Thank you for choosing to send your lab case to Great Lakes. Our team of dedicated employee owners is here to fabricate the best appliances possible for your patients. Getting started with our lab is simple. You can send us a case in two ways. Mail in physical models with a completed Rx or send digital models. This video covers both methods. Use the timestamps in the video player to skip to the section you need. Once your case has been submitted, our design technicians will contact you with any questions to help ensure a smooth fabrication process. Let’s get started. To begin, we'll cover the steps for mailing and physical models. This can be done in three easy steps. First, download and complete an Rx for the appliance you want to have fabricated. Our website has the full list of the most current prescriptions. Please ensure each prescription is filled out completely. Next you'll need to prepare a shipping label. For customers in the United States, please send physical models through the United States Postal Service. To generate a label click the “Print Shipping Label” button on our website or the link above in the video player. The form will walk you through entering the appropriate information. For Canadian and international customers please ship physical models using the courier of your choice to: Great Lakes Dental Technologies 200 Cooper Ave Tonawanda NY 14150. And just like that, you're ready to mail in your physical model. If this is your first time submitting a case to Great Lakes, you may use whatever box you have. Alternatively, you may also request boxes, labels, or Rx forms. Great Lakes can mail them to you at no charge. To request this, please fill out the form using this link. Please note for all appliance requests submitted, always retain models and bite registrations until the appliance is seated when applicable. Damage to models may occur during fabrication. So please mark the Rx if duplication of your model is required. This will incur an additional fee. For specifics regarding fabrication requirements please visit this link. Submitting a digital model to Great Lakes is simple. When uploading a digital model you have two options. Please select only one option when submitting a digital model. The first option is through software. At the time of recording, Great Lakes can accept scans via 3Shape, iTero, Medit, Sirona, Carestream, EasyRx, DDX, Planmeca, Heron, Shining 3D, Ori, and DS Core. Each scanner and software platform has its own set of upload and transfer instructions. We recommend contacting your scanner or software company directly for support. The second option is to upload models using the Great Lakes Digital portal. It's a simple and secure way to accept STL files from any scanner. To use the Great Lakes digital portal log in with your credentials using this link. If this is your first time using the Great Lakes Digital portal, you must request access. To do so, select Request Access on the left side of the screen and fill in the appropriate information. Once you are logged in, you will need to make sure there is an electronic signature set up for the doctor for whom you're uploading a case. A signature should be created for each doctor in your office. This will be a one time task. In the Electronic Signature section click “Create new electronic signature.” Fill out all the information on the page, including first and last name, license number, and a digital signature. Click save when complete. You can now begin a digital case by selecting “New Case” on the left side of the screen. Under the Patient Info section, enter the patient information which includes the patient's first name, last name, and date of birth. Click next to continue. In the case details section, enter the prescription instructions in the appropriate text field. Provide any special requests not in your Rx in the “Prescriptions Instructions” field. Some items to address include: Which doctor and practice is this for? What shipping location should we use? What exactly are we fabricating for you? Is there a specific color the appliance should be? What arch do you want the appliance on? We recommend being as detailed as possible. The “Internal Reference” field is optional. If you have something like a chart or a P.O. number that may go here. Once complete, select next. In the due date section you have a few options. If you do not yet have an appointment scheduled for your patient, you can leave “Deliver when completed” and click next. If you need the case by a specific date, click “Due date needed” and select an available delivery date. We recommend selecting one day before the patient's appointment. Next in the upload file section, you will provide us with the appropriate STL files. You can highlight the STL files and drag them over, or select Add Files to navigate to the appropriate pathway on your computer. Make sure the files you choose are unzipped. Once uploaded, select next. Lastly, in the confirmation section, select the signature of the doctor who is signing off on the case. You cannot submit a case until an electronic signature is selected. Once that's done, click “Save Case” and you will begin to see the progress of uploading the STL files. Make sure the uploads are completed before you navigate away from the page. When you submit your case to Great Lakes, you can count on fast shipping, superior technical support, and the confidence of having skilled technicians with years of experience to fabricate your appliances. From all our employee owners thank you for choosing Great Lakes. If you need further assistance, please use the contact page on our website to connect with the customer service representative.
