Trident Dental Laboratories Takes Full Service Approach by Sally McKenzie “It’s the whole package.” That phrase often comes to mind when you think about those things or individuals that offer everything you could want, such as a new car equipped with all the options; a prospective employee with the brains, talent, and personality to fit perfectly in the position you are filling in your practice; a fabulous vacation package with everything luxurious included, your dental laboratory… …Yes, your dental laboratory. Perhaps that’s not a phrase you typically associate with your laboratory. As advances in dental techniques and materials impact the dental profession at an ever faster clip, the better laboratories are distinguishing themselves as full-service dental businesses that are capable of delivering “the whole package” for busy dental practices. Dentists have certainly long depended upon quality laboratories to expertly craft full and partial dentures, crowns, and bridges. Today’s more customer-focused dental laboratories are becoming effective, behind-the-scenes partners with dentists and providing a full range of services and products. As dentistry has seen marked improvements in technologies, methods, and products, patient expectations have increased exponentially. This is a shift that has not gone unnoticed by those dental laboratories that seek to provide superior service to dentists and set themselves apart in today’s changing and more demanding dental marketplace. These elite, full-service dental laboratories are offering “the whole package,” including a selection of value-added services and products, such as patient education tools, practice development kits, and educational training. For example, the Extreme Smile Makeover Kit is an essential tool in helping patients to fully envision a magnificent smile, from the Patient Education Handbook, Rate Your Smile Quiz, to the Patient Education Video that explains restorative options, to the informative Patient Education Flip Chart, to the “Patient Education Chart,” that enables the patient to clearly understand the proposed treatment plan. How much of the “package” are you receiving from your current laboratory? Does it offer Practice Development Kits such as Valplast®, Captek™, or Portrait® IPN? Is there ready access to informative patient brochures, DVDs, and visual aids that clearly explain and demonstrate to patients the quality of the materials utilized such as Procera®, IPS Eris®, or Tri-Temps™? Patients expect the whole package from you and your team. They want to make informed decisions, as well as understand why you recommend a specific treatment plan. They want to be assured that the quality of the materials you choose for their oral health needs is unsurpassed. Perhaps it’s time you expected your laboratory to deliver the whole package as well. *Sally McKenzie, Certified Management Consultant, is a nationally-known lecturer, author, and Consultant to the Council on Dental Practice of the ADA. She is CEO of The McKenzie Company, Inc., which provides success proven management systems to dentistry since 1980 and offers a full line of educational management products at www.mckenziemgmt.com. She is founder of The Center for Dental Career Development, which provides advanced education to the dental profession online at www.dentalcareerdevelop.com or in La Jolla, CA. To receive Sally McKenzie’s Weekly e-Management newsletter, which provides targeted management tips, call Sally toll-free at 877-777-6151, email sallymck@mckenziemgmt.com.