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Nelson Rego & Bobby Williams: Collaborative Debate: Digital vs Analog Laboratory Workflows. Is Analog Still Superior?

Nelson A Rego is a Certified Dental Technician and one of an elite group of dental technicians accredited by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD). He served as Chairman of Accreditation for the AACD and the Chairman of the American Board of Cosmetic Dentistry. Mr Rego currently serves as an examiner for the Accreditation examinations administered by the AACD and on several editorial boards. He is cofounder and owner of Smile Designs by Rego, a dental laboratory in Santa Fe Springs, California.

Bobby Williams is a graduate of the Kois Center and attended the University of Oklahoma and followed his undergraduate studies with a dental laboratory technical school in Dallas, TX. He has over twenty five years experience as a lab technician and owner. He has owned and operated for the last sixteen years, a very active, high quality, all-ceramic laboratory, Synergy Ceramics, that specializes in cosmetic restorations from single tooth to full-mouth reconstruction. Bobby is a founder of Techsource Dental, an Authorized Lava Milling Center and Atlantis Custom Abutment specialist.


When people spoke about digital dentistry a decade ago, the conversation focused on single unit restorations being fabricated in the office or just an intraoral scan being taken instead of a physical impression. Today, clinicians are pushing the envelope, completing edentulous cases utilizing fully digital workflows. Has dentistry really come this far over the last few years and is analog fading away? On the other hand, is digital dentistry just a series of shortcuts and does true precision still reside in the analog world?

Nelson Rego and Bobby Williams both highly trained and accomplished laboratory owners, will be asked to defend each of these workflows from the perspective of the laboratory, allowing attendees to realize the benefits of each approach and gain an understanding of which approach may be more predictable. Furthermore, they will provide insight that truly makes a difference with respect to outcomes versus technological advances simply being a new toy.

Upon completion of this course, attendees should be able to:

  • Identify appropriate design applications for full mouth or localized area cases

  • Recognize how to merge digital and analog workflows useful to laboratories to plan and design cases

Later Event: January 24
Seattle Study Club Symposium