on Sean Kilmer to help us create the world’s best Captek department.
I would say we have succeeded in that attempt to be the best. Sean and his team can manufacture Captek restorations for labs in single units, small and ultra-large bridges, implant abutments and more. We have become experts at designing and manufacturing Captek copings that feature PFM-like design attributes such as partial rests, metal occlusals, all types of bands and buttons and more. Our customer satisfaction scores in the Captek department consistently rate over 4.5 out of 5 and we run 100% on time delivery with only very rare exceptions. We have attended all Captek advanced training and Sean has probably more Captek experience than any other technician in the world. While we are on the subject of Sean, it is worth noting that Sean worked for five years as a Captek trainer, then worked at Micro Dental out of CA as the Captek department head for another five years, and even opened his own lab before coming to Dale Dental.
As one of the few technicians in the world that has been around Captek for its 20 year existence in the US, I can personally attest to not only the quality of the product, but the quality of the people that make it great. Starting with its inventor, Dr Itzhak Shoher, a dentist from Israel to its now US distributor The Captek Company. Lou and Nick of the Captek Company are widely credited with the products success here in the US, although they would each likely quickly defer the credit to their amazing team.
For dentists interested in providing the best Captek crowns to their patients, I recommend contacting your lab and letting them know about getting the Captek copings through Dale Dental. The lab simply sends Dale their model work from your impression. Dale can provide any expert technical support or assistance they need and within just a few days we’ll send them back a completed Captek coping. The lab then layers the ceramics on the coping using the same ceramics they already use for porcelain fused to metal restorations.
With Captek by Dale Dental, the lab has nothing to buy and nothing new to learn. They access and use our copings the same way an artist uses a canvas. The best part is that because the lab is pouring their own model work, trimming their own dies and layering the ceramics, you’ll never know, or care the case was sent to Dale. It’s also worth mentioning that every Captek coping made by Dale is done at its Richardson, Texas location in its ISO 9001:2000 certified facility.
Collectively, Sean, myself and the team, have over 50 years of Captek experience manufacturing thousands of restorations for thousands of labs, dentists and patients around the US and even the world. It’s been an exciting run from my beginnings with a product that had zero market share to one which has earned the acclaim and praise of an industry. Together between the team at Dale Dental, the team at Captek and those labs that choose to use us, we look forward to providing Captek for the next 20 years. I look forward to sharing more and meeting you all before then.
Best,
David Lesh
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Hi David
Wonderful writeup on Captek. It is amazing how much has been accomplished through Dale Dental over the last several years. Congratulations on a job well done to you Sean and the entire staff.
Thanks Wayne. It’s been a great experience to work with such a great prouduct and the Captek team.
Dave