Seeing Clearly Helps Dentist Fulfill Practice’s Vision
Patel on DenMat’s PeriOptix® loupes with the Firefly® Cordless Headlight System
When Manisha Patel, DDS, opened Lake Norman Family and Cosmetic Dentistry in Mooresville, North Carolina, with her husband, Paresh Patel, DDS, in 2007, she envisioned a family practice where she could build strong relationships with her patients. She wanted her patients to be comfortable in the knowledge that she would educate them about their treatment options but never try to sell them on a particular treatment.
"My philosophy is to provide the best dental care that I can to families and give them options that make sense for them," Patel says. "I do not want to have a production-oriented practice. My patients appreciate that I give them options and that I do not rush them. We do things at their pace, which is not necessarily the pace that is most profitable for the practice."
For those reasons, Patel believes that she has developed a positive reputation in the community. As a result, the practice has been extremely successful, moving into a brand-new building last August.
"I have a reputation for not pushing patients to get treatment done," Patel says. "I spend time developing relationships, building a rapport, and listening to what the patients want. Dentistry can be quite expensive, and dentists who are more aggressive in pitching treatment can push patients away. I take pride in educating patients, not just pressuring them to get treatment. Patients can feel that."
Another component of building that trust in the community is providing exceptional dentistry. Patel is passionate about her work and about using the best tools available to help her provide high-quality care. She has particularly strong beliefs about the benefits of using loupes on a regular basis, and she was recently fitted for a pair of PeriOptix® loupes with the Firefly® Cordless Headlight System from DenMat.
"I have been working with loupes for many years, and I rely on them heavily," she says. "Because they are such an important part of what I do, Paresh encouraged me to purchase a pair from DenMat, whose loupes are top-of-the-line."
All PeriOptix optics are made with high-end, shatter-resistant glass to ensure optimum edge-to-edge clarity in a large viewing field. The Firefly Cordless Headlight System features a unique design that eliminates the need for heavy power packs and cumbersome cords, facilitates easy cleaning to reduce the risk of cross contamination, and optimizes spot size to prevent the uncomfortable halo in patients' eyes while providing uniform and natural color output.
Patel notes that she did not begin using loupes until she had been practicing for approximately 10 years, but now she believes that all dental schools should require them.
"Without loupes, I feel blind," she says. "Every little bit of detail counts in our work, especially for crown preparations that require us to work in areas that are dark and deep below the gingiva. In those situations, I cannot imagine working without high magnification and a quality light to help me see. It reduces the potential for failure long-term. I use loupes for all of my patients, not just in certain cases. You become so comfortable being able to see everything so well that it becomes difficult to imagine having anything less than that level of detail."
Patel says her previous loupes were somewhat heavy and weighed on the bridge of her nose.
"The DenMat loupes are much lighter, so I am excited to see how they work," she says. "It is important for them to be comfortable."
Style is important as well. Patients, whether subconsciously or consciously, often notice if accessories, such as loupes, look outdated.
"We wear them so often that they really need to look nice," Patel says.
Part of Patel's trust in DenMat comes from her experience working with the company in other areas, including laboratory work.
"DenMat's products are excellent," she says. "We have used their laboratory, particularly for anterior crowns, and the results have been exceptional. If I am trying to cement a crown in the anterior, it needs to be more than perfect. I have used their laboratory for my last several anterior cases, and they all had great results. I do not know if you can get that level of quality from other laboratories. When crowns do not match or the stains are not right, and the patient is dissatisfied to the point that the crown needs to be remade, it is just a waste of clinical time."
With her philosophy of building trust and relationships with her patients, providing the best possible care and not wasting clinical time are critical.
"Whether for loupes or other products and services," she says, "DenMat helps me give my patients the dental care that they need at the highest quality."
Manufacturer Information
DenMat
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