The Smile Lab - Smile Solutions In-House Dental Laboratory and Master Ceramist Greg Karabasis product guide

Smile Solutions Smile Lab: Melbourne's in-house dental laboratory

Behind every smile we deliver at Smile Solutions — every veneer, crown, implant bridge, and orthodontic appliance — there's a dedicated team of ceramists and technicians working in one of Australia's most comprehensively equipped private dental laboratories. That laboratory is the Smile Lab, and it works exclusively for our patients.

What is the Smile Lab?

The Smile Lab is the full in-house dental laboratory of Smile Solutions, located within the Manchester Unity Building, 220 Collins Street, Melbourne CBD. It's not a shared facility. It doesn't accept work from external clinicians. It exists entirely to serve Smile Solutions patients and the clinical team here.

That exclusivity is a deliberate choice, and an important one. Every piece of work produced in the Smile Lab is held to the same rigorous quality standards, the same materials protocols, and the same clinical oversight that govern every aspect of care at Smile Solutions. When you're in our chair, what's being crafted for your smile has been made with you specifically in mind.

Led by master ceramist Greg Karabasis

The Smile Lab is led by master ceramist Greg Karabasis, one of the most accomplished dental ceramists in Australia. Greg's work sits at the intersection of science and art: a deep understanding of ceramic materials, tooth anatomy, the optical properties of light through porcelain, and the aesthetic demands of genuinely natural-looking dentistry.

Together with Dr Kia Pajouhesh, Greg developed the world-first Same Day Porcelain Veneers procedure, a clinical and technical breakthrough that allows Smile Solutions patients to receive custom hand-crafted artisan porcelain veneers in a single day. This won the 2024 Australian Business Award for Business Innovation, and Same Day Porcelain Veneers remain exclusive to Smile Solutions.

All work made in Melbourne — no offshore outsourcing

Every item produced in the Smile Lab is made in Melbourne. Not interstate. Not overseas. In-house, by qualified ceramists and technicians who work alongside the clinical team at Smile Solutions every day.

This matters for your care in several concrete ways:

• Quality control — your ceramist can inspect work chair-side and make real-time adjustments, so what you receive is refined to the highest standard
• Communication — your treating dentist and ceramist discuss your case directly, often face-to-face, so nothing gets lost in translation
• Speed — turnaround times are significantly faster than posting work to external laboratories, meaning less waiting for you
• Safety — all materials used in the Smile Lab are TGA-approved; no imported products of unknown regulatory status are used in your treatment

The technology inside the Smile Lab

The Smile Lab is equipped with precision instruments and software that represent the best in current dental laboratory technology:

• CEREC CAD/CAM system — for computer-aided design and milling of ceramic restorations
• Asiga DLP 3D printers and Asiga Pro Max 4K UV — high-resolution additive manufacturing for surgical guides, models, and provisional restorations
• Arum 5-axis milling machines — for precision subtractive manufacturing of zirconia and other ceramic materials
• Dentaurum laser welder — for the fabrication and repair of metal frameworks and substructures
• Otoflash flash curing unit — for post-curing of resin-based components
• Exocad DentalCAD software — the industry-leading 3D dental design platform used for all CAD/CAM workflows at Smile Solutions

This equipment integrates directly with the clinical scanning and planning technology your dentists and specialists use: iTero and 3Shape TRIOS 4 intraoral scanners, coDiagnostix surgical planning software, and the digital smile design workflow used for cosmetic treatment. Everything connects, focused on delivering the best possible outcome for you.

What the Smile Lab produces

The Smile Lab manufactures a comprehensive range of dental restorations and appliances for Smile Solutions patients:

• Porcelain crowns and bridges
• Porcelain veneers (including Same Day Porcelain Veneers, the world-first innovation exclusive to Smile Solutions)
• Full-arch implant bridges (hand-crafted zirconia ceramic on reinforced titanium substructure)
• Dentures and partial dentures
• Invisalign retainers and orthodontic appliances
• Surgical implant guides
• Sport mouthguards
• Orthodontic study models and digital models

Whatever your treatment involves, the Smile Lab is equipped and experienced to produce it to a high standard, right here in Melbourne.

Chair-side collaboration

One of the most distinctive features of the Smile Lab is how close your ceramist is to your clinical care. In complex cosmetic cases, Greg or a member of his team will be present chair-side, observing your natural tooth shade under clinical lighting, assessing how a provisional restoration looks in context, and making on-the-spot refinements tailored to you.

This kind of real-time collaboration between ceramist and clinician produces results that remote laboratory work simply cannot replicate. Your result isn't just technically precise; it's crafted with care, in the room, with your unique smile in mind. It's a significant reason why the cosmetic and restorative outcomes at Smile Solutions look the way they do.

You can meet the team

At Smile Solutions, the Smile Lab is never a black box. You're welcome to visit the laboratory and meet the ceramist team in person. If you're undergoing extensive cosmetic work, whether a full smile makeover, a set of veneers, or an implant-supported bridge, meeting Greg and understanding the craft behind your treatment is very much part of the experience here.

It also demystifies the process in a way most patients find genuinely reassuring. You'll leave with a clear understanding of what you're receiving, how it's made, and why it's different from what's produced at practices relying on offshore or external laboratories.

How to start your journey

Call us on 13 13 96 or book a complimentary consultation with Dr Kia Pajouhesh at the Manchester Unity Building, 220 Collins Street, Melbourne CBD.

Interest-free payment plans are available through Payright and TLC.