At first thought, you might not imagine that your dental practice has much in common with a dental school. But when it comes to choosing dental equipment, you both have a budget to consider—and getting the best return on your investment is important.
It's worth noting that A-dec is the preferred choice for 57 out of 68 North American dental schools today. Even schools on fixed or very tight budgets select A-dec equipment more often than any other brand. So what lessons can you learn from their experience?
Lesson 1: Know your environment
The equipment in a dental school takes a lot of wear and tear. That makes its quality, durability, and consistent performance essential. And while you and your staff are likely to be much gentler on equipment than the average dental student, the clinical environment itself can be harsh. Your dental equipment and furniture will constantly be exposed to moisture and chemical cleaning products.
So before you buy, ask these questions: How durable is the dental equipment? What's the expected lifespan? Is the dental furniture you're considering designed for the unique demands of the dental environment? A-dec equipment is renowned for its legendary quality. It's rigorously engineered, tested, and built to last for at least 20 years of service life, and backed with a five-year warranty.
Lesson 2: Think ahead
Dental schools are in the business of educating the next generation of clinicians, and understand that today's younger cohort of dental professionals wants to work with the newest technology. With that in mind, it's wise to consider the expandability of your dental equipment. If you won't be able to easily integrate new features or technology, you're shortchanging your ability to expand your services, and attract and retain top talent.
Look for dental equipment designed to easily integrate with a wide range of clinical devices, and to accommodate new technologies as they evolve. A-dec has a dedicated in-house product development team that designs with an eye to the future, to ensure you get the most for your investment now, while supporting opportunities for growth if you decide to add new treatments and procedures down the road.
Lesson 3: Focus on efficiency
Because dental schools are constantly teaching labs full of students, having a smooth workflow is important. A-dec can bring your dental practice a seamless, integrated process with a purposeful clinic layout. Equipping your treatment rooms with A-dec dental chairs, stools, delivery systems, lights, and furniture—and having A-dec equipment in your sterilization center and mechanical room—can make a significant difference in efficiency, which impacts profitability.
At the patient-treatment level, efficiency is a natural outcome of the way A-dec dental furniture, dental chairs, and dental delivery systems are designed to work together. Our "flight deck" concept puts everything your team needs within easy reach, minimizing time-wasting movements. Having one convenient, organized zone with every tool at your fingertips—and optimal access to the oral cavity—allows you and your team to work more productively, without having to stand, leave the room, or take your eyes off the treatment area.
Lesson 4: Less pain = more gain
With up to 60 percent of dentists reporting physical pain at some point in their careers1, more dental schools are teaching their students ergonomically correct practices. A-dec takes it a step further, designing dental products with smart ergonomics that encourage good posture by reducing unnecessary twisting, leaning, and reaching:
A-dec dental stools keep you positioned in a healthy "athletic" posture that reduces stress on your joints and spine, and provides better circulation to your feet and extremities.
With their thin, flexible backrests and low base-down point, A-dec dental chairs let you roll your stool in close and practice in a comfortable, natural position—legs under the patient and elbows at your side.
A-dec delivery systems keep your handpieces within easy, natural reach; and our innovative Radius configuration lets you move the delivery to either side of the chair so you can work comfortably whether you’re right- or left-handed.
You can even learn to how to improve sight lines and body mechanics with our exclusive Angles of Access app, available on the App Store and Google Play. It shows ergonomically healthy ways to position yourself to get a clear view of every region of the oral cavity.
Lesson 5: Do the math
If you’re feeling the pressure to get the most out of your dental equipment budget, it's easy to focus on price alone. But as dental schools know, that's only part of the total cost equation. It's important to consider the "hidden costs" of ongoing maintenance, repairs, unexpected replacement, and typical product lifespan as part of the total cost of ownership.
Be sure to determine if you'll have easy access to service parts down the road. It's probably not something you're thinking about at the time of purchase, but it can make all the difference between a quick, inexpensive repair and having to replace an entire dental chair or delivery system.
As you look at your options, consider everything that goes into getting the best return on your investment. Doctors who do the math find that A-dec's high quality, proven performance, and exceptional long-term reliability make it a wise choice.
Lesson 6: Choose the right partner
Dental practices who choose A-dec enjoy the added value of having a long-term partner dedicated to their success. We have the most representatives in the field, and invest more than any other dental manufacturer to train our authorized dealers, sales and service personnel—all to provide a superior customer experience.
Your A-dec Territory Manager can help you with everything from clinical space planning, to providing ergonomic assessments, to training you and your team on how to get the most out of your A-dec dental equipment. We also offer a range of online continuing education classes. And of course, you'll always have access to live A-dec Customer Service support by phone, 12 hours a day, five days a week.
As one of the most respected names in the dental industry, A-dec offers creative, reliable solutions for practices of every size and specialty. For more information on buying dental equipment, request your complimentary copy of the What to Look for When Buying Dental Equipment guide.
1ADA Professional Product Review, “Ergonomics and Dental Practice: Preventing work-related musculoskeletal problems” November 1, 2014.
