A Guide for Purchasing Lab Equipment in Today’s Dental Lab Industry
Lab equipment is an expensive capital investment; any purchased equipment can affect your business’ financial performance. As one of the essential parts of any dental lab, they are purchasing dental lab equipment has become more than just a simple matter of choice. The external factors affecting the financial stability of today’s dental labs have created outsourcing for larger, foreign laboratories due to equipment costs, the time invested in running the equipment, and, most importantly, the quality of the products produced by that equipment. Dentists searching for small dental laboratories find it difficult to trust companies that grow in size or maintain mid-size to large companies that can produce the same quality necessary to help practices stay afloat.
It all comes down to costs; even with the advancement of new digital technology, those who have managed to stay active will be able to adapt, but those who maintain smaller establishments will find that the price-point for these new adaptations in lab equipment will empty more pockets and leave practices dry. For dental technicians, smart choices need to be made to achieve financial stability. So, what should small laboratories consider when purchasing equipment? Specialty labs.
Specializing in a particular fabrication process or working material can help create an individualized image of the company and ensure a long-term outcome for success. When revamping or starting a dental lab, dental technicians need to consider the image of their business and compare it with what they can afford. Full-service labs have to be the jack-of-all-trades when it comes to their equipment, meaning they’ll need larger budgets and more massive loan payouts. Specialty labs, such as ones that focus on restorations, then invest in equipment to become a more selective process that helps narrow down the essentials and save money.
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To get a better idea of what your business image is, ask yourself questions, such as:
- What systems do I understand and work with best? Where does my talent show within the dental industry?
- What do my financial statements say about my business? What areas of dentistry does my business most apply to?
- What products do my clients most often request from my business?
- What are my current equipment/material sources? How much money is allocated to those resources?
- How do I keep myself technologically advanced in today’s industry?
By asking yourself these questions, you’ll gain a deeper insight into what your business can and will look like with the variables at hand. When deciding on what equipment to purchase, consider these ideas as a pointer for making the most financially sound choices:
- Financing Your Purchases: Purchasing new equipment might require you to need practice expenditures on hand, and give you more financial flexibility.
- Life Term: How long will the equipment last? If it has a lifeline of 5 years, then don’t finance it for more than it’s worth.
- Find the Best Rates: Go for the rate that gives your laboratory more breathing room, especially if you have taken out utility loans.
- Look for Trustworthy Lenders: Often, the company that manufactured the product will have the best price, especially if you’ve spoken with a sales representative.
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1. Techceram
Techceram, now owned by Henry Schein Inc, is an equipment manufacturer and laboratory service company located in the United Kingdom that develops and patents its own products and research. The company aims to support small laboratories through manufacturing 3D printers, milling machines, scanners, software, and lab materials. Techceram clinically tests their products through rigorous procedures, aimed at giving confidence towards the buyer, and their professional teams of technicians work to provide advice, materials, equipment, and lab services to dental clients all over the world.
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2. Nowak Dental Supplies
Nowak Dental Supplies, founded in 1944, has been a family-owned corporation for over 70 years and has provided dentists and dental labs with the latest equipment and technology. As a small corporation, Nowak Dental Supplies focuses on personalized services, giving the latest technology for the most affordable prices. Nowak Dental Supplies has partnered with laboratories for years and aims to avoid runaround times while providing exceptional customer service to clients.
3. 3Shape
3Shape develops CAD/CAM software and 3D scanner solutions for the dental and audio industry, and they sell over 31 million dental unit systems yearly to practices and dental labs across the world. 3Shape leads in digital dentistry, providing next-generation technology to improve the lives of dentists everywhere. 3Shape also advances in the continual support of digital design and production by improving the designs of their products through understanding ergonomics and dental office production. The company works with innovators across the world to deliver these solutions, and through their approved distributors, offer valuable prices.
4. Dental Wings
Dental Wings is a subsection of the Straumann Group brand that specializes in chairside solutions for dentists and dental technicians. Dental Wings provides CAD/CAM software, impression scanners, 3D printing systems, and digital implant planning software for dental labs who wish to specialize and cater to their dental clients. The company, founded in 2007, aims to create a large, global network of digital professionals working to improve manufacturing, design, and diagnostics of dental services. Dental Wings has a complete outline of dental lab equipment for all lab solution needs by partnering with major brand names such as 3M, Atlantis, Benco, and Opera System.
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5. Medical Expo
Medical Expo is a dental supply company under the operation of Virtual Expo Group, where their expertise involves helping B2B projects become a reality. Medical Expo selects its product range from the top companies and offers them an interactive platform for ease of purchasing with over 150,000 medical equipment products, making them one of the largest suppliers in the dental industry. Medical imaging to dental laboratories, Medical Expo updates their products daily with the latest deals for the most necessary equipment needed in the market.
Among this selection of companies, others such as KaVo Dental, Henry Schein, and Patterson Dental have excellent selections for dental lab equipment that you can shop from to gain the best price.
