Complete Digital Solution for Complete Care

Whip Mix’s VeriONE Digital makes implementation easy

Shannon Johnson, DMD

After 6 years in private practice and two stints teaching at dental schools, Shannon Johnson, DMD, knew exactly what she wanted when she opened her new practice in Louisville, Kentucky, approximately 3 years ago. This general practice would be small, it would be fee-for-service, and it would provide complete care to patients. "I just want to make people better," Johnson says. "I want people to leave my office and feel as if they have become a better version of themselves with my help."

Johnson attributes her philosophy to the Dawson Academy and its late founder, Peter E. Dawson, DDS, who, along with John C. Cranham, DDS, published The Complete Dentist Manual: The Essential Guide to Being a Complete Care Dentist. "You look at a patient comprehensively and totally," says Johnson, who has been an associate faculty member at the Dawson Academy since 2005. "That is what gets me excited every day. When I opened this practice, it was to provide that level of care for every patient. We use individualized treatment plans so that each patient ends up with a beautiful, maintainable healthy mouth that will last a long time."

With a solo practice, Johnson is limited in the number of patients that she can treat, but she tries to increase her impact through teaching. In addition to the time that she spent teaching at the University of Florida and the University of Louisville and in her current role at the Dawson Academy, she also leads two Dawson Study Clubs. "Helping other dentists learn how to deliver better dentistry and achieve a better work-life balance can have a profound effect on the lives of patients around the world as well as on the lives of the dentists themselves," Johnson says. "Having a significant, positive impact on people's lives and practices is incredibly rewarding."

When Johnson opened her new practice, she decided that digital technology had reached a point where its use was essential to providing the best patient care. She needed a cost-effective solution, but she also needed high-quality products with top-notch service and support. She found it all in Whip Mix's VeriONE Digital solution, which includes the VeriPulse intraoral scanner, VeriEko 3D printer, VeriWhirl 3D printed parts cleaner, and Otoflash light curing unit for light-curable resins, among other components. "I wanted a full-service digital solution," Johnson says. "I wanted to be able to grow my digital knowledge and evolve and transform my practice as my skills increased. To me, the most important thing that Whip Mix offered was their support. The fact that I would have a retailer and a support team in the same wonderful company that has been around for more than 100 years really appealed to me."

Choosing systems can be intimidating for a dentist who is new to digital technology. There are many strong software choices, more than a dozen intraoral scanner brands, and even more digital fabrication options. "‘Analysis paralysis' can be a significant barrier to entry among dentists," Johnson says. "But Whip Mix took care of that for me. They provided me with a complete solution that was affordable and easy to implement so that I could expand the scope of my services, benefit from the cost savings and improved efficiency of digital technology, and provide a better patient experience."

Johnson gained experience with other CAD/CAM systems during her time at the universities, but she says VeriONE has been the easiest to implement. "In-office milling can make a lot of sense for some practices, but it requires tremendous amounts of training because you need to learn the laboratory components of the process," she says. "What I love about the VeriONE solution is that I can still utilize the same laboratory partners that I had previously, and they love it because digital impressions present so many advantages for them as well."

Johnson's patients love the VeriONE Digital solution as well. She says that they prefer the comfort of digital impressions over conventional ones and that they are amazed when they see the scans immediately rendered into an image on the screen. "It is a great tool for communication and education," she says.

Of course, receiving ongoing support was one of Johnson's main priorities, and Whip Mix has delivered in that area from the start. "Training and support are what you need to be successful, and working with Whip Mix is like working with a trusted friend," she says. "I consider them to be a partner in dentistry instead of just a supplier or servicer." Johnson notes that she has been in situations in which companies that sold various individual components, such as scanners, software applications, printers, etc, each pointed the finger at one another when something went wrong with her system. "Many companies bounce you around, blaming the other components in your system instead of helping you solve the problem," she says. "Whip Mix has one phone number, and whenever you call it, they help you find the answer."

Johnson is a solo practitioner; however, she says that she would recommend the VeriONE Digital solution to practices of all sizes and scopes, including specialty practices. It can be used primarily for crown-and-bridge work, but it can also be used to help a practice fabricate occlusal sprints, custom trays, implant surgical guides, clear aligners, digital dentures, and more. "The system can be tailored to meet the needs of any office," she says. "And they have upgrade options that you can add as your practice evolves. It is just a solid, customizable solution for any dental office."

Although each office's needs are different, Johnson believes that all practices should be going digital soon. A solution such as VeriONE can help others in the same way that it helped her in achieving her goal of providing complete patient care. "I have a very fulfilling practice," Johnson says. "Personally and professionally, I am very content."

The VeriPulse intraoral scanner requires minimal training and easily adapts into the daily workflow.
The VeriEko 3D printer achieves 95% or greater LED light uniformity and features a 128 mm × 80 mm print plate.
Whip Mix provides fast, reliable service and support for the entire system via one phone number.

CONTACT INFORMATION
Whip Mix
whipmix.com
800-626-5651