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NOVEMBER 2013, $5.95 INC. GST

SPECIAL REPORT

Bite’s annual guide to the best intraoral

cameras and related products

Shop stewardsWhat are the positives (and pitfalls) of opening a surgery in a shopping centre? 2

Herding catsTips on employing dentists (for non-dentist practice owners)

Managing changeThe world and the profession have changed enormously over the past decade. How do you manage it in your practice? Page 28

Holiday in CambodiaDental tourism—what are patients really facing?

Dr Larry Benge has hit the airwaves in Sydney and Melbourne to share the news about good oral health

Spreading the word

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COVER STORY YOUR BUSINESS YOUR TOOLS YOUR LIFECONTENTS

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Contents

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custom content9,231 - CAB Audited as at March 2013

Editorial Director Rob Johnson

Sub-editor Kerryn Ramsey

Creative Director Tim Donnellan

Contributors John Burfitt, Julie Masis, Sue Nelson, Chris Sheedy

Commercial Director Mark Brown

Sales Director Adam Cosgrove

For all editorial or advertisingenquiries: Phone (02) 9660 6995 Fax (02) 9518 [email protected]

Bite magazine is published 11 times a year by Engage Media, Suite 4.17, 55 Miller Street, Pyrmont NSW 2009. ABN 50 115 977 421. Views expressed in Bite magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher, editor or Engage Media. Printed by Bright Print Group

NEWS & EVENTS4. NIB embraces medical tourismThe health insurer looks at the financial op-portunities of medical tourism; the Dental Board announces students can register early; Queensland dental waiting lists are blitzed; the alarming rise in mouth cancer; and more…

YOUR WORLD15. Holiday in CambodiaAs Australian health funds look at medical tour-ism as a serious option, Cambodian companies are looking for Aussie patients

YOUR BUSINESS12. Centre stageLooking at opening a surgery in a shopping centre? Here are the pros and cons from dentists, business people and designers

18. Who’s the boss?Dental practice owners who are not dentists face special challenges in running their businesses. But the drive and entrepreneurial spirit that made them want to own a practice in the first place often sees them find creative solutions

28. Managing changeAt a time of revolutionary changes within the business world, is it really necessary to follow suit with a revolution in our own business place? Not necessarily, claim experts who instead call for a return to the fundamentals

YOUR TOOLS

31. Product guideBite magazine’s guide to the best intraoral cam-era products for dentists on the market today

39. Tools of the tradeThe 3D scanner that takes dentistry out of the dark ages; the rings that run rings around others; and more are in review this month

YOUR LIFE 42. Breaking boardIt took Dr Jodie Olivier just six years to earn her black belt in taekwondo

November 2013

COVER STORY Man of the peopleDr Larry Benge has used his thirty-plus years of experience to build a media career—here he explains why dentists need to be proactive about their business and developing their public profile

COVER STORY YOUR BUSINESS YOUR TOOLS YOUR LIFENEWS &EVENTS

NIB chief executive Mark Fitzgibbon told shareholders at its annual meeting in Newcastle last month that the

health insurer was asking itself, “How can we hitch our wagon to the global thematic of people travelling across borders for their healthcare?”.

However, Australian Dental Association federal president Dr Karin Alexander criticised the decision, telling The Australian newspaper that, while prices for offshore treatment seemed cheaper, there was no way that the quality of work performed overseas could be guaranteed.

“We have a very high level of regulation in Australia to ensure safety and we also have rules about security of the workforce and those elements aren’t there in most Asian countries,” she said.

“Dentistry is rarely a one-off operation, but instead requires ongoing consultation, and that requires an individual dentist who knows an individual and what their issues are. Any work done overseas can’t really be followed up anywhere in Australia.”

Dr Alexander said the sort of dental work that Australians went to Asia for was generally high-end operations such as crown work or implants.

“What worries me about having health funds [that] try to provide some sort of quality assurance measures is

just how independent they would be. If they employ someone to check out Asian dentists, would that person be fully independent or would they be paid for by the health fund?”

When questioned about the ADA’s opposition to the scheme (as well as other peak medical bodies), Fitzgibbon said that the two peak bodies were part of NIB’s consultation over the scheme.

“The response is not surprising,” he said. “You will always have a bias to the status quo. I’m confident they will accept this as a sensible option to improve the quality of something that is already happening.”

Meanwhile, Australians are setting up dental tourism companies in South-East Asia (see article on page 15) as a way of appealing to Australians who are considering dental tourism.

04

NIB embraces medical tourismThe health insurer is looking to grow its business by “hitching the wagon” to medical tourists

The Dental Board of Australia (DBA) has announced that final-year students can go online now to apply for registration as a dental practitioner before they graduate. The online graduate application service at the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) website enables final-year students to apply for registration four to six weeks before completing their course.

It aims to smooth the path from study to work in five simple steps and online applications are being called for now. All applicants are required to return some supporting documents to AHPRA by mail to complete the application.

Dental Board of Australia chair, Dr John Lockwood AM, said a graduate of an approved program of study must also meet the National Board’s registration requirements to become a

registered health practitioner. Registration standards that relate to the new graduate are criminal history, English language skills, and professional indemnity insurance.

“Graduates need to be a registered health practitioner before they can start practising and are urged to go online and apply for registration four to six weeks before completing their course,” Dr Lockwood said.

“Graduates wishing to apply for registration in more than one division of the profession, such as a dental therapist and a dental hygienist, are also urged to apply early using the appropriate streamlined graduate application form.

“It is important that graduates read all the information about what documents must be sent to AHPRA in support of their application,” he said.

Dental students urged to register

Australian Dental Association federal president Dr Karin Alexander

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COVER STORY YOUR BUSINESS YOUR TOOLS YOUR LIFENEWS & EVENTS

The state of playThe 2012/13 annual report of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and the national boards has been published. The report details the work of the national boards and AHPRA in implementing the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme over the 12 months to 30 June 2013.

There are now more than 590,000 health practitioners registered to practise in Australia—an increase in all professions and more than ever before—with one in 20 working Australians a registered health practitioner.

For the dental profession, the report

reveals that: 19,912 dental practitioners were registered at the end of June 2013; 1052 notifications (concerns/complaints) were received about dental practitioners and of these 586 were lodged outside of NSW where there is a co-regulatory system; the board established an Oral Surgery Panel to provide advice to the board on the specialty of oral surgery; and guidelines on supervision for dental practitioners were finalised and published after consultation.

“This report explains the work we do, and accounts to the community and the health professions about how we do it,” said Dental Board of Australia chair Dr John Lockwood AM.

ANZTPA progress welcomed The ongoing commitment of dental product regulators to establish the Australia New Zealand Therapeutic Products Agency (ANZTPA) has been welcomed by the Australian Dental Industry Association (ADIA).

The new agency will replace the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and the New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority (Medsafe), and be accountable to the Australian and New Zealand governments. It will be recognised in law in both Australia and New Zealand and assume responsibility for the regulatory functions currently undertaken in both countries.

Recently industry stakeholders, including ADIA, were briefed by the TGA on the transition to ANZTPA and

the proposed regulatory framework.“The ANZTPA initiative is an important

opportunity to reduce red tape. ADIA’s focus is on using the reforms to secure a regulatory framework for dental products that is based on a risk management approach designed to ensure public health and safety, while at the same time freeing industry from an unnecessary regulatory burden,” said Troy Williams, ADIA chief executive officer.

According to ADIA, ANZTPA will deliver benefits for patients as well as benefitting the industry.

“Using ANZTPA as an instrument to reduce the regulatory burden associated with the importation of dental products will reduce the current delays associated with introducing new dental products to the market place,” Williams said.

‘Catastrophic rise’ in mouth cancer ratesMouth cancer cases in the UK are increasing at an alarming rate, according to a leading charity. Latest statistics obtained by the British Dental Health Foundation reveal that there were 7698 new cases in 2011, a rise of 50 per cent since the turn of the millennium.

There were more than 6000 new cases in England alone, while Scotland still has the most cases per 100,000 people. Almost double the number of men developed the disease compared to women.

Deaths from mouth cancer approached 2500 in 2011, with no signs of cases or deaths slowing down.

While there are no new statistics for Australia, mouth cancer is also a growing problem here, with the Australian Dental Association campaigning on mouth cancer during last year’s Dental Health Week.

In the UK throughout November the British Dental Health Foundation has organised Mouth Cancer Action month, which aims to educate the public about a disease many experts believe will continue to rise over the next decade.

06

Queensland dental blitz clears 50,000 patients

A scheme that enlists the support of private dentists has seen Queensland’s public dental waiting lists slashed over the past seven months. Queensland Health Minister Lawrence Springborg said the Newman government’s decision to introduce a voucher system giving eligible public dental patients the option to have procedures done by private dentists had resulted in 48,791 Queenslanders being taken off the dental waiting list.

“In February, there were 62,513 Queenslanders who had been waiting on public dental lists for more than two years as a result of the previous Labor government’s health disaster,” Springborg said. “However, as of September, that has reduced to 13,722. That is an amazing outcome for the health of Queenslanders.”

Springborg said the results strengthened his resolve to embrace

more partnerships with the non-government and private sectors to help deliver quality public health care across Queensland, in keeping with the LNP’s recently launched ‘Blueprint for Better Healthcare in Queensland’.

He acknowledged the federal government’s contribution of $8 million in 2012/13 to partner the state government’s $186 million investment in public dental care. Springborg said while he was pleased almost 50,000 Queenslanders had been helped, he was still mindful that nearly 14,000 people were still on the long-wait list for dental care.

“This government is determined to keep embracing new models of public healthcare,” he said.

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Southern Cross Dental Laboratories (SCDL) is excited to announce the launch of QUEST, our new premium,

Australian-made product range. QUEST – underpinned by the prin-ciples of quality, efficacy and strength – represents SCDL’s state-of-the-art, highest quality restorative products, designed and manufactured here in Australia.

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V ersion 12 of dental4windows provides the world’s first truly fully functional 3D Clinical Charting with a practical and

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3D Charting is the result of a number of years of development by Centaur Software. Dr Frank Papadopoulos says that although the dental4windows 2D Charting has been around for many years with most practices using the system still quite enthusiastic about it, the 3D Charting will provide dentists with a whole new tool to assist with Case Presentation, which in turn will increase case acceptances if used correctly. As we see the industry tighten a little with the number of patients seen now reducing and treatments also reduced,

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NEWS & EVENTS COVER STORY YOUR TOOLS YOUR LIFE

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YOUR BUSINESS

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Looking at opening a surgery in a shopping centre? Here are the pros and cons from dentists, business people and designers. By Kerryn Ramsey

arge, busy and bustling with activity, shopping centres offer everything from food and fashion to daycare and medical services. While hundreds of dental practices are positioned within these retail hotspots, they have a set of unique conditions that must be addressed.

One of the most positive aspects is parking. Dr Jason Sebastian, co-owner of Chadstone Dental, located in Chadstone

Shopping Centre close to Melbourne, sees access to parking as a real selling point for their practice. “The convenience factor is a priority for us,” he says. “There’s always heaps of parking and we highlight that in our advertising and on our website. Our clients use the shopping centre car park, do the banking and shopping, and attend their appointment all in one go.”

Dr Winnie Tang of Carindale Dental, located in the Metropol Shopping Centre in Brisbane’s Carindale, feels they are in an ideal location. “We are on a main road with lots of passing traffic,” she says. “There is a shopping centre full of eateries and the post office recently moved nearby. We’re also located near a chemist so when patients need scripts filled, it’s very convenient. On top of all this, we’re near a physio so we can refer patients with things like TMJ [temporomandibular joint disorder] issues, and BCPI [Brisbane City Periodontics & Implants] has also moved close by. Couple all that with our onsite parking and our clients are very happy.”

An important factor to consider is the positioning of the practice within the shopping centre. High visibility in a major thoroughfare means a higher passing trade but the increase in rent can neutralise the benefit. Dr Sebastian’s Chadstone practice gets virtually no passing trade. “We are a bit tucked away in the medical suite, not in the main thoroughfare. Finding us the first time can be tricky but once you know where we are, it’s pretty straight forward.”

Even though Chadstone Dental has been in the centre for 20 years and has a stable client base, Dr Sebastian is considering a move in the future. “Ideally, we would like to be positioned in a more exposed area. Despite the dramatic rent increase and the

associated cost of a new fit-out, I think it will happen within the next three to five years.”

Along with his business partners, Geoff Parkes purchased a run-down Brisbane Mall Dental Practice late last year, and has been slowly building it into a growing concern. The CBD practice is on the first floor of the 1930s-built National Australia Bank building that has since become a flagship Country Road store. Due to its heritage status, no signage is allowed on the exterior of the building. “We are limited to one little sign inside the building, next to the lifts,” says Parkes. “You wouldn’t know it was there unless you were already coming to see us. Our ability to attract passing trade or patients by external signage is basically nil.”

While Parkes’ situation is a bit extreme, the same could be said for a practice located on the upper floor of a large shopping centre, where the visibility of the practice is dramatically limited. But there are solutions to the problem.

“When you are in this situation, it heightens the importance of having a good website and having it display prominently in web searches,” says Parkes, who’s also a director of Dental Advantage Consulting Group. “You need to ensure that people looking for a new dentist or who don’t have a regular dentist will find your practice online. And, of course, once patient numbers start to build, word of mouth should never be underestimated.”

Positioning your practice in a shopping centre or mall is a balancing act between exposure and overcapitalisation. However, if you decide to locate in a high-traffic, major thoroughfare then

Centre stage

“Our clients use the shopping centre car park, do the banking and shopping, and attend their appointment all in one go.”

Quote Dr Jason Sebastian, Chadstone Dental, Melbourne

YOUR BUSINESS

High visibility in a major thoroughfare means a higher passing trade.

Dr Jason Sebastian, Chadstone Dental, Melbourne

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YOUR BUSINESS

you need to up the design ante. “Signage in a shopping centre should be bolder or cleverer than a stand-alone practice,” says Geoff Raphael, design director of Medifit Design & Construct. “A shopping centre is full of very loud signage so a different or standout approach is needed just to be noticed. Make sure the directional signs are clear and easy to follow so that potential patients can easily find you. Your signage should communicate the core values of your practice and link in with your marketing message so that patients exposed to your marketing can easily recognise your practice.”

Raphael continues, “If you don’t capitalise on the passing foot traffic with clever branding and clever design in order to leave an imprint on shoppers minds then you’re paying top rent for no better return. It’s what catches their eye and says, ‘Hey, look here, we are not just an ordinary dental practice; we are something special’. The old fish aquarium just doesn’t cut it these days!”

Another positive aspect of working in a shopping centre is that the employees may receive a discount on goods or services purchased within the centre. Dr Sebastian has signed on many new clients thanks to one of these programs. “We give all staff a discount off any out-of-pocket expenses they might have.”

While the advantages of positioning a dental practice in a shopping centre are many, it’s still a balancing act between visibility, rent and over capitalisation. Low visibility practices need to be built slowly while centrally located practices need to offer more than ‘just another dental practice’.

8 ways a shopping centre can impact on a dental practice1. Opening hours. There is virtually no choice but to set the practice opening hours to coincide with the shopping centre’s hours.2. Rent. It is virtually impossible to own a retail space in a shopping centre. A lease is required, rent must be paid, and the better your position the higher the rent will be.3. Neighbours. Let Dr Sebastian of Chadstone Dental explain: “We are very close to a Fitness First and when they run their pump classes, we can hear the doof-doof through the walls. You can’t pick your neighbours.”4. Air-conditioning. Shopping centres use giant air-conditioners so when it’s hot outside and the AC is cranking, your small practice can end up freezing.5. Lighting. Natural light can be minimal in a shopping centre so clever solutions may be required. “Hanging pendants, downlights and wall-mounted fixtures can combine to stunning effect with new generation low-energy bulbs for unique lighting with minimal running costs,” says Geoff Raphael of Medifit.6. Size. Office space can be a little on the stingy side so effective space planning is crucial. Raphael suggests that “rooms can be used for more than one purpose. A staff room can be designed with integrated storage solutions for patient records, a compressor can be hidden in a hallway cabinet and there are plenty of clever design elements for treatment rooms.”7. Demographics. A practice in a CBD mall is going to treat very few children. A practice in a suburban shopping centre is going to treat hundreds of them. You need to plan accordingly.8. Safety. Most shopping centres are well lit, employ security and always have people around. It’s a safe environment for staff and usually doesn’t suffer from too much vandalism.

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YOUR WORLD

As Australian health funds look at medical tourism as a serious option, Cambodian companies are looking for Aussie patients. By Julie Masis

ingdom & Crowns—Dental Holidays to Make You Smile.” This is the name of Cambodia’s first dental tourism company that was launched by an Australian businessman this (northern) summer to encourage Australians to fly to Cambodia for dental treatment.

On its website, Kingdom & Crowns compares the cost of dental procedures in Australia and Cambodia—and offers to arrange everything from flights and dental appointments to hotel stays and trips to the beach.

“Kingdom & Crowns Dental Holidays is an Australian owned and operated business that cares about its clients,” says the website that was created by entrepreneur Michael Howard, a 31-year-old from New South Wales who followed his girlfriend to Cambodia a year ago. “Come for the dental work, stay for the experience!”

Howard got the idea for the dental business thanks to a toothache. The toothache brought him to Cambodia’s most luxurious dental clinic—the 10-storey Roomchang Dental & Aesthetic Hospital that opened last year—where he had a root canal and was extremely satisfied with the treatment.

“I experienced it myself—how good they are,” he says. “It was probably an 80 per cent saving on what I would have paid in Australia.” A root canal and a crown in Cambodia costs around $700—four times less than in Australia, Howard says. An implant done by a Cambodian dentist is also more affordable: it costs $2000 compared with $6000.

Cambodia is not a country that is known for quality medical care. The nation is still recovering from the Khmer Rouge regime during which anyone with an education—including dentists—was targeted for execution. Even Cambodians themselves travel abroad for serious medical procedures, rather than risk being treated by local doctors.

So why would anyone feel differently about Cambodian dentists? According to Roomchang’s marketing manager Adam Fogarty, who wants to encourage Australians to chose Cambodia over Thailand for dental procedures, dentistry is inherently not as dangerous.

“With dental treatment, the potential for negligence is much lower because it’s just teeth,” Fogarty says. “I don’t know anyone who had a life-threatening experience with dental treatment.”

But Dr Karin Alexander, federal president of the Australian Dental Association, disagrees.“It can be something like having

a reaction to one of the drugs used—like the local anesthetic or if they give you the wrong antibiotics. It can certainly result in death if the allergic reaction is severe,” she says, adding that picking up an infection is another danger.

There have also been cases where Australians who had dental work abroad had to have everything redone—or worse.

Associate Professor Arun Chandu, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon consultant at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, treated several patients who suffered serious complications after getting dental implants in South-East Asia. One of them was a diabetic man who almost died from an infection he picked up in Thailand. “He was in the ICU for four weeks. We had to drain the pus out of his face at least three times,” he says.

Holiday inCambodia

“I experienced it myself—how good they are. It was probably an 80 per cent saving on what I would have paid in Australia.”

Quote Michael Howard, dental tourism operator

15

A root canal and a crown in Cambodia costs around $700—four times less than in Australia.

16

YOUR WORLD

On another occasion, he extracted implants from the mouth of a woman who returned from the Philippines. “These implants had copper corrosion and they were actually green when we removed them,” A/Prof Chandu says.

But Howard says Australian dentists are discouraging dental tourism simply because it means a loss of business for them.

“Put simply, it is not in the interests of Australian dentists to advocate dental work overseas, therefore there is a certain amount of scare tactics used,” he wrote in an email.

According to Dr Callum Durward, a New Zealand dentist who helped to develop Cambodia’s national dental school, Cambodian dentists are not as highly skilled as Australians but this is starting to change.

“The education of dentists in Cambodia is far below what the education of western dentists is. In Cambodia, at the dental schools, there are almost no specialists teaching,” he says. “But there are some dentists in some clinics who can provide very good care in many areas at a quarter of the price you would pay in Australia.”

Improvements are on the horizon, he says.A selection of Cambodian dentists are about to graduate

from Thai universities with degrees in periodontics, crowns and bridges, and maxillofacial surgery. New dentistry programs are being established in Cambodia thanks to visiting volunteer professors from Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, Durward says.

“Cambodia has reached the stage of development where a lot of dentists are interested in improving their skills,” he says.

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Cambodia’s European Dental ClinicOther than being treated by local dentists, visitors to Cambodia can go to the European Dental Clinic—which employs one French and one British dentist.

Australian hygienist Angela Clifford, who also works at the clinic, is about to launch her own dental tourism company, Dental Holidays Cambodia.

Clifford says she moved to Cambodia despite a lower salary to experience a different culture.

“In Cambodia my hours are more flexible, the cost of living is lower and I have the spare time to think about doing something different, like starting a small dental holiday business,” she says.

She explains that treatment costs less in Cambodia—even if it is done by European dentists—because overhead costs, such as nurses, secretaries, and security guards are less expensive. Cambodian dentists also don’t need to worry about licenses for X-ray machines, litigation insurance, or registrations with the dental board.

Australian patient Barbara Cockroft, 61, has been setting up her appointments at Phnom Penh’s European Dental Clinic for six years. She’s had three crowns and two implants, and saved thousands of dollars, she says.

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May 23 and 24 - GOLD COAST“FREEZE” and “FILL” Modules

May 30 and 31 - GOLD COASTModule 3 “FURTHER”Advanced Botox and Dermal Filler Training for Dentists


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Dental practice owners who are not dentists face special challenges in running their businesses. But the drive and entrepreneurial spirit that made them want to own a practice in the first place often sees them find creative solutions. By Chris Sheedy

W.. hen she floated the idea of buying a dental practice in 2008, dental hygienist Lyn Carman says some people were a little perplexed by the decision. After all, she wasn’t a dentist so what business did she have thinking she could run a clinic? But Lyn

had worked within major practices for many years and was often tasked with managing the businesses. Along the way she had learnt a thing or two and knew, even if others didn’t, that she had what it would take to succeed.

“Once I really started looking into the business transaction of buying a practice I found more unexpected but interesting challenges,” Carman, who now owns Oral Health Clinic in Adelaide, says. “Insurance specialists had a serious problem with the fact that I was not a dentist and I had to find one that was able to think outside of the box. And one major dental financial company simply shut their books when they found out I wasn’t a dentist. But then, once again, it was a matter of finding finance professionals who could see beyond that simple fact.”

And, of course, it makes sense that a dental business can be run just as well, if not better, by a non-dentist as it can by a dentist. Just as in other industries CEOs are chosen on their management talent and general business experience as opposed to their technical proficiency in the specialisation of the organisation itself—Richard Branson can’t fly a jumbo jet! So, too, it should be within dentistry. But that’s rarely the case.

Stephanie Wilson, an oral health therapist who runs two successful practices in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, under the banner of TFI (Tooth Fairy International) Dentistry, says that when she started her first practice 10 years ago, the reaction from some dentists was nothing short of bizarre.

“Actually, the first problem was that I was female,” Wilson says.

“This can be a very male-dominated industry and some male dentists simply refused to even consider a position with us once they heard the practice was managed by a woman. The fact that I wasn’t a dentist was even worse!”

But such reactions allowed Wilson to narrow down her search as it forced her to seriously consider the character of each person she would employ. Wilson and her builder husband had literally built the practice up from the ground. They had planned and created the physical space into which the Brisbane business would fit and over the years, it has expanded from a three-chair to a six-chair surgery. That growth only became possible because of the focus that her original experiences gave her on the direction of her business as driven by its people.

“The ‘Tooth Fairy’ name turned off a lot of potential employees because they didn’t want to concentrate on children,” Wilson, who was recently short-listed as a finalist in the 2013 Telstra Business Women’s Award, says. “But with children come families and parents and friends and neighbours. We now have almost 30,000 patients on our database and I have 10 fantastic dentists on board. When I employ dentists I am interested in their strengths and weaknesses but also in their interests and their character, and I’ve become a very good judge of character over the years.”

In fact, Wilson has learnt that character should come before technical skill in the hiring stakes. “Success in this business is about having the right people around you. It’s about how you handle

Who’s the boss?

“Insurance specialists had a serious problem with the fact that I was not a dentist.”

Quote Lyn Carman, Oral Health Clinic, Adelaide

YOUR BUSINESS

“If you have a great team and you have respect for

each other then what you can achieve is amazing,” says Lyn Carman of Oral

Health Clinic in Adelaide.

20

YOUR BUSINESS

challenges as a team and how you act towards your patients. I employ on attitude, not aptitude. Skills can be trained but personality cannot,” she says.

Wilson’s first hire was a female dentist who was more important to the business than she realised. As she wasn’t a dentist herself, Wilson had no Medicare provider number and so needed that first employee in order to purchase certain items for the surgery. “That was very stressful,” she says. “But I was fortunate to find a fantastic female dentist who really had faith in what we were doing.”

Carman has also found herself seeking guidance and assistance every so often from her dentist friends. “I have mentors that support me and I still sometimes find myself ringing or emailing them, whether it’s about a specific hire or something to do with running the business. A good mentor is a very powerful thing when you’re running a business,” she says. “For me, they come from previous employers, past lecturers and friends, as well as my father who ran his own business but in another industry. I was also a client of Prime Practice who gave me invaluable coaching,

particularly in leadership skills.” Unable to employ graduate dentists as she can’t properly mentor them herself, Carman always hires dentists with experience but like Wilson, she looks first at character. “I need to know that they have a similar philosophy to me, that they have a patient-based focus and not a money-based one,” she says. “Of course, they need to be productive as dentists, but not to the detriment of the patient.”

Finally, Carman says, the other serious challenge is in attracting and retaining great staff. But this is where being a non-dentist actually comes in handy.

“I have been employed by dentists

across several practices and I have seen the ups and downs of what it’s like to be on staff,” she says. “That has given me a unique view and I consciously bring to my workplace a team philosophy in which people are empowered and the staff truly do have a good level of control over what goes on and how things are run. When I sold my last business two years ago then started my new one 12 months ago, some of my staff from the old practice followed me across. If you’re not surrounded by great people then the business will suffer. But if you do have a great team and you have respect for each other then what you can achieve is amazing.”

Stephanie Wilson (right) with fellow fairies Emina Muminovic (centre) and Georgia Campbell.

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The

NEWS & EVENTS YOUR BUSINESS YOUR TOOLS YOUR LIFECOVER STORY

Dr Larry Benge is well known to ra-dio listeners in Melbourne and Sydney, where he has had stints as the ‘resident

dentist’ on 3AW and on Steve Price’s show on 2GB. He practises aesthetic dentistry, pioneering the Malo Clinic for dental rehabilitation using implants in Australia, and has seen inside the mouths of many well-known footballers, tennis players and cricketers.

“If I hadn’t been a dentist I would have been a professional golfer—my parents stopped me doing that. My father told me to go and get an education first,” says Dr Benge who runs Bond Street Dental in Melbourne’s South Yarra. “I got into dentistry because one of my dear friends, my golfing partner, was training to be a dentist. He loved it and was very enthu-siastic and I went and had a look at what he was doing and I was impressed—and I thought, that’s for me.”

Dr Benge joined the profession in 1981. In his three decades as a dentist, he has seen the profession change dramatically, and he is evangelical

about the need for dentists to move with the times and adapt to new business challenges, including marketing their businesses effectively. “It’s almost like a different job in many ways,” he says. “Patient expectations have increased exponentially, perhaps due to the web and people Googling information before

they pay a visit. They’re certainly a lot more savvy in terms of knowing what treatments are available. And they’re very demanding in terms of aesthetics.”

In addition, Dr Benge believes, the dental industry is increasingly burdened by the twin issues of increased regula-tion and expense. “The industry is a lot more regulated than it was when I grad-uated,” he says. “The cost of running practices has increased astronomically; it’s much more expensive today. The ste-rility levels are much harder to achieve and the equipment one has to have in

order to practise dentistry is through the roof in terms of its sophistication and also in terms of the cost of running a business. It’s becoming harder because it’s more competitive and yet more ex-pensive. There’s quite a few challenges facing dentists today, and the cost prob-lems are a major component of that.”

Dr Benge started in the profession practising in general dentistry and then went on to aesthetic dentistry. “Then we became the Malo Clinic of Australasia, which is the world leader in full mouth rehabilitation,” he says. “And that has changed the way I practise dentistry.”

Among other things, Dr Benge likes to examine the way dentistry is marketed and discussed in the public sphere. His website is a repository for the many podcasts he has disseminated on dental matters for radio and general interest. “There’s a very contentious issue around

Dr Larry Benge has used his thirty-plus years of experience to build a media career. He explains to Sue Nelson why dentists need to be proactive about their business and developing their public profile

22

peopleMan of the

“Patient expectations have increased, perhaps due to the web and people Googling information before they pay a visit.”

Quote Dr Larry Benge, Bond Street Dental

COVER STORY

Dr Larry Benge: professional golf’s loss is dentistry’s gain.

dental marketing,” he says. “The establishment view is that no-one should market dentistry—it cheapens the brand—but really today it has become a mainstream thing to do.

“We were the leaders when we went on radio and conducted seminars. Really what we did was to focus on sup-plying information, not to sell a product. I was very concerned, when I started to look at marketing, about not cheapening the profession. Our advertisements aim to provide information—we adhere to that very closely. We don’t offer freebies or try to push sales.

“It’s very heavily regulated by AHPRA [Australian Health Practitioner Regula-tion Agency]. You cannot give people information that may mislead people—that may give them the wrong idea of what can be done, or may give them the wrong expectation of the success of any

treatment—so you have to be very care-ful about how you present what you do.”

“If you weren’t marketing today, and you were just waiting for people to turn up at your practice, you would need to rely on word of mouth,” says Dr Benge. “Patients are still going to come to your practice based on word of mouth—they’re still going to come if you’re an exceptional dentist. If you’re enthusiastic and gentle and treat people well, you’ll always have clients.”

But Dr Benge cautions that change is working against those dentists who disregard marketing. Dentists who don’t currently market their practices may well miss the opportunity to explain how they are different in an increasingly competitive and crowded market. “The workforce that is now being generated in universities—the sheer numbers of dentists graduating in Australia and

also of those coming from overseas—is competitive. There are now between 400 and 600 graduates in dentistry each year in Australia, where there used to be around 250. You wouldn’t believe it but there are actually dentists who are unemployed and can’t find work. It really has changed.”

The change started well before Dr Benge started practising 30 years ago, when dental disease was commonplace and fillings were the bread and butter work of dentists. Fluoridation and good preventive dentistry have changed all of this—dentists have been doing such a good job for the last half-century, they’re now in danger of putting themselves out of a job unless they are prepared to move away from traditional dentistry and adapt to the new dental economy.

“The baby boomers—the people who had a filling every time they went to the

24

COVER STORY

dentist or had major work done—are getting older, and in the next few de-cades we’re going to be dealing with the generation who basically have nothing wrong with their teeth.

“We’re going to be in a situation where there’ll be preventive dentistry, there’ll still be orthodontics and periodontics, there’ll be wisdom teeth that need ex-tracting, but a lot of the repair work that we’ve done over many years will start to drop back significantly. And if you’re not losing teeth you don’t need implants and dentures, so we’re not going to get the supply in those areas either.” The bloated workforce only exacerbates this decreasing supply of work.

Dr Benge believes that dentists need to be marketing and communicating with patients about what is possible. At the Malo Clinic, research has been con-ducted that indicates that 60 per cent of

patients in the US, Canada and Australia don’t go to the dentist on a regular ba-sis—this figure can be viewed as a huge untapped market for dentists.

“Those patients don’t get information about what is available,” Dr Benge ex-plains. “So you’re not even reaching that part of the market. Marketing through television and radio, while expensive, is going to cut through to people who don’t have much information about the treat-ments that are available and whether they may need treatment.”

Dr Benge has had a head start in

public relations because of his profile on Melbourne and Sydney radio. “I had been looking after a lot of the AFL and tennis players, and I was tracked down when I fixed a grand slam winner’s teeth on the day they won the title and my career in radio started from there,” he says. Dr Benge then got to know radio presenter Steve Price because of his long-running spot on 3AW and became the go-to dentist for his program too. He acknowledges that many dentists can’t afford to use mainstream broadcast

media to make their presence known to the general public, but he is emphatic about the need to connect with people through other channels—to differentiate. “Certainly everybody can have a website and offer their services there. That is a great way of increasing your client base and your patient flow.”

A well-curated social media page is another effective way of promoting your business on a tight budget—though it is important to stay within AHPRA’s strict advertising requirements when you ven-ture into this space. Dr Benge still con-

ducts dental work on a number of profes-sional sports ‘personalities’—people who tweet and have a media following. He has to ask that they refrain from providing testimonials on their websites and social media sites. “They can actually get me into problems [with unsolicited testimoni-als]—so we encourage them not to tweet, though it’s out of our control a little bit. We don’t push those channels very much at all.” Famous clients being too gener-ous with their praise? It sounds like a nice problem to have.

25

“It’s very heavily regulated by AHPRA. You cannot give people information that may mislead… so you have to be very careful about how you present what you do.”

Quote Dr Larry Benge, Bond Street Dental

Inside Bond Street Dental (this page, and above right): the

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YOUR BUSINESS

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At a time of revolutionary changes within the business world, is it really necessary to follow suit with a revolution in our own business place? Not necessarily, claim experts who instead call for a return to the fundamentals. By John Burfitt

It was 1960s UK prime minister Harold Wilson who famously proclaimed, “He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery.” While Wilson’s stirring words more than 40

years ago were made about the shifting face of Europe, his philosophy holds true in all areas of business today.

It’s something of an understatement to state the past 10 years in the Australian market, and specifically in the dental profession, have been marked by a range of radical changes.

Aside from the 2007 global financial crisis and new technologies that continue to alter the way we function, the Australian dental industry has had to contend with a unique set of challenges.

The industry has gone from under-supplied to over-supplied with the increase in the number of dentists entering the market. Corporate entities have taken a stronger hold, consolidating as well as establishing practices. There

was also the decision by the Council of Australian Governments to establish a single National Registration and Accreditation Scheme for all registered health practitioners.

Some private healthcare companies have introduced preferred provider contracts. There has also been increased

competition from cheaper medical tourism in South-East Asia (read more about that on page 15). The infiltration of the internet has also seen a growth in readily available health information so that some practitioners now contend with the opinions of Dr Google, not to mention an ever-increasing stream of reviews,

likes and forum postings on social media.“It no longer good enough to know

what is going on within the four walls of our own practice, but we now need to know what the national economy is doing and what is happening on a global level as well,” says Adelaide dental practitioner Dr Peter Alldritt.

“We need to be more aware of not only that a patient has cancelled an appointment, but also look at why they have done so. Can they no longer afford it? Have they found a better price down the road? Have they made a deal with a preferred health fund provider? Did they consult another opinion?

Managing change

“Hallmarks of successful practices in the current climate are that they change with a purpose that is consistent with their philosophy, change with a plan, and change with discernment.”

Quote Joanna Gray, Momentum Management

YOUR BUSINESS

With the large social, political, econom-ic and technological changes that have taken place over the past 15 years, you and your team need to be able to cope with change to survive and thrive.

“These are all real changes and challenges and a dentist would have to be silly not to think what has gone on in the world hasn’t affected dentistry as a profession.”

But instead of making impromptu radical changes in order to keep up with what is happening outside the surgery doors, it might be wiser, says Momentum Management trainer Joanna Gray, to focus on the core philosophy of the business. “Gaps in the appointment book shouldn’t necessarily be equated with a problem as I know many practices who have gaps in their books and are

increasingly in profitability,” Gray says.“Practice owners need to start by

understanding their own philosophy—as in, what are we here for? Remaining true to that philosophy is an essential. That means attracting and retaining patients who are consistent with that philosophy, and in return, giving patients excellence in whatever that practice stands for.”

Even amid all the transition in the market, economy and ways of patient communication, Gray says there are simple methods to negotiate change wisely. “Practices run aground when they reactively try to be all things to all

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YOUR BUSINESS

people, or when they’re unresponsive to change,” she says.

“Hallmarks of successful practices in the current climate are that they change with a purpose that is consistent with their philosophy, change with a plan, and change with discernment.”

Dr Peter Alldritt adds, “You are a healthcare provider, so offer a good health service,” he says.

“If your practice is based on sound, solid health care, offering quality dental treatment that gives patients value and you are building trust and rapport, you usually find those practices are stable.”

Failing to notice when changes begin to register on the business, claims Dr Phillip Palmer of dental management consultancy Prime Practice, can prove to be a dangerous miscalculation.

“All dentists need to be on the lookout for decreasing production, increasing overheads and decreasing profits,” he says. “It’s as simple as if the phone is not ringing as much as it used to, you need to act sooner than later to do something different to what you have done before.

“Everyone needs to keep up with the changing market. They need to increase the services they offer, and change the way they market those services. Then they need to increase the service level they offer to an ever more discerning marketplace.

“We need to learn more clinical skills, management skills and communication skills. Patients are expecting higher and higher levels of service from us now.”

What is an essential for steering a business through shifting tides is not only a better way of communicating with

patients but also with all the members of the team within a practice.

“It comes down to communicating with your patients and letting them getting involved with their health care so they fully understand what is going on and what it will involve,” Dr Peter Alldritt says. “But if you are going to implement major

changes in the practice, you have better be sure you have the whole team behind you. You need to explain why those

changes are being implemented, what they are all about and why it is important for the future. It takes a team effort to tackle the amount of changes we are all dealing with these days.”

When deciding on how to most effectively communicate within the world of social media, Dr Vas Srinivasan

recounts a tale of an ongoing dilemma he had about creating a Facebook site for his Sunshine Coast dental practice in Queensland. “I just didn’t feel comfortable with the idea, but plenty of my friends were enjoying great success with it,” he says.

When he finally considered it might be time to follow suit, he also decided to study the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency outlines regarding social media use.

By the time Dr Srinivasa had finished, he had made up his mind.

“The regulations on use of social media and the effects it has on a busy practice is mind blowing,” he says. “I could not be happier that we do not have an active Facebook site!

“So, do I feel like we have been left behind? Yes. And are we upset about it? Absolutely not!”

“We need to be more aware of not only that a patient has cancelled an appointment, but

also look at why they have done so,” says Adelaide dental practitioner Dr Peter Alldritt.

“If your practice is based on sound, solid health care, offering quality dental treatment that gives patients value and you are building trust and rapport, you usually find those practices are stable.”

Quote Dr Peter Alldritt, Rose Park Dental, SA

NEWS & EVENTS COVER STORY YOUR BUSINESS YOUR LIFE

Intraoral camera product guide

Bite magazine’s guide to the best implants products for dentists

on the market today

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PRODUCT GUIDE

NEWS & EVENTS COVER STORY YOUR BUSINESS YOUR LIFEPRODUCT GUIDE

32

SOPRO is the worldwide leader in intraoral cameras, thanks to its superior image quality. SoproCARE is the culmination

of several years of research in the fluorescence field. This innovative intraoral camera makes it possible to reveal early caries, new and old dental plaque as well as slight and severe gingival inflammations.

Winner of the 2013 Red Dot Award for product design, SOPROCARE makes diagnosis easier by using fluorescence to identify features not visible to the naked eye under white light. It doubles as a powerful education tool with the ability to greatly boost case acceptance and clinical productivity.

The new SoproCARE intraoral camera features a unique ‘PERIO’ mode, which highlights new and old dental plaque and calculus, as well as gingival inflammation using fluorescence technology. All of this is possible without using plaque disclosure agents. Under fluorescence, gingival inflammation ranges from hues of pink all the way to deep magenta indicating gingivitis. New plaque is highlighted by its white and grainy characteristics and old plaque is dramatically revealed as progressive shades of yellow and orange.

‘CARIO’ mode helps clearly identify occlusal caries, indicated by a bright red colour, generated by fluorescence of the affected tooth structure when exposed to light of a certain wavelength.

In ‘DAYLIGHT’ mode, SOPROCARE provides all of the features of a high-resolution intraoral camera, including a powerful 115 times magnification ‘macro’ mode to identify micro cracks and lesions invisible to the naked eye.

This unique combination of

features makes SOPROCARE the most comprehensive single intraoral diagnostic device available to dental professionals. Images can be captured to chart the success of treatment plans and the patient’s oral health over time.

How does it work?SOPROCARE illuminates dental tissue with light of a specific wavelength. The exposed tissue absorbs some of the light energy and reflects it back in fluorescent form. Images obtained through fluorescence analysis are superimposed over the anatomical images, creating a clearly visible and easy-to-interpret representation of the tissue’s condition, which would otherwise be invisible under white light.

The SOPROCARE device is especially useful in supporting minimally invasive and preventive treatments, aimed at maintaining the patient’s health and longevity of his or her natural dentition. The dental professional can now communicate a complete prophylactic treatment with one device and achieve far greater case acceptance.

Easy to useDespite it’s advanced features,

SOPROCARE is very easy to use, with a simple press of a button all that is required to switch between the clearly labelled perio, cario and daylight (without fluorescence) modes.

A preset focus ring provides instant and sharp focus, with choice of Extra-oral, Intra-oral, Tooth and Macro mode offering excellent depth of field and sharp images. This enables the capture of patients’ smiles and faces to be added to macro images of hard and soft tissue in the oral cavity, with the added ability to import the images into the patient records.

More information is available from A-dec, phone 1800 225 010 or at www.soprocare.com/.

New SoproCARE camera reveals gingivitis, plaque and cariesEasier diagnosis of caries, plaque and gingival inflammation has been made possible with the world’s first 3-in-1 intraoral diagnostic tool combining ‘perio’, ‘cario’ and ‘daylight’ camera modes, in the one revolutionary device.


Broken amalgam in daylight mode Cario Mode - 3D Digital Image

Perio Mode - 3D Digital Image

ChairsDelivery SystemsLightsMonitor MountsCabinetsHandpiecesMaintenanceSterilisationImaging

© 2013 A-dec Inc. All rights reserved. AA798_INK1992-27

Pantone : 130 CC : 0 M : 30 J : 100 N : 0

THE REVELATION3 MODES FOR 3 NEEDSSOPROCARE meets the needs of prophylaxis by performing a complete and rapid assessment of the patient’s oral health.

• ‘‘ PERIO’’ mode: Highlights the old and new dental plaque and gingival inflammations, even at the early stage.• ‘‘ CARIO’’ mode: Detects enamo-dentinal caries, from the stage 1 (code ICDAS II), in a simple way.• ‘‘ DAYLIGHT’’ mode: Macro vision makes visible the imperceptible and allows watching

the stability of micro lesions and their evolution.

www.soprocare.com

For more information Email: [email protected] Phone: 1800 225 010 Visit: www.a-dec.com.au Follow us on Twitter: @A_decAust

1992-27_AA_A-Dec_SorproCare Ad_NewsBulletin_2A_PP.indd 1 24/04/13 3:47 PM


34

One of the golden rules of any business is to ensure it is operating as efficiently as possible to maximize

the return from every dollar spent. How attractive, then, is the option to make business equipment and asset pur-chases like intra – oral camera’s on your credit card and earn Qantas Points in the process? That’s exactly what’s on offer with an Investec Visa credit card.

“We had one client who recently purchased equipment on their Investec card… that meant they earned a size-able number of Qantas Points as we offer one point for every $1 spent with no cap on how many you can earn,” Investec’s Brett Zurowski explains.

“What we then do is simply convert that card transaction into a finance contract with Investec which pays off the purchase from the credit card. Additionally, we allow the client to make their monthly repayments for that con-tract on their Investec credit card so they can earn even more points – gener-ally at least twice as many points as the purchase alone would earn. This is a service not available through most other financial organisations, but we make it easy for our clients as we facilitate the whole process for them.

Clients can then redeem their points on the Qantas website.

“This can be a significant benefit for clients in terms of taking care of their travel needs for the future, all by doing something as simple as using your Investec credit card,” Zurowski adds. “It could also be of huge benefit if the client is taking a holiday and they have enough points to upgrade their flight. But the value of adding to the balance of Qantas Points is not all about flights. For those who are not interested in fly-ing there are also retail store vouchers

and merchandise that can be redeemed using the points on the Qantas Store. We have clients that use them to buy end of year gifts for patients and staff!”

Clients can choose between Investec Platinum or Investec Signature credit cards. The Investec Signature card offers one Qantas Point for every $1 spent on eligible transactions in Australia, and two Qantas Points for every $1 spent on eligible international purchases. The Platinum card offers one Qantas Point for every $2 spent on eligible transactions in Australia and one

Qantas point for every $1 spent on eli-gible international purchases.

In addition to Qantas Points, every return ticket purchased on an Investec card is automatically covered by up to 90 days of travel insurance, protecting the safety of not only the cardholder, but also their spouse and dependent chil-dren when travelling together. .

Other benefits for primary Signature cardholders include a Priority Pass membership, which opens doors for the client and a guest to over 600 VIP lounges in 300 cities, as well as access to Visa Concierge and the Visa Luxury Hotel Collection for services at a selec-tion of superior hotels.

Investec is a specialist financial service provider for dental clients and has a bonus partner reward program for a range of suppliers within the dental industries. “So even if you use the Investec Visa card to buy business consumables, through this deal with the specific partners, you can further enhance your Qantas Points balance as well,” Zurowski says.

“If people can earn rewards that enable upgrades or free tickets or mer-chandise, and they can do all that by just using their credit card, then it is a

pretty easy way to travel for free. We are striving to deliver value to our clients, with minimum fuss. Our clients see a real value in these points as it opens up so many possibilities for them in the manner in which they are conduct-ing their business and personal banking and they only need to carry one card – the Investec card.”

Find out more at investec.com.au/cardInvestec Bank (Australia) Limited ABN 55 071 292 594, AFSL and, Australian Credit Licence 234975 (Investec Bank). All finance is subject to our credit assessment criteria. Terms and conditions, fees and charges may apply. We reserve the right to cease offering these products at any time without notice. The information con-tained in this article (“Information”) is general in nature and has been provided in good faith, without taking into account your personal cir-cumstances. While all reasonable care has been taken to ensure that the information is accurate and opinions fair and reasonable, no warranties in this regard are provided. We recommend that you obtain independent financial and tax advice

before making any decisions.

How best to purchase your new equipment?If you’re interested in purchasing a new Intra-oral camera—make sure you consider how to purchase it… you could be a step closer to a well earned break!


Wireless & Wonderful: Introducing the Whicam S2 wireless intraoral camera.After its release in Australia only a few months ago, the Whicam S2 Wireless Intraoral Camera has become an immediate success.

Intraoral camera guide

Free trial

in your

practice

today.

the Whicam S2 wireless camera. Quality imaging, no noise.

High speed digital wireless (800 Mbps/sec.)

Angled handpiece design

Large capacity battery

Slim head / 330° Rotation

OLED screen

Viewing software included

Compact size receiver

Wireless & Wonderful

Wireless camera

ph 1300 60 28 [email protected]

The Whicam S2 has very high resolution enabling you to capture amazing HD quality images. The built in mouse feature increas-es productivity by reducing the back and

forth trips to the workstations enabling you to focus 100% on your patients.

The Whicam Story2 Intraoral Camera is designed with a rechargeable battery provid-ing a longer life span for capturing images.

And, the best feature of all: wireless and no noise.

The Whicam S2 is also competitive-ly priced, making it an affordable option for your practice.

Offered exclusively in Australia by Australian Imaging, book your free in-practice demon-stration and see how easy it is to use. Call 1300 60 28 58 or email [email protected].


36

Since their introduction more than 30 years ago there have been many advancements in intra-oral cameras, there

becoming smaller, lighter, higher resolution and easier to use however the principles behind them being used as a clinical tool remain the same.

Intraoral Cameras are the ideal communication tool for any dental professional, delivering precise, true-to-life images with each shot, cam-eras provide the visual evidence you need to educate patients and make more accurate diagnoses. The mod-ern intra-oral camera if used rou-tinely should be able to achieve the following outcomes for your practice;

1) Improve patient acceptance of treatment plans.

2) Encourage participation/partner-ship in the diagnosis and treatment plan.

3) Creates a visual record that can be used to more effectively commu-

nicate with other service providers like labs or referring specialists.

4) Provide a visual record of soft tissues that can be used as a base line to measure changes over time. Radiographs have been doing this for years for hard tissue.

What to look for when selecting an intra-oral camera.

TWAIN compliance ensures the camera integrates easily with third-party dental digital photography / radiography imaging software.

Options to have the camera operate in wireless of wired configurations. (be sure to investigate what type of tech-nology is used for the wireless, as the image quality on entry level cameras can be affected by interference when using in wireless modes.)

Auto Focus – the more the camera can do for you the easier it will be to capture images.

Polarisation in the lens, this will give you the ability to capture images of wet teeth and not have the reflec-tive glare caused by saliva.

A wide viewing angle from the lens, this will allow you to capture a full arch in a single shot from inside the mouth.

An ergonomically designed and lightweight hand piece that fits comfortably in either hand and can manoeuvre even the most hard-to-reach areas.

The ability to capture high resolu-tion stills and video.

As with anything, only the suc-cessful integration into your system and routine use of your camera will be able to offer you the above mentioned benefits and deliver you a solid return on your investment in this technology.

Benefits of intra oral camera use in dental surgery’s


The ideal intraoral camera will be wireless, ergonomically-designed and lightweight—like the CS 1200

Quality has never been this affordable

Compact and easy-to-share, the all-new CS 1200 intraoral camera is here.

As an affordable entry point into digital imaging, the CS 1200 puts high-quality intraoral images within the reach of any practice.

• The highest image resolution (1024 x 768) at a low price.

• Stores up to 300 images in the camera, eliminating the need for memory cards or computers in every operatory.

• Directly connects to PC, AV, S-video without docking stations.

• TWAIN complaint for easy integration into any software.

Discover more at www.carestreamdental.com

© Carestream Health, Inc. 2012.

CS 1200 Quality Is Affordable Ad.indd 1 2/13/12 3:41 PM

THERE ARE STILL SOME THINGS IN LIFE YOU CAN TRULY RELY ON

SES autoc lave

Like Eschmann’s new and innovative SES Autoclave.In terms of quality and reliability, Eschmann autoclaves are acknowledged as second to none - the very best in medical engineering technology for over 100 years.

Through a well-established, trusted relationship with dentists, general practitioners and leading healthcare professionals, we have maintained an unrivalled record of development and innovation resulting in a world class and constantly expanding range.

Whilst building on its past heritage and reputation, the new SES Autoclave incorporates the latest innovations and technology allowing you to meet all current and future guidelines.

The new SES Autoclave provides the market leading performance and total confi dence that only a world leader in instrument sterilization can offer.

Ph 1300 363 830 | www.williamgreen.info

Early 20th century Today

Same long-lasting quality, just with a different name

© Carestream Health, Inc. 2013. Carestream, Poly-soft and INSIGHT are trademarks of Carestream Health. The Kodak trademark and trade dress are used under license from Kodak.

Kodak Dental Film is now Carestream Dental FilmFor more than a century, our film has changed the way the world of dentistry works. Our experience has allowed us to continuously push the standards of image quality further.

We were once known as Kodak Dental Systems, but now we are a part of Carestream Dental. Nothing about the film itself has changed. We remain the same pioneering force in dental film and digital imaging, dedicated to helping you give your patients the best treatment possible.

Discover our heritage of long-lasting quality film at www.carestreamdental.com/film

148955_CS_Film_Rebranding_Ad_A4.indd 1 19/08/13 11.17

NEWS & EVENTS COVER STORY YOUR BUSINESS YOUR LIFEYOUR TOOLS

39

Tools of the tradeThe 3D scanner that takes dentistry out of the dark ages; the rings that run rings around others; and more are in review this month

Oraqix periodontal gel by Dr John Carrigy, Foundation Dental, Brisbane, QLD

This topical anaesthetic gel consists of lignocaine 25 mg/g and prilocaine 25 mg/g. One of the challenges of delivering periodontal therapy is soft tissue and cervical sensitivity. This product provides fast-acting and very effective light anaesthesia. We’ve been using it regularly in our surgery for the past four years.

What’s good about itApplying a small amount along the gingival margins and the interproximal regions reduces the potential discomfort of periodontal debridement [scaling and root planing] quite dramatically. It is also very useful in providing short-acting soft tissue anaesthesia for gingival retraction, orthodontic band placement or removal, implant fixture level impressions or implant abutment placement.

Patients have been very positive about this product because it’s easy to apply, it wears off quickly and there is no ‘fat lip’ feeling. Of course, its biggest positive is that there are no needles involved.

What’s not so goodThe applicator is clumsy and poorly designed from an infection control point of view. We have addressed this by only using the applicator outside of the surgery to prepare smaller single-use disposable syringes for clinical use.

The gel tastes a little bitter and is very fluid so it spreads easily.

Where did you get itDentsply.

Triodent V3 sectional matrix systemby Dr Pino Giusti, Moss Vale Dental Clinic, NSW

This system has been around for a while but I was initially resistant to using it as the glass fibre tines on the ring looked too bulky. My Dentsply rep allowed me to trial them and I was sold instantly. I’ve been using them for the past six months with excellent results.

What’s good about itI felt that other bitine rings fell short of an ideal result. With V3 rings, my contact points with posterior resins have become noticeably more predictable and improved significantly, even when quite extensive restorations are involved.

There are a number of advantages to the wide glass fibre tines of the rings. Firstly, they conform closely to the proximal walls of the cavity, resulting in little if any ‘flash’. Secondly, they straddle the wedge rather than pushing it to one side which can deform the sectional matrix and the resulting restoration. And finally, they prevent the ring from collapsing into wide cavities.

The wedges are plastic and anatomical which helps adaptation of the matrix at the gingival floor of the cavity thus helping to prevent overhangs. The rings can also be easily stacked when multiple proximal boxes are being restored. They are angled up allowing sufficient room to do this.

What’s not so goodVery occasionally the rings may slip off when there is not enough room to engage the tooth as in cases where a rubber dam clamp is present.

Where did you get itDentsply

Early 20th century Today

Same long-lasting quality, just with a different name

© Carestream Health, Inc. 2013. Carestream, Poly-soft and INSIGHT are trademarks of Carestream Health. The Kodak trademark and trade dress are used under license from Kodak.

Kodak Dental Film is now Carestream Dental FilmFor more than a century, our film has changed the way the world of dentistry works. Our experience has allowed us to continuously push the standards of image quality further.

We were once known as Kodak Dental Systems, but now we are a part of Carestream Dental. Nothing about the film itself has changed. We remain the same pioneering force in dental film and digital imaging, dedicated to helping you give your patients the best treatment possible.

Discover our heritage of long-lasting quality film at www.carestreamdental.com/film

148955_CS_Film_Rebranding_Ad_A4.indd 1 19/08/13 11.17

NEWS & EVENTS COVER STORY YOUR BUSINESS YOUR LIFEYOUR TOOLS

40

Tools of the trade (continued from page 39)

Orthophos XG 3Dby Dr Gerald Loh, Options Dental Care, Narellan, NSW

I specifically purchased this unit for my implant work. When Manuel Netto, the rep from Sirona, told me it can be used for a lot more than just implants, I thought he was doing the ‘hard sell’. But I was wrong. The Orthophos XG 3D made me realise that, as dentists, we have been practising in the dark ages. People’s mouths are three-dimensional and you need to view it in three dimensions. This unit has applications for periodontics, root canal therapy, bones—everything.

What’s good about itIt takes 15 seconds to scan and then four-to-five minutes to process the data. It maps out about 500 slices in three axes of direction—top down, front to back and sideways. Each scan is about 500mb in size which results in a very clear, very detailed scan. It’s possible to move your POV down through the image while changing the angulation.

So far, 100 per cent of patients have been impressed by this unit. Even the most scared patient who normally refuses treatment become easy to convince once they see their results manipulated in three dimensions. One patient saw her scan and thought she had a bullet hole in her mouth. It was actually an abscess for which she had been refusing treatment for months. Seeing a 3D visual representation of the problem changed her mind immediately.

I believe that 3D scanning should be considered the standard of care within the next 10 years. This machine works wonders.

What’s not so goodThe cost but there’s not much you can do about that.If metal is present in the mouth, it scatters the beam and results in artifacts. However, recent software has gone a long way in minimising that effect.

Where did you get itSirona.

Fujitsu ScanSnap IX-500by Dr Brett Taylor, Leading Edge Dental, Penshurst, NSW

My long-term goal is to make my practice as paperless as possible. I decided to scan in all my old documents and file them digitally in the patients’ files. This scanner is my workhorse.

What’s good about itIt can scan up to 25 double-sided pages a minute. It has a sensor that won’t allow two pieces of paper to go through at the same time so it never jams. Unusual sized pieces of paper are no problem. You can pile up Eftpos receipts and it will shoot them all through with no trouble. It works seamlessly.

The software turns them all into PDFs with optical character recognition so you can search their contents later. I’ve started putting in all my invoices, business receipts and letters from specialists.

A very cool function is the ability to scan directly to my iPad. I tend to go through magazines and pull out articles I want to read later. I used to have this massive file of reading matter but now I just scan it in and save it wirelessly to my iPad. I can then open the file and read them at my leisure.

What’s not so goodThere seems to be a lot of really elegant Mac solutions for the scanner whereas a network environment in a practice needs third-party software applications. It’s still worth the effort but it’s not as simple as it could be.

Where did you get itOnline.

YOUR TOOLS

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Patients rely on the Web to educate themselves about your procedures, gather information about your practice, validate your reputation from reviews, and refer friends to you through social media. This is no longer a trend. It’s the way all patients do business.

For over a decade Surf Pacific has helped Dentists build their brand, raise their market profile, increase awareness for treatments, and eliminate expensive advertising. In short, our online marketing solutions and websites deliver new patients, daily.

It all starts by understanding your goals. Book an appointment 1300 615 330.

Ask about our FREE Website offer, exclusively for Bite Magazine readers.

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ONLINE MARKETINGBORN TO PERFORM. BECAUSE YOUR TIME IS AT A PREMIUM.

YOUR LIFENEWS & EVENTS COVER STORY YOUR BUSINESS YOUR TOOLS

INTE

RVI

EW: K

ERR

YN R

AM

SEY

Breaking boardIt took Dr Jodie Olivier of Bella Dental Care, Baulkham Hills, NSW, just six years to earn her black belt in taekwondo

42

I started taekwondo in 2007 while still at dental school. I was looking for an exercise outlet and there happened to

be a taekwondo class at Sydney uni. It appealed to me immediately and now, six years later, I am a second dan black belt. It’s a challenging process to earn a black belt. Each belt level has a grading test where you are required to perform a set of blocking, punching and kicking techniques. You also need to do full contact sparring, patterns, board breaking and anything else the head instructor requests.

“Starting with a white belt, you progress through three yellow belts, three blue belts, four red belts, and then black. Taekwondo is a very dynamic sport. Our club also does some boxing and additional cross-training. You’re always on the go and get a really good workout.

“Currently I compete in Poomsae, which is the technical side of taekwondo, and have also competed in sparring. I won a national title in 2011 for open black belt Poomsae, and am currently ranked second in NSW. My highest sparring achievement was second place at the NSW state championships in 2011. As a martial art, taekwondo is designed for self-defense. Even though I’ve never had to use it in my day-to-day life, it gives you that little bit of extra confidence. If something ever did happen, I know I won’t freeze but will be able to do something. There are five tenets of taekwondo: courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit. So taekwondo is beneficial not only for the self-defense and fitness aspects, but it’s also really good for discipline and personal growth. We have quite a large number of females in our club and our head instructor is a fifth dan female.

“I’m hoping to earn my third dan black belt next year. I have to perform a set of black belt blocks, punches and kicks. I also need to know all the patterns from white belt level through to third dan black belt and the Korean terminology for different techniques. I’ll need to break several wooden boards using a combination of hands and feet. The secret to breaking the wooden boards is not to hesitate but to strike through the board. It feels really good when you punch through.

YOUR LIFE

The issuer of these products is Investec Bank (Australia) Limited ABN 55 071 292 594, AFSL 234975, Australian Credit Licence 234975 (Investec Bank). All finance is subject to our credit assessment criteria. Terms and conditions, fees and charges may apply. We reserve the right to cease offering these products at any time without notice. *Qantas Points are earned in accordance with the Investec Qantas Rewards Program Terms and Conditions available at investec.com.au/cards. You must be a member of the Qantas Frequent Flyer program in order to earn and redeem points. Qantas Points and membership are subject to the Qantas Frequent Flyer program Terms and Conditions available at qantas.com/terms. See definition of Eligible Spend in the Investec Qantas Rewards Program Terms and Conditions, available at investec.com.au/cards. Investec recommends that you seek independent tax advice in respect of the tax consequences (including fringe benefits tax, and goods and services tax and income tax) arising from the use of this product or from participating in the Qantas Frequent Flyer program or from using any of the rewards or other available program facilities. You earn 1 Qantas Point for every $1 of eligible spend in Australia and 2 Qantas Points for every $1 of eligible international spend on the Investec Signature credit card.^Investec card Insurance is underwritten by ACE Insurance Limited (ABN 23 001 642 020, AFSL No. 239687) (ACE) and is subject to the terms, conditions and exclusions contained in the Investec Credit Card Insurance policy of insurance between Investec (ABN 55 071 292 594, AFSL & ACL 234975) (Investec) and ACE. This promotion does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. It is important for you to read the Terms and Conditions available at investec.com.au/cards and consider the appropriateness of that insurance in relation to your individual requirements. When you purchase your return travel tickets on your Investec card you, your spouse and dependent children, if travelling together, will automatically have access to travel insurance for trips of up to 90 days..

Investec has come up with a card that will have you packing for a holiday abroad.

You will earn 1 Qantas Point per dollar on eligible spend locally and 2 points for every $1 of eligible international spend* on your Investec Signature card, and the points are uncapped.

Complimentary travel insurance ,̂ Priority Pass airport lounge access and concierge service are the icing on the cake.

Visit investec.com.au/card or call 1300 131 141 to find out more.

O u t o f t he O rd i na r y™

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Double your pointswhen you use your card internationally and they’re uncapped – now that’s out of the ordinary

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