Investing in Digital Technology
Keeping up with the times. Are we all doing it? Better yet, should we all be doing it? In my line of work (dentistry if you're new here) I am required to complete a minimum number of continuing education (CE) credits. These requirements are regulated and enforced state by state so in Montana it's 60 credits every 3 years...I believe. Don't worry, I love being educated on the latest & greatest dental technology and techniques so I'm never at risk of coming in low on my credits.
For information's sake, a "credit" simply equates to an hour of education. This "hour" can be used in an actual lecture setting with hundreds of dentists. It can be in a smaller group setting where participants do some "hands on" training. Or by taking an online course with a small quiz at the end to ensure that you actually learned something versus just clicking through.
I personally prefer the in-person style of CE as I get to commiserate..., I mean celebrate with my colleagues. Obviously dentistry isn't unique in their CE requirements, as many industries require their minions to keep up with the times. My workout partner is a financial planner and just this morning he was groaning about being under the gun on his CE.
I curate my CE around the ever-advancing field of Digital Dentistry and at a recent small group lecture the instructor said something to the effect that for something to be considered a true technological advance it should produce an improved outcome while saving both the dentist and the patient money. I really liked his point, but I'm going to dissect it out a little and add my own interpretations. Cool?
Let's talk briefly about all the variables involved in the context of doing a standard dental crown, the procedure that has been improved upon the most by advancements in digital dental technology.
The Outcome:
What is our desired outcome? A satisfactory dental crown. A dental crown that satisfies the current day standard of care. A crown that is functional. Meaning that the resulting bite feels natural and comfortable, it's pressing tight enough against its neighboring teeth so as to not trap food when you eat, but not so tight that you struggle to floss. A crown that feels like a real tooth in your mouth. We also need a crown that is aesthetic, meaning that it looks awesome. Feels good, Looks good. It's not Rocket Surgery.
Cost to the Patient:
Simple. What is the personal economic impact of this outcome to this specific patient? Are they paying out of pocket? Do they have insurance? If so, what is their coverage for this desired outcome? Etc. Maybe it's not so simple...I'm just a dentist.
Cost to the Business:
To change the way we achieve a desired dental out- come requires a change in materials, instrumentation, and equipment. All of which cost money and in the world of dental sales nothing is cheap. Since we are talking about digital dentistry and a standard crown procedure, the equipment that was acquired to radical- ly improve our outcome, sorry, the patient's outcome, was north of $100K. Smile Montana has purchased 6 of these packages over the last decade. It sure doesn't sound like this technology makes things cheaper for the business but I'm here to tell you that it does.
How was the outcome improved? Without raising my fees, my patients get a highly aesthetic and functional custom designed and shaded crown in one appointment. This means there is no month-long period where they have a temporary crown that barely stays in. This means there is no second appointment where they need to be numbed up a second time for the permanent crown to be inserted. If you've ever had a crown you know how awesome this sounds, but it gets way better.
It sure doesn't sound like this technology makes things cheaper for the business but I'm here to tell you that it does.
The traditional method of doing a crown requires a goopy impression before they work on your tooth. This is for the temporary, and an even goopier impression after they have worked on the tooth. This goes to the lab so they can make your final crown. With our advanced imaging technology all we need is a 10 second optical scan of your teeth and bite. The scanner is roughly the size of a toothbrush and isn't even a little goopy.
Even if the outcome was the same, meaning the crown made in my office and the crown made off-site in a lab were of equal functional and aesthetic quality, the simple fact that the steps required to get to the outcome are far fewer and far more comfortable for both the patient and the dentist mean that this is a true technological advancement.
I mentioned earlier that I have spent, actually "invested" is a far more appropriate verb, approximately seven hundred thousand dollars on this technology since 2015. This high cost is what scares most traditional dentists away from "investing" in digital dentistry. But they are being penny-wise and pound foolish. Let's break it down:"
Costs of a Traditional Crown:
Goop = $30
Temporary Materials = $15
Lab Fees = $200
Time=$250 (Because traditional crowns require a 2nd appointment.)
Total = $495
Costs of Crown made with Cutting Edge Digital Technology:
Number of Crowns per Month = 50 (based off of a 2-doctor schedule) Monthly Payment divided by 50 = $3000/50 = $60 Equipment wear and tear = $15
Total = $75
So yeah the initial price tag is intimidating but when you do the easy math it's a no brainer. Even if I didn't account for the time it saves me, I'd still be way out in front. Then when we consider how much easier the whole process is for the dentist and the patient, well "it's incredible," for lack of a better term.
So in my practice, Smile Montana, this is a true technological advancement in that the outcome is improved, there are no additional costs to the patient, it costs me less, and it saves everyone time, stress, and pain. WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN (five felt right).
Full disclosure - I had a whole different topic for this article but once I got going it took us on this journey. I think the general public needs to understand that good technology doesn't make a bad dentist better. Are there amazing dentists still doing it the traditional way? Absolutely. Are there bad dentists doing it with advanced digital technology? Yes. It just makes it easier and faster to get to their usual poor outcome. Sorry.
Summer is here and it is going fast. Go get in your water, wherever that is.
Read Investing in Digital Technology by Dr. John F. Miller, DDS, in 406 Woman magazine.