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Forward-thinking dental practices have been rapidly adopting chairside CAD/CAM systems to provide patients with dental restorations in a single visit. Simply stated, dental CAD/CAM technology has clearly fulfilled the promise to make it easier for patients to accept treatment and for practices to thrive. However, despite this rapid adoption rate, there are still many practices that have not yet embraced chairside CAD/CAM technology and realized the full potential of digital transformation for their restorative workflows. Given the competitive edge and increased productivity that dentists experience by offering patients same-visit restorations, it is worth looking into the factors that are holding some practices back.

Concerns expressed by some practices include:

• High cost of acquiring equipment, as well as ongoing fees
• Uncertainty regarding whether digital workflows, particularly single-visit dentistry, are right for the practice
• Fear that required training and ongoing support will not be sufficient or reliable
• Concerns about the team’s openness to adopting new technology
• Perceived complexity of the restoration design process and fear of having to become a lab technician in order to succeed at same-visit dentistry

Importantly, COVID-19 has heightened demand for digital solutions that enhance safety, deliver straightforward and predictable treatments, and minimize chair time while offering a better patient experience. Now, more than ever, CAD/CAM dentistry can be the answer for your practice — but only if doctors can finally find answers to the questions that are holding them back.

From your patient’s perspective, the convenience of receiving a crown in one appointment is quite compelling. In addition, the digital workflow for same-visit crowns eliminates the “goop” used in traditional VPS impressions while reducing the need for temporaries and multiple injections of anesthesia.

The appeal of single-appointment dentistry is illustrated by a survey of dental patients, which found that:¹

• 85% of patients would prefer same-visit dentistry
• 50% would pay more to receive a restoration in one appointment
• 67% would travel farther
• Two out of three would change dentists to book a single-visit appointment
• Same-visit crowns are the No. 1 patient-requested dental technology

In fact, another survey of dental professionals reported that 59% have received questions from patients about CAD/CAM technology.²

COVID-19 has further increased patients’ interest in single-visit dentistry due to heightened reluctance about taking excessive time away from work.

According to Dr. Scott Methven, a dentist with a private practice in Wasilla, Alaska: “Patients are thrilled to have single-day restorations. In the vast majority of crown cases, glidewell.io™ allows them to visit our office just once rather than multiple times over several weeks.”

For your team, bringing CAD/CAM technology into the practice provides an opportunity to both learn new skills and better serve patients, resulting in greater job satisfaction. Importantly, in what is proving to be a tight market for attracting and retaining team members, the addition of CAD/CAM technology gives you an advantage over less progressive practices in the area.

Natalie Arverruz, RDA, from Costa Mesa, California, says: “Learning how to use glidewell.io is easy thanks to the training and support from Glidewell. As a team member, I’m pretty proud of the new skills I’m picking up as I become more proficient with the system.”

Dr. Cary LaCouture of Parker, Colorado, emphasizes the team-building experience that adding chairside CAD/CAM technology has brought to his practice. “As a dental restorative team, we’ve embraced a same-appointment workflow,” says Dr. LaCouture. “I don’t know that anything has galvanized our team more, as together we strive to deliver a smooth process for each patient. It’s fun!”

For the practice, the benefits can include more efficient workflows, resulting in increased productivity, faster collections, an improved patient experience that builds loyalty and referrals, new patients attracted by the promise of single-visit dentistry, and greater control over your most precious commodity: time.

Let’s start with the equipment, which includes an intraoral scanner, design software and station, mill, and oven. These are available as either closed systems, in which all components are from a single manufacturer, or open systems, in which components can be purchased from multiple manufacturers. Then there is the glidewell.io In-Office Solution, which offers a seamless workflow when paired with an iTero Element^® imaging system or can be used with all other intraoral scanners.

With CEREC^®, the market incumbent and prime example of a closed system, costs can exceed $150,000. By contrast, you can pay as little as $69,995 for the glidewell.io system. If you already own a scanner, the cost of glidewell.io is only $54,995.

Designed and built in the U.S., glidewell.io is a manufacturer-direct option that is over $80,000 less than the market leader.

In Dr. LaCouture’s estimation: “Initial expense is no longer a significant barrier to entry. With attractive financing options and immediate lab savings on every case, Glidewell offers a flexible CAD/CAM solution that can pay for itself quickly and well into the digital future — which appears to be a lot closer than it once did.”

Monthly fees are typically required to cover warranty service and software license. These fees may be clearly identified but are sometimes bundled and labeled as a “club membership” (or other, less transparent wording).

In the case of the glidewell.io In-Office Solution, the first year of hardware support and warranty coverage, as well as software support and license, is included in the purchase price.

Beginning in month No. 13, software support and license is $250 per month. Also, in month No. 13, you can elect to purchase optional hardware support and warranty coverage for $210 per month. In today’s low interest rate environment, many doctors are choosing to bundle fees with the equipment when financing their purchase.