by Dr. Joe Blaes
ChaseHealthAdvance financing optionsSM by Chase — We are currently in very unsettled financial times. The stock market has collapsed, leaving many people concerned about their savings. We have a new president who is promising change but we are unsure how it will affect both our businesses and personal lives. During this time, we need to keep our dental practices thriving and growing. That means keeping production and collection levels up. In a tight economy, communicating affordability upfront is essential to increasing case acceptance, or just keeping it at a profitable level. Many patients who may not have thought about financing before are considering it now because they would rather hold onto their money. We find that the use of an interest-free payment plan really speaks to this group of people. Using tracking and reporting tools to understand conversion rates and monitoring practice activities is always good practice. In challenging economic times it’s important to track the effectiveness of your financing to make sure you are maximizing every opportunity. ChaseHealthAdvance’s provider Web site is available 24/7 to review application volume, approvals, and conversions to treatment. Plus, practices can view handy graphs to see trends as well as view their open approvals so staff can follow up with approved patients who have not booked treatment. The site also offers a free, customized, fee-presentation worksheet to assist with consultations as well as a tool to set and track productivity goals. With Chase, you have your own practice consultant who is a single point of contact to work directly with your staff. No down payment is required, so your patients can finance up to 100% of the procedure costs, and all patients receive a generous $5,000 minimum credit line. And for those large cases, you can get extended payment plans for up to 48 months. For more information, call (888) 388-7633 or visit www.ChaseHealthAdvance.com.
TLC Technology Lighting Center from Seltzer Institute — Many times a great dental product is missed. It might be because it is made by a company that sells direct and you don’t even know about it. I look for these types of products because many times they are just what a dentist is seeking. The TLC Technology Lighting Center is an ingenious system that melts patients’ anxiety away (and your stress from it) by combining a no-heat, glare-free fiberoptic operating light with a high-definition monitor above the patient’s head. It keeps the head perfectly still, the chin up, and relaxes patients as they watch TV or a movie. It also shows X-rays, charting, and other patient-education programs to increase case acceptance, all without having to reposition the patient. The TLC has been available for more than five years and is used by dentists in 49 states and nine countries. Invented by my friend and high-tech dentistry expert, Steve Seltzer, the TLC’s esthetics and function literally have patient after patient saying, “Wow,” and not caring how long they’re in the chair. The TLC and its dentists have been recognized extensively through numerous design and “top product” awards. Order from Seltzer Institute at (800) 229-8967, e-mail steve@hitecden tist.com, or visit www.tlcdentist.com or www.tlcpediatric.com for more information.
The SPEE Slenderizer™ by SPEE Corporation — This is the ideal system for anyone who is concerned about patient safety as well as chair-side productivity. How often have you worried about reducing too much enamel while doing interproximal tooth reduction (IPR) for minor tooth movement procedures, or had a hard time finding the right diamond to reduce the mesial or distal contact while prepping a veneer? Have you ever had your patient move while you were spinning a diamond disk right next to soft tissue? Well, I have, and I can tell you it wasn’t pretty and the patient wasn’t very happy, either! The SPEE Slenderizer System is the safest IPR System, period. If you are using Invisalign® to treat your patients, you must have this system in your practice. IPR procedures help to minimize treatment time while offering increased stability post-orthodontics. While using a disk compared to strips dramatically increases efficiency, until now most disk procedures were performed at 20,000 to 30,000 rpm with no safety guard to protect the patient. The Slenderizer’s patent pending 16:1 Straight Reduction Handpiece slows down the rotation of the diamond disk to 800 to 1,000 rpm without losing any of the power needed to properly perform the procedure. In combination with the patented Clear Disposable Disk Guard™, you can rest easy in knowing that you have the control and safety to remove just enough enamel, while having the confidence that your patient is safe. The addition of finger rests to the edge of the guard allows you to control the unit right at the cutting surface and prevent any problems that can occur during the IPR procedure. SPEE offers the system with a 30-day, money-back guarantee, but once you try it, you won’t send it back. Contact SPEE at (866) 369-1978 or www.speecorp.com/offer/trial for more information and a special offer.
Esthet•X® HD High Definition Micro Matrix Restorative by DENTSPLY Caulk — Newly optimized filler technology removes the frequency of larger particles, and results in targeted filler particle sizes and distribution, which provide faster polish and better physical properties. This restorative provides great performance that makes it ideal for all cavity classes. Esthet•X HD provides a blending of strength, handling, and consistently natural-looking results. As a result of new filler chemistry, the filler particle size and distribution are controlled to provide better composite restorations that polish easily and quickly to a brilliant finish with durable, long-lasting results. There seems to be a movement back to using a single shade, so whether you’re layering multiple shades and opacities or using a single shade, Esthet•X HD provides a combination of handling and optical properties for replacing natural tooth structure. This composite combines sculptable handling that stays where you put it with a great nonsticky consistency for anterior and posterior restorations. The recipe on each shade guide tab takes away much of the shade selection guesswork, letting you start the restoration sooner. Whether you need to place one shade or layer different opacities, Esthet•X HD Micro Matrix Restorative makes it easy to do your best work. The final result is a composite that has better physical properties, a durable polish, and great handling characteristics. Order from your dealer or call (800) LD-CAULK or visit www.caulk.com for more information.
