Why CAD/CAM...Why Now?

In the book, Start with Why by Simon Sinek, its premise is: “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”

The “why” can be hard to define for many products or services. Enter digital dentistry (digital impressions, CAD/CAM dentistry, 3D, 2D imaging). There are lots of “what” (digital options) out there from all kinds of suppliers and manufacturers. I believe Henry Schein Dental has the “why” and is different from the other suppliers.

One of the most common procedures is providing a single crown. Ask dentists how many crowns per month they do. They’ll look to their assistant or front office person for help — or they’ll guess. If you did a Henry Schein Practice Analysis for all of your accounts, this would be clear. (By the way, you should. I’ve been in practice 20 years, and it’s probably the best thing anyone has done for me.) The single crown procedure is the rainmaker for the restorative practice.

Why Do I Partner With Henry Schein?

More than 70% of all crowns done are single posteriors. In most practices, more than 25% of all single crowns are done on four teeth: mandibular and maxillary first molars! The crowns on these first molars pay my mortgage; they pay for the kids’ college and make the car payments. These are the “money teeth.” How can Henry Schein help me with the most important procedure in my practice? Easy. Believe there is a better way for me, my team and my patients to be doing them. This is the “why” for me to partner with Henry Schein.

The dream for me is to be more efficient and productive every day in every way in as many ways as I can. With digital impressions, I start living the dream. I add technology to my office and wow my patients, while making impressions more comfortable. I become more efficient and have a relationship with Henry Schein because they believe digital is a better way for me…not just for them.

Once I have a digital impression system, I have different paths to go with my dream. Henry Schein can help me incorporate CAD/CAM dentistry, so I can mill restorations in my office and have complete control over the process of single posteriors.

With a complete digital impression CAD/CAM system (e.g., PlanScan/PlanCAD/PlanMill 40) I can choose to use SOS (Support on Site) and/or use DDX (Digital Dental Exchange) for a team approach to making restorations. I may want to use the PlanScan digital impression system for some cases, or I can find partners (digital labs or specialists) to help with the fabrication.

Once Henry Schein Dental has helped me with a better way to do single posterior restorations, I can incorporate more digital and dream bigger. I may now consider other digital options Henry Schein believes will help my practice. If you want a few good reasons to get into CAD/CAM dentistry, I believe I have shown you the “why.” Let Henry Schein show you the “how.”

Originally published in Sidekick Magazine.

About the Author: Dr. Jansen completed his DDS and Advanced Education in Prosthodontics at the University of Southern California School of Dentistry. He taught full time at USC and was Director of Implant Dentistry in the Department of Restorative Dentistry. Dr. Jansen is a member of the American College of Prosthodontics, an active member of the Academy of Osseointegration and a Fellow of the American College of Dentists. Currently, he has a full-time practice limited to Prosthodontics and a dental laboratory in Monterey, California.