CAD/CAM - international magazine of digital dentistry

I 19 CE article _ CAD/CAM standards I CAD/CAM 3_2013 Fear, money, time and discomfort are common barriers to dental treatment. CAD/CAM addresses the issue of time quite well, but for most patients every dental visit represents time away from work, family members or other important tasks. By pro- viding same-day restorative treatment you are saving your patients precious time. People don’t like going to the dentist. It’s not personal. It’s just not pleasant. Have you ever had a colonoscopy? Not a great memory. Now imagine the thought of a colonoscopy that took not one, but two visits and required you to “wear a temp between each visit that may fall out.” It is much easier for patients to accept treat- ment if they can fit it into their budget, as well as into their schedule. Show patients that you value their time and that you have made a significant time/money in- vestment in your practice in order to facilitate the ease and efficiency with which you can provide treatment, and I will show you a great marketing strategy. Not only is time a major deterrent to treatment acceptance, but so is fear. When patients are told that they need a crown, these are the thoughts and images that come to mind: An awful tasting impression materials or temps that fall out during an important meeting. Ugly gray lines near the gum lines around old crowns. Think about how powerful a marketing tool it is to be able to tell them that in your practice: _they don’t need any impressions, _they don’t have to wear a temp, _there is no metal under the crown so they won’t have gray lines, _and the entire procedure can be done in one visit, during which they will have 30–45 minutes to catch uponwork,returne-mailsorjustrelaxand watch TV (I have TVs in all of my operatories). When that patient leaves with a brand new crown and goes back to work or out with friends, he (or she) is going to talk about what a wonder- ful and convenient experience he just had in your office. “No, I don’t have to go back. My dentist can do crowns in one day.” That’s how to market your practice, and that’s the most significant return on your investment that CAD/CAM has to offer. By offering CAD/CAM, you are able to address two common and significant barriers to treat- ment acceptance. Same-day dentistry is a power- ful marketing tool, as well as an effective way to increase the frequency with which your pa- tients choose to move ahead with restorative dentistry. Although the decision to implement new tech- nology into your practice can be stressful and challenging, reduced productivity due to outdated technology should be of greater concern. Make an investment in your office, your team and your practice, and the results that you see will far outweigh the financial concerns that are preventing you from making a huge leap forward and a difference in your dentistry._ Matthew Krieger,DDS,is a 1998 graduate of New Jersey Dental School.He completed a GPR at Mt.Sinai Hospital in NewYork City.He started his practice in 2003 and built it into a full-time practice in just one year.He has consistently grossed more than $1 million since 2006. In addition to running a full-time private practice, Krieger is the founder and CEO of Symposia C.E., and he serves as a practice efficiency consultant with High Performance Dental Consulting. Krieger maintains more than 500 hours of C.E.credits and continues to expand his knowledge in dental practice management. CAD/CAM_about the author