Knowledge for Growth

Knowing your options

As the landscape in dental laboratory technology continues to evolve, the operating decisions pertinent to the business must evolve with it. A thriving and growing business needs to consistently examine its own manufacturing and business processes as well as practices, which include purchasing equipment and materials to offer its clientele competitive products and enhanced services. It is often suggested to maintain 5% to 10% of annual revenues and invest the capital back into the business—for equipment, materials, infrastructure, and more—to continue to maintain a healthy and viable enterprise.

Selecting and purchasing equipment and materials can at times be daunting. There are so many options, indications, workflows, and outcomes to consider. Which solution or product would be the best for my laboratory? Which product or service can my laboratory utilize to achieve the best returns on my investment? How can I scale this product and capture greater revenues and profitability? The room for error is very small and every decision we make for our dental laboratory businesses must be well-researched and executed to reap the greatest benefits without any costly losses.

In the spirit of providing the greatest level of information, IDT aggregates all the most pertinent and relevant information encompassing multiple verticals in dental laboratory technology—including equipment and materials in 3D printing, milling, scanning, zirconia, digital dentures, and so much more—to assist you with your purchasing decisions. Furthermore, if a certain technology or material is unattainable at this stage of your laboratory's growth, there is a chart showing the options available in partnering with an outsource vendor, affording your laboratory the opportunity to profit from these advancements without making significant capital investments.

With the newly redesigned charts in this issue, we try to illustrate the most relevant components that would provide you, your laboratory, and your clientele with the most appropriate products and services, as well as superior keen insights with regards to efficiencies, business continuity options, and scalability to maximize your purchasing power. The information laboratories need in order to make those purchasing decisions is here in our annual Product iNavigator issue, a complete and comprehensive resource for your laboratory's continued growth.

Enjoy the newly redesigned IDT Product iNavigator issue and keep it readily available as a resource to use throughout the year.

Daniel Alter, MSc, MDT, CDT
Executive Editor • dalter@aegiscomm.com