Dental Products Report-2010-10-01

THE DENTAL ADVISOR’s Top Choices THE SET-UP

The word “inspire” originates from Latin and means “to breathe.” This is particularly appropriate when we consider that new technology brings new life and greater breadth to the dental practice. As the practice leader, your role must go far beyond the purchase of hardware or software. You need to involve and motivate your team members who will implement and experience the technology. There are four important components to inspire your team to master new technology. Communicate your vision

A technique for treating patients with gingival recession.

Mini Dental Implants are a practice builder for general practitioners, offering a highly profitable revenue stream, an expanded patient base and increased referrals. General dentists can begin placing MDIs after a one- or two-day certification course and with a minimal investment in the system.  MDIs offer a low-cost option for patients who cannot afford or do not qualify for root form implants.

Line item accounting helps offices keep an organized record of clients’ services. New customization options allow the user to personalize the software to accommodate their individual office needs. Increase office efficiency with features like “family walkout” and the “patient bar.”

As we get closer to the end of the year, dentists often ask about how major technology purchases will impact their taxes. Applications such as lasers, CAD/CAM restoration systems, digital and cone beam radiology are large investments, and dentists who work closely with their CPAs can strategize to maximize the tax benefits of purchasing them. Capitalizing on Section 179

The set-up “The first time a network was installed in my office, I was forced to do it myself. Imagine crawling through the ceiling with computer cabling clenched between your teeth. Sound fun? It wasn’t. When I built my new facility 2 years ago, I called in the professionals. The IT department at my dealer, Goetze Dental, made the process easy. We worked together and planned the whole thing from concept to realization. It was a geek’s dream.

THE SET-UP “As the evidence mounts in the area of oral-systemic links, the dental profession will need to become more involved in sorting out the relevant clinical information and determine what is appropriate for dental practice. In this article, Patti DiGangi explores an interesting theory.” -Dr. Peter Cabrera, Team Lead

Bad economy or not, patients still want to look good. And with so many options and more awareness about what it can do for their smile, many patients are turning to professional whitening to give their smile that little something extra. In the September 2010 DPR Cosmetic Survey, 55% of dentists said chairside whitening is the cosmetic dentistry procedure that has been most profitable for their practice.

Provides dentists with an effective, easy-to-use and more affordable option in clear aligner therapy. Provides patients with an easy, cosmetically appealing alternative to traditional braces. Phase-based delivery system makes it easy to track movements and make corrections, which leads to successful treatments and happier patients.

When clinicians at Carmel Plaza Dental needed to line the practice’s compressed air system, they looked to Nu Flow for help.

Wayne Gretsky once said, “You’ll always miss 100% of the shots you do not take.” Rather than avoid new technology altogether, it is critical to think strategically about costs and benefits so that when you do purchase that next piece of equipment, you’re sure to score on at least some of your ROI goals. Can I expect a return of three to 10 times the cost of my purchase? Will me and my team be more efficient or balanced in our work?

Most dentists I talk to have an image in their heads of the ideal new patient. Not only does this person come in to the practice needing extensive care, he or she also understands the value of dentistry and has therefore budgeted the money to start comprehensive treatment right away. On the surface, this seems to make sense-after all, patients with high need and a high dental IQ offer the best opportunity for revenue, right? Not quite.

It never fails to amaze me how many dentists have purchased “stuff” for their practice, only to have an important piece of “must-have” technology gathering dust several weeks (or months) later for lack of use. Even in this challenging economy technology purchases are still being made, although many dentists and teams appear much more cynical when it comes to silver bullet promises or fairy tale hopes for results.

When hygienist Nikki Hayes called out “You guys have all gotta get down here and see this,” over the headset intercom system used by the staff at DPR Technology Editor Dr. John Flucke’s Lee’s Summit, Mo. practice, it sent everyone running. What they saw did not disappoint.

Excellence in service is a unique ability to anticipate the needs of your customer. As dental technicians, we offer a technical prosthodontic service for consulting, designing and manufacturing complete denture prosthetics according to a clinician’s dental laboratory work authorization or prescription.

The Endo Pulse RCT handpiece (EP) is designed to eliminate file separation during root canal therapy (RCT). It is a “non rotary” reciprocation adjunct to help create the optimal glide path and make RCT safer, faster and more predictable.

01 Ultradent Products Inc. is still a private company. Has this impacted your business in any way?

01 What are some of the Hu-Friedy highlights from 2010?

You can't use the economy as an excuse. Just because the economy is down doesn't mean you shouldn't offer your patients the best possible care, or that you should assume they can't afford that care. It just means you and your team have to work a little harder to educate your patients about their options, and that includes veneers.

With so much technology out there, which practice systems get first dibs? I recommend approaching your technology integration efforts as a puzzle, with each system acting as a piece that needs to fit into an overall strategy so that, when the puzzle is complete-and individual products selected-it reflects the right picture for your practice. The systems to evaluate are:

The science behind Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT ) sounds complicated. Technology jargon is filled with words such as resolution, signal-to-noise ratio, collimation and voxel sizes.