As the business of dentistry continues to change in response to the anemic growth of the U.S. economy, the need for technology becomes more and more obvious.

Dental practices throughout the country are experiencing rising costs due to changes in healthcare, taxes, and more expensive materials. At the same time, many practices are seeing their fees, as well as their reimbursement rates shrinking.

Rising costs and shrinking fees lead to decreased profitability. Million Dollar PPO Coaching and Consulting focuses on managing profitability through maximizing efficiency.

Technique CAD/CAM Restoration Traditional Lab Restoration
Lab Cost $0.00 $100-$250
Materials $40-$60 $20-$40
Visits 1 (90 minutes) 2-3 (90-120 visits)

Using CAD/CAM in the treatment room to fabricate inlays, onlays, and crowns is a very effective strategy for improving clinical efficiency. E4D by D4D Technologies allows a dentist to generate esthetic, accurate, and durable all-ceramic restorations in fewer visits, and for less money than traditional crown-and-bridge.

The average cost of traditional laboratory restorative dentistry varies from $120-$290 per unit, and the average time it takes to complete a restoration is 90-120 minutes over 2-3 visits. The average cost of CAD/CAM restorative dentistry is $50, and the average time it takes to complete a restoration is less than 90 minutes in a single visit. The savings in time, visits, and overhead has a significant and immediate impact on the efficiency and profitability of a practice. Single-visit dentistry is more efficient, less costly, and more convenient.

Not only does CAD/CAM save time and money, it also has a significant impact on case acceptance, and improves the marketability of a practice. Time is a significant barrier to treatment for many patients. The need for multiple visits creates challenges for many patients. Eliminating one or two additional visits for a crown can help remove a barrier and change a “no” to a “yes.”

Adding new patients is always a focus for the offices that we work with. Creating unique attributes within an office helps to more effectively market your business. If you can include convenience as well as the hi-tech “wow” factor in your marketing campaign, you will certainly experience a more positive growth in your business.

Although the cost of E4D can be overwhelming at first, once you have evaluated the immediate, and long-term improvements in efficiency that CAD/CAM technology can provide, it becomes obvious that E4D is a piece of equipment that you cannot afford to practice without.

Look at the facts and compare the costs. Then shift your mindset from “I can’t afford that machine in this economy” to “with the economy changing, I can’t afford to be without CAD/CAM if I want to remain competitive.”

Dr. Matthew Krieger is CEO and founder of Million Dollar PPO, a dental practice consulting and coaching company serving dentists across the United States. Its core philosophy is increasing profitability through increasing efficiency. It works with its clients through various programs to ensure that they have the understanding and the tools to create the practice that they’ve always dreamed of.