ATTACHMENT G - questions and answers.docx

Q.1 Do the turnaround times exclude transport time? Therefore, starts when the case is delivered to our lab and ends when we ship the case back to the Hampton VAMC.

A.1 Turnaround time does not include transport time.

Q.2 When the turnaround time is 24-hours, would we have one full day to complete the case? For example, the case arrives 3 PM Monday, we have Tuesday to complete the work, and ship out Wednesday morning.

A.2 24 hour turn around for repairs, relines, rebases, addition of teeth, addition of clasps is from pick up at VA by local lab.

Q.3 I noticed that on page 9 of the RFQ it states that the contractor shall provide local repairs and reline service with 24-hour turnaround of all denture repairs and reline/rebases. Does that mean that if we are not local, i.e., from Lansdale PA, we will be excluded from providing those services?

A.3 24 hour turn around for repairs, relines, rebases, addition of teeth, addition of clasps is from pick up at VA by local lab. Current Vendor contracts local lab.

Q.4 On Attachments A-E, pricing, what do the * represent?

A.4 Please ignore the “*”.

Q.5 On page 9, of the RFQ, number VII it states, “The contractor shall provide personalized two-day shipping, shipment tracking and/or pickup and delivery services to ensure that casework arrives on time and safely at no additional cost to VAMC Hampton.” But on page 11 of the RFQ, number II, it states, “The contractor is to use secure shipping methods such as FedEx or UPS utilizing Next Day Air services…”. Please confirm that if we ship using UPS that we can use personalized two-day shipping.

A.5 UPS 2 day shipping can be used.

Q.6 When brand specific products are listed in the RFQ, is it acceptable to substitute a similar product with the permission of the Hampton VAMC?

Comparable product can be used with following exceptions:

A.6 SR-Ivocap High Impact preferred as this technique offers controlled heat injected/pressure polymerization, during which the exact amount of material keeps flowing into the flask to compensate acrylic shrinkage All flexible partials to be fabricated with material that allows for repairs and addition of teeth using standard acrylic.

Milled dentures to be fabricated using monolithic discs.

Frameworks to be fabricated using Vitallium.

Q.7 For each product, are you expecting that the total cost will equal the sum of the components (i.e., 0001 equals the sum of 0001AA through 0001AH)?

A.7 Total cost should be sum of components.

Q.8 Can you please be more specific when you state Attachment Pats Complete? What types of attachments would you typically request?

A.8 Locator, ERA and Vredent. Model analogs, attachments, inserts and housing.

Q.9 Are turnaround times flexible to our lab working times if we list our turn around times on the bid? Or are these turnaround times on page 10 set and unadjustable? (The turnaround times are 1-2 day short of our normal lab turnaround times, for instance, cast metal frameworks are 7-8 days in lab. - pg 10?)

A.9 All listed turnaround times must be met.

Q.10 Are we able to make a similar product or use a similar system of materials for the Ivotion digital dentures and Snowrock partials (flexible partial)? (We use a different flexible material for our flexible partials that have been tried and tested for success for more than 22 years by our lab, such as industry leader flexible product Valplast or TCS. Are these similar products acceptable or do we need to implement the Snowrock material for this contract? As for Ivotion digital dentures, we have the Ivotion mill in our lab, but we also use a similar system in addition to the Ivotion system. Are we able to use Ivotion and/or our other digital system for the digital dentures?)

A.10 All flexible partials to be fabricated with material that allows for repairs and addition of teeth using standard acrylic. Milled dentures to be fabricated using monolithic discs.

Q.11 Can you give us more information on the estimated design of the Implant bar overdenture (#11 on page 7). Will you provide the implant parts or will we need to order implant parts and include the implant wax sleeves in our cost?

A.11 Implant bar overdenture is cost of bar itself. Model analogs and abutments to be provided by lab- these are parts required to fabricate bar. Implant system to be determined by VA.

Q.12 Can you give us more information on the precision cast retentive bars (#12 on page 7)? What implant system is used mostly in this regard? Are you wanting us to design digitally and mill the bar or have our master implant tech wax and cast the bar?

A.12 I cannot find #12 on page 7 in document provided. Locator implant system incorporated into bar. Design options both digital/mill and wax.

Q.13 Can you give us more information on the precision and semi-precision attachments (#13 on page 7)? Will these be keyway wax and cast or will these be where we need to order the genuine brand name precision attachments process? (The keyway wax and cast is the less expensive method).

A.13 Locator, ERA and Vredents attachment systems. Brand name precision attachments.

Q.14 Regarding Turnaround schedule. The RFQ indicates “Five (5) Working Days” (pg 10), does this include the “personized two-day shipping” as described on pg 9?

A.14 Five working days in the lab, with 2 days shipping to lab and 2 days shipping to return to VA.

Current contractors use UPS and FedEx.

Q.15 What would be considered “personized two-day shipping”?

A.15 2 day shipping via UPS, FedEx or comparable company with tracking. If lab is local, daily pickup and drop off at the facility.

Q.16 Currently we do not offering ivotion milled dentures, would this prevent us for bidding for the contract?

A.16 Milled dentures to be fabricated using monolithic discs.

Q.17 The RFQ is very specific for name brand products, would industry comparable materials be considered?

Example 1: Snowrock partials, would FRS or Acrytone be acceptable?

A.17 All flexible partials to be fabricated with material that allows for repairs and addition of teeth using standard acrylic.

Example 2: SR-Ivocap High Impact, would Lucitone 199 dentures be acceptable?

A.17 SR-Ivocap High Impact preferred as this technique offers controlled heat injected/pressure polymerization, during which the exact amount of material keeps flowing into the flask to compensate acrylic shrinkage

Q.18 Can you please be more specific regarding the components and requirements for implant bar overdentures including number of implant sites?

A.18 Implant analogs and abutments. 2-5 implants sites.