An Interview with Henry Schein
Robert Gottlander, DDS, Chief Marketing Officer
INSIDE DENTISTRY (ID): What is your recommended approach to integrating digital technology into the general practice?
ROBERT GOTTLANDER (RG): The time for digital dentistry is now! If you look at the U.S. market for digital technology, we are expanding beyond the initial group of early adopters into the early majority. Henry Schein works with the practice and the laboratory to understand everyone’s needs, defines the best solutions to meet these needs, and facilitates successful integration.
It’s not just about the technology. It’s about what the technology can do to benefit the patient, practice, and laboratory. Successful integration of digital solutions into the workflow is key. Through Henry Schein ConnectDental, we are committed to offering solutions that best meet the needs of our customers, and to providing the training, education, and support that will help optimize the benefits of these solutions.
We take a consultative approach to product selection and training for a practice. This is where offering an open architecture of solutions becomes imperative because we understand that practitioners may want to build on the solutions they are using today. For example, if you first only buy a scanner—as many doctors do—at some point in time you may want to connect that scanner with a mill in the practice.
The mainstream adoption of practice management software, such as Dentrix, is also leading to the increased use of digital solutions. This software and its ecosystem of technology vendors who offer “Dentrix Connected” versions of their products facilitate the interoperability of the patient-centric digital workflow.
ID: How do you encourage dental professionals to adopt digital technologies and not be intimidated?
RG: Many practitioners are contemplating the incorporation of digital dentistry into their practice or laboratory.
We encourage practitioners to not only look at the individual technology and products available on the market today, but also at how these solutions can best be integrated into the practice or laboratory to improve efficiency and enhance the care they provide to patients. Henry Schein’s “Practice Analysis Tool,” for example, can help identify the tailored solutions that meet the unique needs of a practice.
ID: How important is connectivity between the dental practice and the dental laboratory?
RG: Understanding the importance of connectivity between the dental practice and the dental laboratory is a key factor in the success of digital technology adoption.
To help ensure the interoperability between the scanners we offer dental practices and laboratories, we feature a HIPAA-compliant proprietary communication system called DDX, which is essential in this process. When a practice sends a file to the laboratory, it is sent over the DDX highway. This makes it easy to transfer a file. When the laboratory receives a digital file from a dentist, the handling in the laboratory is faster and more precise. This connectivity is further enhanced when Dentrix is integrated into the workflow.
ID: Is there still a “wow” factor for patients when it comes to digital technology in the dental office?
RG: Absolutely. Most patients are still unaware of the full benefits of digital intraoral scanning and CAD/CAM, including the availability of one-visit dentistry. Most patients would prefer one visit versus multiple visits for a procedure. However, patient awareness is growing, as is the awareness by practitioners about the enhanced patient care that can be delivered with digital dentistry.
For more information, contact:
Henry Schein Dental
800-372-4346
www.henryschein.com
