Dental technology which is still advancing at astonishing speed—enables today’s practitioners to do things that would have been close to impossible just twenty years ago – making for one of the most exciting times in history for the practice of dentistry. And also one of the most competitive: some say that as technology becomes the norm within the dental community, “it may become necessary to stay current with recent developments — not to jump ahead of the competition, but to avoid falling behind.” (1)
At the same time, Boyd Industries CEO Adrian LaTrace notes, the dental field has in many ways become more challenging. To be successful, a dentist needs to retain his or her current patients and—through individual recommendation, word of mouth, or reputation in the professional community—obtain a steady stream of new ones.
Technology can help. To improve overall customer satisfaction and retention rates, and to gain an edge over their competitors, today’s dentists are increasingly likely to purchase new technologies as soon as they are proven and available.
In fact, says LaTrace, they have little choice. “Technology is a two-edged sword. If it’s a capability you have that shows you’re up to the minute in being able to take care of your patients, it’s a positive differentiator. If it’s something the other guy can do and you can’t, it’s a negative differentiator.”
Changing model. Keeping up with technology, and providing the cash flow necessary to support it, is in some ways changing the structure of the field itself. Where a generation ago the standard model was the self-contained sole practitioner, the need for increased efficiency—both operational and economic—is leading to larger multi-dentist, multi-site practices. In addition, health care reform and Medicaid expansions with an increasing emphasis on outcomes and cost-effectiveness will encourage alternative models of dental care.
On top of all this, the demographic profile of dentists themselves is changing. Millennials are now graduating from dental school, bringing with them their generation’s attitudes and desires about how and why they work. More women are entering the field. Looking at the overall picture and project it out, therein lies the new dentistry: a profession that is very technologically advanced, younger than it used to be, more female than it used to be, and—in a lot of ways—more businesslike than it used to be.
Boyd Industries has seen many changes through its 58-year trek in the industry and predicts many more changes will affect the New Dentistry.
Pioneering supplier. Boyd Industries has been helping dentists and doctors do their jobs for nearly sixty years. Shortly after he started the company in 1957 as a custom residential furniture manufacturer, founder William Gray Boyd was approached by dental customers, who wanted equipment that would allow them to practice from a seated position. This was something the furniture of the day did not allow, and in meeting his customers’ needs, Mr. Boyd became a pioneer of “sit-down” dentistry, which not only increased practitioner comfort but shortened treatment times. By 1960 it was well on its way to becoming a standard practice.
Today, Boyd is the market leader in dental specialty equipment, providing exam/treatment chairs, surgical tables, doctor/assistant seating, lighting, custom cabinetry, delivery systems, and video game consoles (to help entertain and relax adolescent patients of dentists, and sometimes their parents) to dentists across the United States.
Boyd works closely with its clients and their office designers to make certain that its furniture and fixtures provide the combination of efficiency, comfort, and attractiveness required for a successful modern practice. “We understand the new dentistry and what it requires,” says LaTrace. “Our mission is to provide environments that support dentists’ profitability and growth by helping them retain clients, bring on new ones, and simultaneously raise productivity and improve patient care.”
BOYD Industries
www.boydindustries.com
About Adrian LaTrace:
Adrian E. LaTrace comes to Boyd Industries with more than 25 years of leadership in companies ranging from start-ups to large public corporations in the healthcare, renewable energy, and aerospace industries. His experience in developing high-performance organizations is helping Boyd provide leadership for the dental equipment needs of the future
- Carson, Elliott. “Integrating Technology into Your Dental Practice.” N.p., 13 Aug. 2014. Web. 15 Mar. 2016. dentaleconomics.com/articles/
print/volume-104/issue-8/ features/integrating- technology-into-your-dental- practice.html.
