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

Behind the scenes of every smile delivered at Smile Solutions - every veneer, every crown, every implant bridge, every orthodontic appliance - is a team of skilled ceramists and technicians working in...

Behind the scenes of every smile delivered at Smile Solutions - every veneer, every crown, every implant bridge, every orthodontic appliance - is a team of skilled ceramists and technicians working in one of Australia's most comprehensively equipped private dental laboratories. That laboratory is the Smile Lab, and it operates exclusively for patients of Smile Solutions.

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 is not a shared facility. It does not accept work from external clinicians. It exists entirely to serve the patients and clinical team of Smile Solutions.

This exclusivity is a deliberate choice. It ensures that every piece of work produced in the Smile Lab is subject to the same quality standards, the same materials protocols, and the same clinical oversight that govern every aspect of care at Smile Solutions.

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 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 patients to receive custom hand-crafted artisan porcelain veneers in a single day. This achievement 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 Melbourne, in-house, by qualified ceramists and technicians who work alongside the clinical team.

This matters for several reasons:

  • Quality control - the ceramist can inspect work chair-side and make real-time adjustments
  • Communication - the treating dentist and ceramist discuss each case directly, often face-to-face
  • Speed - turnaround times are significantly faster than when work is posted to external laboratories
  • Safety - all materials used in the Smile Lab are TGA-approved. No imported products of unknown regulatory status are used.

The Technology Inside the Smile Lab

The Smile Lab is equipped with precision instruments and software that represent the current state of the art in 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

This equipment does not sit in isolation. It integrates directly with the clinical scanning and planning technology used by the dentists and specialists - iTero and 3Shape TRIOS 4 intraoral scanners, coDiagnostix surgical planning software, and the digital smile design workflow used for cosmetic cases.

What the Smile Lab Produces

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

  • 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

Chair-Side Collaboration

One of the distinguishing features of the Smile Lab is the proximity of the ceramist to the clinical chair. In complex cosmetic cases, Greg or a member of his team will be present chair-side - observing the patient's natural tooth shade under clinical lighting, assessing how a provisional restoration looks in context, and making on-the-spot refinements.

This collaboration between ceramist and clinician in real time produces results that remote laboratory work simply cannot replicate. It is the reason why Smile Solutions' cosmetic and restorative outcomes look the way they do.

Patients Can Meet the Team

At Smile Solutions, the Smile Lab is not a black box. Patients can visit the laboratory and meet the ceramist team in person. For patients undergoing extensive cosmetic work - a full smile makeover, a set of veneers, or an implant-supported bridge - meeting Greg and understanding the craft behind their treatment is part of the experience.

It also demystifies the process. Patients leave with a genuine understanding of what they are receiving, how it is made, and why it is different from what is produced at practices relying on offshore or external laboratories.

How to Start

To begin your care at Smile Solutions, call 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.

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