As a business owner, I’m a bit of a risk taker. One of my long-term strategies to control risk is to own as many components of my business as possible — the buildings, the laboratory systems, the research & development, the component manufacturing, etc. When you’re not the owner, you’re at the mercy of the people who are, and that means someone else controls your destiny.

Nearly two decades ago I spun up an implant manufacturing team, with the goal of creating all the implants and associated components needed to facilitate our customer’s implant cases. As our expertise grew over the years and the manufacturing systems became more advanced, I recognized that implant dentistry is a very tightly controlled space. Big manufacturers maintain high prices for labs and dentists; insurance companies set poor reimbursement rates for patients. There are large profit margins for the owners, and patients are worse off for it.

With that challenge in mind, I want to take a risk. Glidewell will sell our Glidewell HT™ Implant for just $99. Dentists can now purchase an American-made implant for about one-fifth the cost of the other big-name brands. My hope is that this gives the practitioner more control over making treatment decisions, with the benefits of implant therapy being experienced by more patients in need.

At this point you’re probably asking, “What’s the catch?” There is no catch. You’re going to get a proven product that’s made with the same manufacturing systems and materials as the big guys, but we’re charging you hundreds of dollars less. I have a lot more to say about this topic, and I’d encourage you to read my article, “Why Do You Pay So Much for Implants?” in this issue of Integrate™ magazine.

The privilege of being business owners is that we can make changes that we believe will benefit our customers, employees and families — all while limiting the impact of those who don’t share our priorities.