Let’s talk about team building—but this is going to be a little different than what you normally think of. I’m not going to talk about your in-office team; I’m going to talk about your out-of-office team.
The dental professional regularly interfaces with people outside the office to provide optimal dental care for their patients. Our office is often on the phone with dental specialists in the area, as well as local laboratories and others across the United States. We’ve worked hard to develop really good relationships with all of these people and I frequently seek their advice on cases, both simple and complex. I will sometimes call the dental specialist even though I may not be sending the patient to them. A good dental specialist knows the more they educate and help you, the more you will recognize cases that need to be referred to them. I consider them valued additions to our team and to our patients’ dental health.
This is even more true in the case of the dental laboratories. Most dentists do not use their laboratories to their full capabilities. Dental lab technicians in this country have a wealth of information that can help you and your dental practice. If I have a case that is a little bit complex, I will discuss it with my dental laboratory beforehand. It will make the entire case go more smoothly.
Many dentists are almost insulted when the laboratory calls and asks a question. Believe me, they are doing you a favor! I welcome and encourage the laboratory to call me if they have any questions about a case. This will make the entire case easier once we get to the seat appointment. I will know what to expect if the dental laboratory tells me the case will take a little extra time to seat, or whether a little extra occlusal adjustment is needed.
In those cases where you are looking to try something new or just getting started with a certain technique, I will always send the case to the lab ahead of time. I let the lab do a diagnostic wax up or at least let them take a look at it so they can tell me if what I’m thinking is appropriate for the case. There are so many laboratory choices out there; it’s impossible for the dentist to know of all the applications of all the different lab products.
For example, I remember doing Valplast metal-less dentures years ago. I did a few cases and had some success. I recently wanted to try a combination Captek crown and Valplast case. Before I even wrote the lab slip, while I had the patient in the chair, I called Trident Dental Laboratory and spoke to a technician who was very knowledgeable and really helped with this case. The patient was a difficult patient and I didn’t need any more aggravation (nor did I want any surprises). The lab tech at Trident was incredibly helpful and walked me through the best way to treat this case. Both the patient and I were very pleased with the result.
If you are trying a new technique, such as no prep veneers, I highly encourage you to send the models to Cerinate Design Studio ahead of time so that they can properly plan a Lumineer case with you. I’ve been doing no prep Lumineers for 25 years and I still send cases in for a diagnostic wax up ahead of time. It lets me know what is possible for the patient, and I get a beautiful model back that I can show the patient, which certainly has been proven to help them accept bigger treatment plans. The Cerinate Design Studio will also red line the pre-op model so that I will know where a minor enameloplasty may have to be done so that I can get the best result with Lumineers.
We have an excellent relationship with our local laboratory here in Cleveland as well. B & B Dental Laboratory, named for the husband and wife team that runs it, Bill and Billie Sholomon, are the most wonderful people in the world. They are always there for us for whatever we need.
Trident Dental Labs, Cerinate Design Studios, and B & B Dental Labs are very trusted members of our dental team, even though they are not physically present in our office. It takes great communication and planning to build that kind of teamwork and it is worth every second. Make your out-of-office team an equal part of your entire team so that you can provide faster, easier, and better dentistry for your patients.