Is your equipment slowing your practice down?

Any dentist who has been hit with a costly repair bill for practice equipment, only to be told the fault may have been prevented through routine maintenance, will understand the importance of looking after the thousands of pounds of equipment needed to keep a practice running smoothly.

Repair bills aren’t the only financial consequence of failing to maintain your equipment. It’s believed the average practice will lose £2,000 each day if it’s forced to close.

If you add up how much you paid for practice equipment that requires regular servicing – where it’s not being serviced in line with manufacturers guidelines – and ask yourself whether you can afford to replace it - what would the answer be?

Could your practice run without those pieces of equipment? Could you afford to replace them quickly? Is that a risk you’re willing to take?

Protect your practice and patients with our recommendations.

Know your manufacturer recommendations

Failure to follow a manufacturer’s guidance on maintenance intervals, servicing agreements and registered technicians may invalidate a warranty – potentially leaving you with a costly decision between replacement or repair.

Don’t put it off

In a busy practice it can be difficult to manage everything that contributes to its smooth running, but it’s vital that servicing is carried out regularly. Otherwise it may result in equipment failure and costly repairs.

If something’s not right. Call in the experts

Unlike a car, dental equipment rarely has a warning light to tell you when something is wrong and needs attention. If you hear the equipment making an unusual noise or it’s not quite working as it should don’t continue to use it without calling for expert assistance.

By carrying on without support you could cause further damage and potentially, put your patient at risk.

Consolidate   

With a vast range of equipment in surgery it’s an impossible task to manage each item individually.

Instead, consolidate all the servicing agreements with one provider, that way servicing intervals can be managed collectively, and all agreements are held with one provider.

Buy yourself more time

With so much technology and engineering involved in the make-up of a dental practice it’s a reality that from time to time things need attention beyond servicing and maintenance.

To alleviate the impact, consider the benefits of extended warrantee agreements to ensure your investment is protected and, if the worst should happen, you will be offered a full replacement.

Don’t be slowed down by poorly performing equipment

If you have neglected your equipment or its old, it’s always worth gaining a health check to see if upgrading is the best option for your practice. Servicing can prolong the life of equipment, but without it, the aging process will speed up and mean more frequent investment and more downtime.

Ask for help

Equipment isn’t your area of expertise. Dentistry is. Therefore, ask the experts for support and advice. That way you can get on with your day job of treating patients and running a successful dental practice.

The cost of equipment neglect isn’t just financial. Poorly maintained equipment will slow the practice down, cause frustration and could even be putting your team and patients at risk.

Good equipment maintenance goes hand in hand with sound surgery protocols.

DD has a dedicated equipment department which supplies, installs and maintains everything from dental chairs and cabinetry through to the latest digital imaging systems and specialist product catalogues featuring orthodontic, oral hygiene and facial aesthetic product ranges.

It was founded almost 50 years ago and now employs over 600 people across the UK, including a state-of-the-art automated warehouse at the head office in Witham, Essex, which houses more than 27,000 product lines.