Adding value to your practice
Featured Products Promotional FeaturesPosted by: Dental Design 11th August 2021
A significant majority of dental businesses and dental professionals are experiencing adverse financial implications as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, with many expecting the situation to continue for the foreseeable future. The enforced closure of dental practices, reduced capacity upon reopening, and a reluctance from patients to attend their dental practices are all contributing factors towards a considerable fall in income.
Research conducted by the General Dental Council [i] found that 80% of dental business owners reported a decrease in their income in 2020 when compared to the same period in 2019, and 65% expected income to decrease again over 2021. With this in mind, it is important for dentists to consider how they can add value to their service provision, both to keep patients coming through the door, and boost practice profitability in these challenging times.
Boost productivity
Dentists sit at the centre of a multitude of materials, patients, and information passing through the dental business. It is therefore vital to recognise the importance of streamlining clinical processes, assigning administration to other members of the team where possible, and contracting out more specialised services [ii] in order to maintain a productive environment.
To achieve the desired level of productivity it is recommended to embrace techniques such as four-handed dentistry, computerisation of patient records, and effective appointment scheduling. ii
Four-handed dentistry, for example, helps to reduce repetition and the resulting physical stress and fatigue for the clinician, and thereby increases efficiency. This is supported by studies that demonstrate a notable increase in productivity, ranging from 33%-75%. [iii] For the patient, this increase in efficiency leads to reduced chair time that will no doubt ease anxiety for those with an aversion to dental treatments.
Boosting practice productivity by using the methods outlined above will ultimately increase patient satisfaction, enable you to treat more patients in the clinic, and improve your bottom line.
Invest in the latest equipment
Investing in advanced dental equipment is an effective means of upgrading and adding value to the services delivered. While no substitute for a dentist’s skill and expertise, the latest dental equipment significantly impacts how a patient experiences their appointment.
A new tax deduction announced in the Chancellor’s 2021 Budget [iv] provides significant incentive to invest in equipment. Between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2023, dentists who run their practices as companies and pay corporation tax can claim a corporation tax deduction at 130% of qualifying expenditure on new assets, such as equipment, plant and machinery for the dental business.
When selecting equipment to invest in, you will need to think carefully about the popularity, frequency, and profitability of the treatments they will be used for, while always keeping patient care front of mind. For example, recent analysis [v] indicates that within the next three years, approximately 65% of all practices are expected to invest in a digital impressioning system. To enable you to stay ahead of the curve and provide the highest levels of patient care, investing in a cutting-edge intraoral scanner will be a smart move.
Current applications of intraoral scanners are far-reaching, with capabilities in fixed prosthodontics, guided surgery, and orthodontics. [vi] By harnessing the power of intraoral scanners, research indicates that this will increase time efficiency and can simplify clinical procedures for the dentist, vi particularly in more complex cases. Furthermore, digital impressions remove the necessity for plaster models, which again saves time, as well as the space required to make and fit them. Eliminating material impressions is also proven to increase patient comfort and allow for improved communication between patient and clinician that may otherwise be inhibited. vi
Choose industry-leading intraoral scanners from the Straumann Group
Enjoy all of these benefits, and more, with products you can trust from the Straumann Group. Recently added to the portfolio are the Medit i500 and Medit i700 intraoral scanners, featuring advanced elements appreciated by patients and practitioners alike. These include a small tip to enable simpler maneuverability and improve patient comfort, and high-resolution imagery to support easy identification of tissue and structure to achieve optimum accuracy. These models are available in addition to the globally renowned wireless 3Shape TRIOS® intraoral scanner. Invest in an industry-leading intraoral scanner from the Straumann group and add value to your practice today.
For more information on intraoral scanners and digital solutions from the Straumann Group, visit: https://www.straumann.com/digital/en/home/equipment/io-scanners.html
[i] General Dental Council. The impact of COVID-19 on dental professionals. Available at https://www.gdc-uk.org/about-us/what-we-do/research/our-research-library/detail/report/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-dental-professionals [Last accessed 07.06.2021].
[ii] George RJ. Improving productivity in the dental practice: a starting point. N Z Dent J. 1996 Sep;92(409):73-5. PMID: 8910726. Available at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8910726/ [Last accessed 02.06.2021].
[iii] Bhaskar, D & Chandan, Agali & Bumb, Swapnil. (2014). Four Handed Dentistry: An Indispensable Part for Efficient Clinical Practice. Available at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262873221_Four_Handed_Dentistry_An_Indispensable_Part_for_Efficient_Clinical_Practice. [Last accessed 02.06.2021].
[iv] Gov.uk. Budget 2021: documents. Available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/budget-2021-documents [Last accessed 07.06.2021].
[v] 3Shape. 3Shape Dental System Innovative 3D scanning and CAD/CAM solutions for labs. Available at https://ivde.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Dental-System-2019-EN-Brochure.pdf. [Last accessed 07.06.2021].
[vi] Mangano F, Gandolfi A, Luongo G, Logozzo S. Intraoral scanners in dentistry: a review of the current literature. BMC Oral Health. 2017;17(1):149. Published 2017 Dec 12. doi:10.1186/s12903-017-0442-x. Available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5727697/ [Last accessed 07.06.2021].
