Corporate Profile: Q&A with DenMat

There has been a lot of buzz around Snap-On Smile® lately. What is it about this product?
Not every patient who walks through the door is ready to commit to a smile makeover that day, but they may be very ready for a better, more esthetic smile. Snap-On Smile® gives clinicians a powerful new option.

It’s an immediate solution for patients who suffer from a problematic smile. For many, it is a permanent solution but for those considering veneers in the future, it is a perfect transition product. Many dentists tell us of patients who started with Snap-On Smile® and eventually transitioned to LUMINEERS®. That’s what we refer to as the DenMat Smile Continuum, from whitening to Snap-On Smile® to Cerinate® One-hour Permanent Veneers to LUMINEERS®.

The national TV campaign for Snap-On Smile® is driving the buzz. It’s been gratifying to help so many practices meet new patients. Many are turning into regular patients who eventually turn into candidates for permanent veneers. We’ve built a patient-facing site where patients can share their Snap-On Smile® experience. There is also a Practice Locator where patients can find a Snap-On Smile® practice near them.

How does Snap-It!™ work? How is it different than Snap-On Smile?
Snap-It! is simply a single quadrant Snap-On Smile and is an amazingly versatile clinical solution. It’s 5 or fewer units and a homerun for any patient who’s unhappy with a flipper appliance. Doctors love it for this application-it’s more esthetic, it’s easier for the patient to maintain and it eliminates all the negatives of flippers. Clinicians are also discovering its application as an outstanding implant temporary, giving patients a trial-run before final placement of their new implant. It’s also a great choice for patients missing teeth.

Cerinate® One-hour Permanent Veneers certainly is compellingly named. Can you discuss what’s behind the name?
In my opinion, there’s more to this name than any product introduced to dentistry in recent years. Every dentist has experienced this scenario. A patient presents as the perfect candidate for a smile makeover. They see examples of great before-and-after results-what’s not to love? Then the dentist or team member brings up costs…and the answer is, “I can’t afford that right now.” In the past, that’s been the end of the conversation.

That’s not the case with One-hour Permanent Veneers. Priced to sell to the patient starting at less than $1,000, One-hour can fit vastly more pocketbooks than any veneer product has ever been able to, making “permanent whitening” a very real possibility for many more patients.

What’s going on with LUMINEERS® today?
LUMINEERS® is the established leader in minimally invasive veneers. It’s proven, it’s widely recognized by patients and it’s more beautiful than ever due to the advanced Cerinate® porcelain formulation. Next-generation Cerinate® is pressed feldspathic porcelain reinforced with leucite nano-crystals. Due to its high flexural strength of 216 MPa, LUMINEERS® can be made as thin as a contact lens, allowing placement without significant removal of enamel and without removal of dentin.

DenMat has been taking many new directions lately. Another example is the recently introduced Sapphire Portable Diode Laser. As laser therapy increasingly becomes the standard-of-care in dentistry, would you discuss how Sapphire is different from other lasers on the market?
Yes, the Sapphire Laser has been extremely well received. Of course, the timing is right as more dentists are seeing the benefits of laser therapy. Why are they choosing Sapphire? First of all, in addition to outstanding clinical performance, its smart design makes it readily portable, so that a clinician can literally carry it, in one hand, from operatory to operatory. Unlike the behemoths of the past, Sapphire is convenient as well as highly effective. Its price is also an effective attraction. It’s an incredible value for the highest quality of technology.

To make it even more valuable, we’ve been including step-by-step instruction with the Advanced Laser Training course, a $695 value, with every purchase. That’s part of our introductory offer, so it’s not going to last forever, but dentists new to laser therapy are not only buying a great piece of technology, they’re getting educational support so they will be able to maximize the utility of their investment.

What else can we expect from DenMat?
There is more on the horizon. Crowns without temporaries, and without the need for costly capital investment, promises to be our next practice-changing innovation and should be ready for market introduction this fall. Our Destination Education events continue to grow and attract more and more attendees. Our event this November 4-6 at the Bellagio in Las Vegas promises to be bigger than ever, with great speakers, outstanding CE and chances to preview our newest technologies.