Palodex Group
Tuusula, Finland
Interviewee:
Henrik Roos, MSc, CEO and President
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Question NO. 1
Inside Dentistry (ID): The dental industry and the oral healthcare arena have been changing rapidly within the past 5 to 10 years. What do you see as the most significant of those changes?
Henrik Roos (HR): Without a doubt, one of the areas that has seen the most significant change in recent years is the digital imaging marketplace. With double-digit growth in this segment, it is an exciting arena that shows few signs of slowing down. One of the main reasons for the growth and change has been advancements in technology. The digital revolution began in x-ray about 10 years ago, but because of its overall costs, growth was limited. As this technology has matured and improved, we are now realizing its benefits and seeing its effects.
A startling fact is that digital x-ray systems have only been installed in about 28% of the dental practices in the United States. Dental practitioners have not abandoned conventional radiography, and many have questioned the need to make the change to digital radiography. However, we are now seeing the shift to digital, and the growth numbers substantiate that.
The benefits from this shift are not only dental practitioners and the general public, but the environment as well. Digital x-ray systems are designed to improve the efficiency of dental practices by displaying x-ray images in mere seconds rather than minutes. At the same time we are helping the environment by eliminating the film development process and the need for disposal of chemicals, lead wrappers, and heavy metals.
Question NO. 2
ID: In what ways—both internally and in dealing with the broader oral healthcare marketplace—has your company responded to these changes?
HR: Investing in technology is paramount in this ever-changing market segment. One common misconception when talking about technology is that people often associate technology with hardware or equipment advancements. While the hardware or equipment advancements have given the industry the ability to enter the digital arena, software technology is also helping to forge a new area in patient care. These technological advancements, in tandem, are changing how practitioners treat their patients. Not that many years ago, Instrumentarium Dental and Soredex referred to themselves as “Imaging Experts” in the x-ray field. We have had to expand our horizon and now prefer to call ourselves “Diagnostic Imaging Experts.” The reason for this change is that we supply software with all of our x-ray systems. This software aids a practitioner in image diagnostics and treatment planning.
Question NO. 3
ID: What do you see as your biggest responsibility to the marketplace, and why does your choice rank as your #1 priority?
HR: To positively impact patient care is by far our biggest responsibility. Being involved in healthcare, our dedication and attention to detail has helped us build relationships with our customers. Most people will agree that healthcare is a noble profession and not merely a job. We are very passionate about what we do, and this is evident in talking to our employees. We have a close working relationship both internally and externally that helps us to provide and maintain a strong relationship with the end-users we serve. We strive to enhance their ability to provide the best dental care possible.
PaloDEx operates under two separate brands on the global healthcare technology market. Our company’s strong product brands, Soredex and Instrumentarium Dental, have been highly regarded by dental professionals for several decades. It has been our investment in both hardware and software technologies that has enabled Instrumentarium Dental and Soredex to become so successful. The products we develop and manufacture also represent the highest in technological excellence and many of our applications have been pathfinders for other manufacturers.
Question NO. 4
ID: What do you see as the best approach to the research, development, testing, and ultimate delivery to the market of such needed advancements?
HR: We apply four guiding principles to our R&D efforts. The first is to focus on our customers’ needs. Given the difficulty in successfully developing a new technology, we focus our efforts on developing products that increase efficiencies and diagnostic capabilities. The results are products that aid in the treatment planning process and overall patient care.
Our second guiding principle is to be modality-diverse. We aim to fit new and innovative technology in ways that can have an immediate impact on the marketplace. This diversity has allowed us to capitalize on technological advances and develop products that are cutting edge when it comes to workflow and diagnostic performance.
The third major emphasis is to study new technologies and how they can be applied toward improving efficiencies and/or patient care. All too often our industry has found that experimental technologies have had little predictive value in these fundamental areas. While it can be complicated and difficult to study new technologies, we believe that it is the only way to successfully develop successful products.
Last but not least, the fourth principle is seamless integration. We strive to integrate all of our products within our organization, incorporating all the perspectives, from sales and marketing to clinical development and basic research. It is an often difficult and challenging process aligning our priorities across all of these areas.
These four guiding principles together are not enough to ensure our success as an organization. Hard work, intelligence, and intuition are also essential principles. With all of these ingredients, we will achieve our aspirations.
Question NO. 5
ID: There are many challenges facing dentistry and oral healthcare today. How is your company helping to resolve them?
HR: We want to be the best partner and the most reliable choice for dental professionals and to provide them imaging solutions which facilitate correct care decisions, improving the quality of dental care.
To do this, we have invested a considerable amount of time and energy researching new technologies as well as working to increase efficiencies and workflow to affect reduced operating costs for our end users. By offering high-quality diagnostic imaging solutions that aid in making the correct treatment decisions, we aim to be the best partner and the most reliable choice for dental professionals.
