An efficient practice is also a more sustainable practice
Featured Products Promotional FeaturesPosted by: Dental Design 16th January 2022
Efficiency means the ability to do something successfully, without waste. Waste can be something abstract, like time, or physical, such as money or another resource that, once it’s gone… it’s gone.
‘Efficient’ is a word you’ll see in every dental supplies and equipment catalogue, because all practices want smooth workflows and low stock costs, at no compromise to results and level of service. If product X does the same job as products Y and Z, but promises to it more efficiently than the other options, it is likely to pique your interest.
Never underestimate the value of speed to your patients. If you are able to deliver their treatment in one 90-minute appointment, when a practice up the road offers the same in two hour-long visits, you become the more convenient option. Convenience is often a major factor for consumers’ decision-making, whatever it is they are buying, and we know that modern patients do shop around. High-quality dentistry delivered in a single session means less time off work, less juggling with other commitments – they get it done, then get on with their lives. Patients don’t want to be ripped off and they want good value, but value isn’t only defined by price. It incorporates every part of the service that they are willing to pay for and people are often very willing to pay for added convenience. Also, could you reasonably charge patients more for one, highly-convenient 90-minute appointment than your competitor charges, in total, for two? If there is demand, then absolutely yes. Efficiency is good for business.
Waste can’t be avoided, so we must minimise its impact
Efficiency is also good for the planet. Some corners of the industry have been strategising for sustainability, including ways to lower carbon emissions, for a number of years now. A 2018 report on carbon modelling for dentistry found that major areas of emissions are: travel, procurement, energy, nitrous oxide, waste and water.[i]Six years on, there is a greater commitment to change and finding practical solutions to the challenges of achieving better sustainability in dentistry. The main one is, of course, that stringent and necessary infection control protocols mean many items are considered waste after a single use and must be immediately disposed of, or require washing and/or decontamination before re-use.
So, practices must look for opportunities for sustainability where they can, to mitigate the obstacles that are presently unavoidable and need to be navigated around instead. What about adopting more energy efficient technologies, or switching to a green energy provider? Are you guilty of over-heating the practice and could you improve how the building is insulated? Migrating to paperless working is another way save energy. Digital record keeping is also highly secure as well as efficient, making documents instantly accessible to multiple users.
Digital and the green economy
In fact, ‘digital’ is another word that manufactures and distributors love to highlight when marketing cutting-edge solutions that promise to optimise efficiency.
Digital technologies can also support sustainability so that’s a win-win for the environment as well as your workflows. Certainly, there is less material waste with CAD-CAM systems, which can help you do more, quicker. Accurate diagnostics, improved communication with your lab and patients… time, money and energy are all saved when things are right, first time. For decontamination, the latest high-tech autoclave systems are another example, with smart features that perform exceptionally despite having a small carbon footprint. The new generation of autoclaves with enhanced digital capabilities make turnround times shorter, reducing bottlenecks and ensuring the team can get on with delivering treatment, with certain models programmable so the chamber can be heated before the practice opens in the morning. The SciCan STATIM® B is one such model; a compact 6-litre vacuum autoclave for enhanced infection control in any-size practice. WiFi-enabled technology enables cycle logging, data storage and traceable load release and users can benefit from automatic software updates for connected equipment. It looks impressive too, as well as being an energy-saving, highly-efficient addition to your practice; SciCan is now part of COLTENE, the distributor and developer of world-class tools, materials and equipment for dentists.
Efficiency has always been a goal for a successful, profitable practice which is in high demand by patients – and dental professionals who want to work there. In modern dentistry, efficiency is about not wasting precious resources. The drive for more sustainable dentistry is part of a global problem but this is an industry that does produce a lot of waste, due in no small part to the processes and protocols required to deliver safe, quality treatment. Although digital solutions are not the only answer, harnessing their power in your practice can be an important step towards sustainability and reducing your carbon footprint.
For details on the STATIM® B, visit https://www.scican.com/eu/products/autoclaves/statim-b/
For more on COLTENE, visit www.coltene.com,
email info.uk@coltene.com or call 0800 254 5115.
[i] Carbon modelling within dentistry: towards a sustainable future. Centre for Sustainable Healthcare, report published by Public Health England, July 2018.
