The Group Dentistry Now Show: The Voice Of The DSO Industry – Episode 44

Darci Wingard, Strategic Accounts Manager of the Western Region for Planmeca USA talks about measuring DSO formulary compliance, vendor relationships, budgets, compliance metrics, reporting and much more. If you want to broaden your understanding of digital dentistry and technology and equipment procurement, this podcast is for you!

Our podcast series brings you dental support and emerging dental group practice analysis, conversation, trends, news and events. Listen to leaders in the DSO and emerging dental group space talk about their challenges, successes, and the future of group dentistry.

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Full Transcript:

Bill Neumann:

Welcome, everyone, to the Group Dentistry Now show. I’m Bill Neumann, and I’d like to welcome our guest, Darci Wingard. And you all probably know Darci. She’s been in the dental industry for a while, and certainly has a lot of experience in the DSO space. But if you don’t know her, I’m going to read her bio off. So, welcome, first off, Darci, to the Group Dentistry Now show. Nice to have you here.

Darci Wingard:

Thanks for having me, Bill. Appreciate it. Happy to be here.

Bill Neumann:

Great. So Darci is the Planmeca strategic account manager for the West. And she’s going to talk a little bit about what she does in that role, a relatively recent role for Darci. But like I mentioned before, she’s been in the DSO space for the last 12 years, in dental sales and business development and partner relations.

Bill Neumann:

She joined Planmeca as the strategic account manager for the Western Region, right in the middle of the pandemic, right in June. So probably an interesting way to get into the DSO space. But specifically, on the equipment side of things, she spent four years at a little company called Henry Schein, and she had multiple roles there within the special markets’ division, including director of national accounts, manager of group strategy and development, and director of alternative purchasing channels. And we’ll talk a little bit about that as well.

Bill Neumann:

So before Henry Schein, Darci worked in the startup technology space in the Bay Area, leading in sales growth to position the company for a major acquisition. And she stayed on to continue driving business development there. But she spent quite a bit of time in the dental space. And it’s good to have you on the show, Darci. So tell us a little bit about your current role. I know it’s relatively new to you, but what are you doing for Planmeca?

Darci Wingard:

Yeah. So thanks. Thank you for the very warm introduction and kind words. Yeah. So Planmeca, right during this entire COVID, with the industry change and some of the restrictions and everything going on, yeah I was brought on at the beginning of June to join Planmeca. And Planmeca has always primarily had a real strong focus on our private practice dentists. And so what we have noticed is we are seeing a lot of the shifting within the industry, and going into more of a group-focused segment.

Darci Wingard:

We’re seeing a lot of consolidation, so it was something that we needed to be a little bit more proactive about as a company, and focus on those emerging markets. So emerging DSOs, large DSOs, national customers. Some of the CHCs, kind of non traditional models as well, study clubs, study groups. So we knew there was a big market there that we could really be a force to be reckoned with.

Darci Wingard:

So they had brought on an entire dedicated team just to support this segment of the strategic accounts or group business. So I am the strategic accounts’ manager of the West, I have a counterpart, Gregg Petrosky, in the East. So we do cover the whole national spread into all North America, here at Planmeca. Again, now just focused on these strategic accounts and non traditional models.

Bill Neumann:

That’s great. And like I mentioned before, Darci has a background with Henry Schein. So we’re going to talk about the relationship with a manufacturer, specifically equipment, and how you can work with your distribution partner. And then, what does that mean to the DSO, both on the emerging group side and some of the larger platforms as well.

Bill Neumann:

So I’ll start this off. It’s great that you have a background on both sides. I think that’s relatively unique. I’m sure there are some other folks out there that have that, but you’ve got not only the DSO background, but then you have it on distribution, and now on the manufacturing side of things. So I’ll ask you this. We’ve done a couple of surveys. We actually just completed one in July of this year, and it’s a DSO procurement survey. And we had a really nice response this year.

Bill Neumann:

Last year, we just focused on North America and we had, I think about 28 platforms that responded. This year, we had 65. And we actually expanded it beyond the North American borders. So we had, I think 20 of the platforms are from Europe and some were in the UK, and the rest were North America. But one of the questions we ask is, what’s most important to you when making a decision to have a product or a service on or not on your formulary?

Bill Neumann:

And very similar to last year, the responses were quality was number one, number two was pricing, and then number three was that support, or the service behind it. So, how can you support the product once they actually onboard it, whether it’s education or whether it’s the service aspect. So that being said, when we’re talking specifically about dental equipment manufacturers and dealers in the process, how can you foster that alignment?

Bill Neumann:

Because when we asked the question, we asked the clinical board. And then we’re also asking the procurement people as well, because they’re both involved in the process. So, how do you really work together, both as an equipment manufacturer and as a dealer, and foster that compliance? So, how do you make it important for both the clinical, which tends to be more the efficiencies, the quality, and then of course, you’ve got the procurement, which is a little bit more on the price side or the cost of acquisition?

Darci Wingard:

Yeah. No, great question. I think it’s a delicate dance. And I think it’s a vote of confidence that you need to have between both the distribution company, the dealer, as well as the manufacturer. And again, especially in equipment. I think consumables is a very different type of model. But when you are talking about technology and equipment, you do bring in that clinical aspect, where you do need to have the board weigh in on a lot of things to make sure that we are following through with the proper standard of care.

Darci Wingard:

But I think the easy question, I think where we start is it’s all about exploratory and discovery, in my opinion and my past experience. I think it takes the dealer, partner and the distribution team there to really get to know their customer and who they’re working with, whether that’s a small group, an emerging group, a franchise large group. And really understand that that practices or that DSO’s or that group’s goals, their business needs, what that longterm and that short term plan looks like.

Darci Wingard:

And if it is something like technology and equipment, where you are going to need some of that digital workflow to be brought into the office, yeah you’re going to need to make sure that you are working closely to understand those needs of that customer. And then I think then the dealer can partner with those manufacturers and bring in some offerings, multiple manufacturers, and multiple offerings to that customer to say, “Hey, here’s what we think is going to be best fit for you.”

Darci Wingard:

And it’s going to be something where internally, the C-suite or the clinical team of that DSO is going to have to sit through and play their cards out and say, “This is what we’re looking for. This is what we need.” And then also, the distribution partner is going to be able to bring in their expertise, their knowledge, their background of what they say. Here’s what we’re seeing across the industry here, what other CHCs or institutions, or other groups are utilizing today. And here’s why they’ve selected manufacturer A, B or C.

Darci Wingard:

And then I think it is important to narrow it down. I think if you bring too much to the table at once, it’s almost too much options. It could get very confusing. So I think a narrowed selection of two to three, max, should be brought in for that initial offering. And I think that C-suite team is the ones that are going to review to make sure that it checks all the boxes. And then it comes down to, like you said, cost. Cost and quality. But then I think the post-sale process is also very important.

Darci Wingard:

I know a lot of these groups are not just looking for there’s equipment or the technology. They’re looking for a true partner. And when I say true partner, they want to know that someone’s going to be there for them today, through that entire vetting process, as well as once that decision is made, that they are there for the implementation, the training, the continuing education.

Darci Wingard:

You and I both know that a lot of these groups, there can be a lot of turnover. So they want to make sure that their team is prepared and they have a partner there. And that manufacturer, as well as the distribution partner that can help them longterm through all their needs, once that selection has been made.

Bill Neumann:

Yeah, absolutely. That’s great advice. Some of our audience, so we’ve got some of the big platforms, the large groups out there that have a lot of structure in place when it comes to formulary and a large clinical board, and several people in their procurement department. What about the emerging groups? I’ve got, “Hey, I have two or three locations and I may or may not have a super sophisticated formulary.”

Bill Neumann:

When it comes to equipment and making decisions like that, how do you start? What would you recommend? Again, your experience on the distribution side and now, on the manufacturer side, what would you recommend? You did make a great point about, “Hey, don’t bring too many options in or you’ll get overwhelmed.” But how do you even start the process when you go, I’m going to add another three or four locations? Maybe a coupler Denovo, maybe you need the equipment upgraded. How would I start?

Darci Wingard:

Yeah. Again, it goes back to the discovery. I would tap in. You have your distribution partners there as consultants. There should be an amazing value add in a resource to these groups, or DSOs. Or like you said, you’re a smaller group, you’re looking at expanding. Tap into them. I would really ask them, some of their experience and what they think, and what they see within the industry. They have that firsthand experience. Henry Schein, who I worked with, they really coined and pioneered the entire kind of emerging group and strategic accounts, that group practice, that entire segment. So they have the data, they have the statistics, they know which partners that they can team up with well.

Darci Wingard:

But I think another thing that you need to look at is the scalability. So for instance, like with Planmeca, we have a breadth of innovative equipment technology offerings, integrated technology. And so I think it’s like the whole phrase, you crawl, walk and run. So maybe if you’re looking at, let’s say, a three-office location and some of the offices maybe have some 2D imaging, but their standard of care now is they want to get up to the 3D, it’s important that they know that, “Hey, someone like Planmeca can help them grow.”

Darci Wingard:

They can help them with the 2D. A majority of our 2D upgradable to go to 3D, or you start with 3D. And then our software, Romexis, it’s open platform. We play nicely in the sandbox. That’s another thing to look at if you’re going to do maybe a coupled Denovos or builds from the ground up, or you’re looking at acquiring. You might not know what these other practices might be utilizing today, what equipment or technology they have.

Darci Wingard:

So knowing that you’re picking a manufacturer on the equipment technology side that has that upgradability, that has an entire suite of products to look at, and you know that everything’s plug-and-play. So having that open architecture, having a software that can help them, plug-and-play and piecemeal in to whether a technology is being brought in, I think that would be something that they can feel confident about when choosing something like Planmeca.

Bill Neumann:

Right. Yeah, that’s a great point with the acquisitions. Not having to worry so much about what it is they have from a practice management platform, or whether their technology might be a bit different. So, yeah. Great advice.

Bill Neumann:

So again, back to that dealer equipment, manufacturer relationship. How can they work together to mitigate the formulary selection process? Let’s talk a little bit about what that looks like, from procurement meetings and budgets and savings.

Darci Wingard:

Yeah. That, it stops at the teller. I think that’s what everyone’s looking at, especially now with the current climate, the times. But yeah, I think once the clinical team or the C-suite team has said I think this is the direction we’re going, I think whether you’re working with a small group, meaning your three locations, maybe four, maybe under 10 or you look at the big guys that are a 100 plus, I think formularies are undervalued in the fact that it helps streamline things across the board if you’re a small group or a large group, especially when it comes to procurement management teams.

Darci Wingard:

And if you don’t have a procurement management team, just to be fiscally responsible, if you are a practice and saying, “Hey, I want to look at these certain composites or consumables,” but again, keeping it down to two manufacturers on the amount of equipment technology side, depending on what you’re looking at, again, keeping it narrow to two or three, because we don’t want to dilute any type of offering, too. And that I think, keeps some guidelines in place, too, with the affiliate groups or locations underneath that group umbrella or franchise-buying group, whatever it might be.

Darci Wingard:

It really helps those members say, “I’m able to stay a little bit more competitive.” I know that I’m going to be getting a fair cost when I’m looking at these types of products within this type of manufacturing pool. So I think that’s what formularies essentially allow. It’s creating that foundation of staying within certain parameters to help really drive purchasing behavior. And that purchasing behavior, once you see that shift, you’re going to be able to see ultimate cost savings.

Darci Wingard:

And I think on the flip side, when you look as a manufacturer, if I know that I’m attached to these formularies, I know longterm that I’m going to be able to get a little bit more sales within that customer focus or that customer group segment. That’s going to allow me to maybe put a little bit more skin in the game and offer them some more comfort on pricing, knowing that we have that longterm relationship, because we are on that formulary. There’s skin in the game, if that makes sense.

Bill Neumann:

Yeah, it sure does. And maybe let’s build on that from your experience on the formulary side of things. I hear different things from different manufacturers and distributors, as far as the adherence to the formulary from different groups. So sometimes there are promises made, as far as being an exclusive or something like that.

Bill Neumann:

And then you realize that maybe there’s some pricing that’s offered, and then there might be other equipment companies brought in or even other distributors brought in. What’s your experience? And what’s the importance of really, once you create this formulary, to adhere to it?

Darci Wingard:

No, you mentioned it. It’s definitely challenging. From my experience of working with multiple strategic accounts, groups, different types of dental partner organizations, non traditional models, yeah I would think that is the hardest challenge of internally, for that C-suite team. And especially if you do not have a procurement-focused team that can really drive that purchasing behavior, it is. It’s extremely challenging to have all your members or your affiliate locations really adhere to that.

Darci Wingard:

I think if you do have that procurement focus, and you do have a team, I know there’s a lot of the larger groups that they will place all the purchase orders. They will actually place the orders for those groups to make sure that they adhere by the formulary. So they don’t break any type of formulary or contract restrictions that had been probably put together through agreements. And to make sure that they follow within what’s been promised to the dealer and the manufacturer, to make sure that for the following years, those savings stay in check.

Darci Wingard:

But yeah, it is hard. I think you’re going to see a little bit probably tighter success with some of the smaller groups, because they’re easy to manage. I think when you’re looking at reporting, it’s easier to look at, too, you can see the little shifts where you might see a practice going rogue or purchasing from a different type of manufacturer, or off what’s on formulary, what they’d contract pricing. But yeah, no, it’s definitely a challenge. I think education is key, too. I think the more that these DSOs or these groups can communicate down.

Darci Wingard:

Another thing, or any type of procurement software systems. That sometimes it’s like they call it E-catalogs or contract pricings, where it’s literally restricted. They upload a formulary in, and it says, this is your formulary. These are your products that we have signed off on, whether it’s clinical, whatever. And these are the products that you have to purchase from or buy from. Then there’s no way for them to go rogue through those types of systems.

Darci Wingard:

Or like I said, even if you’re buying through henryschein.com, directly through the distribution channel, they can make it to where there’s restrictions of what they’re buying. And it narrows down the breadth of the products that they’re able to see before purchasing.

Bill Neumann:

Right. So, here’s another question for you. As far as specifically with equipment, is there something that should be considered? Because again, when we go back to that first question that I asked you, and that really going back to the survey that we came up with, where it was quality, pricing, but then that service or support, talk to me a little bit about the importance of the service and support.

Bill Neumann:

And maybe even a little bit of what Planmeca provides. And is that built into an agreement? Because you can have a great piece of equipment, some great technology, but if you don’t know how to use it, or you don’t have the service to back it up when something goes wrong, it doesn’t really mean much. So maybe talk a little bit about that.

Darci Wingard:

No, 100%. So with Planmeca, especially, culture is king. We pride ourselves on three main core competencies of culture, community, and concept. And with us being a private, we … People aren’t aware. Planmeca is one of the largest privately owned equipment and technology companies in the industry. And I think that is something that we take great pride in, in the fact that it lets us be agile. And we can move very quickly.

Darci Wingard:

So one thing when you’re looking at groups or large DSOs, whatever it might be, we have that ability to really pivot quickly and customize some things that you might not be able to get with a different type of manufacturer. So again, with my experience with really sitting in with some of these larger strategic customers, whether it’s on the national side, large groups, whether it’s between 20 or 40, and they’re just local DSOs or cross base, span across regions, one thing that we really want to make sure that they know is their demands, as we know, are going to be maybe a little bit higher than a single private practice.

Darci Wingard:

They’re going to have different needs. And we want them to know that, “Hey, we are here to support them in that post-sale process.” We have the dedicated field team for technical support, onsite support. We have that remote log in. We have what we call our support onsite, and then everything here through our dedicated … We have online channels, chat feature, phone. I mean, anything you can think of, we have it.

Darci Wingard:

But again, on the training and education side, we offer so much. We have our facility in Hoffman Estates, it’s right outside Chicago. That is our US headquarters. And then we host tons of trainings there, hands-on workshops. And again, everything’s customized. If you are one of those larger groups, you can come in, bring in your team, and we can do something exclusive just for you.

Bill Neumann:

Excellent. Yeah, that’s certainly good to know. Let’s talk a little bit as we work through the selection process, back to dealer and manufacturer. What forces of influence are available for both the dealer and the manufacturer during the selection process? You talk a little bit about a balanced relationship and that type of thing, working hand in hand, the dealer and the manufacturer. What should some of these DSOs do as they start to evaluate the technologies? And then it always goes back to patient care, right?

Darci Wingard:

Yeah, yeah. No, I’ll kind of go a little rogue here or I’m jumping ahead, but I think trials and pilot testing is probably the best way for some of these groups. And even smaller groups, even a single location to really vet technology today. Things are changing and moving so fast that I think that is honestly the best way to get that confidence. If I’m a group practice and I’m looking at implementing intraoral scanning or CAD/CAM, or even 3D across all of my 100 plus locations, I want to make sure that I’m vetting out properly, and I’ve field-tested.

Darci Wingard:

I’ve put maybe one or two or three different units in different locations, in different regions, different states to where that we have the actual affiliate teams with hands-on. And they’re actually using the machines. They’re using the technology. They’re using the equipment day to day with their patients, whether that trial is a 60-day pilot, 90-day, whatever it might be. And it might be good to test a couple of manufacturers. I would probably limit it to just two, but that way you really get to see firsthand experience.

Darci Wingard:

Because we all know that we can sit there and provide an amazing presentation. And we can say, here’s where we are clinically. We have all these great features, proprietary information. But until those groups can really have that technology or those units in the field, utilizing day to day. And then if something does go wrong, I think that’s what they need look at. Technology is glitchy. It’s never going to be a perfect process, but it’s how that distribution team or that distribution partner as well, the manufacturer works together and how quickly they can get things back up and running.

Darci Wingard:

And if something does go down, just as I was talking about Planmeca, we have that SOS, the onsite training. We can virtually tap in and we can work directly with the distribution dealer’s tech team to get stuff up and running that day. So again, it’s making sure that you have that partner that’s going to be there with you through that testing pilot. And that’s probably the best way to do it is I’d highly recommend doing some of the pilot trials before you really narrow it down to a couple, to make that final decision.

Bill Neumann:

Would you say that’s pretty much standard protocol now, with larger platforms or even the smaller? Again, thinking of the emerging groups that might not really have had to do this before at scale, do you find that a lot of the groups are doing that, where they’re going to take two or three locations and say, “Okay, we’ve got 60, 90 days, and then we all get back together, meet, talk about what our experience was like”? Is that pretty standard now, or are you just hit or miss?

Darci Wingard:

I think it’s becoming more of a standard. I think it just depends on again, what that group is looking for and what the end result is. But if I was in their position and there is availability to pilot test, and you can actually take that scanner in your hand or utilize that 3D machine and have it in the office for a couple months, and really trying it out with the patients, why wouldn’t you? This is going to be able to help you with product functionality. You get to look at practice workflow, the needs and requirements that may be needed there that you might not have even thought of, performance and satisfaction measurements, real-time reporting data.

Darci Wingard:

And then again, the training and support, all that post-sales stuff that you don’t usually think about, that will come into effect. And then the implementation and training, that’s a huge one. It allows the groups and those DSOs to get a taste of what that onboarding experience looks like, that implementation. Those site surveys that needs to be done through the distribution team, as well with the manufacturer to get those sites ready to implement that type of technology, especially if they’ve never utilized that technology before.

Darci Wingard:

And then again, at Planmeca, I think we’re really confident in our technology. The performance rates extremely under strenuous conditions with beta testing, vigorous testing, that’s proven our units to outperform some of the competition. And we’ve created again, a special clinical team dedicated just for the strategic account space and special needs or demands that they might need.

Bill Neumann:

And you touched on something else, which is, I think pretty important is you talked a lot about remote log ins and a lot of the training that can be done virtually now. And of course, with COVID, there’s probably more people leaning on those types of technologies now, that virtual communication. Do you see a lot more adoption of that recently, where a lot of the practices are starting to use that type of remote login, or where Planmeca is able to do some diagnostic work?

Darci Wingard:

Yeah.

Bill Neumann:

They don’t necessarily have to bring people into the practices.

Darci Wingard:

Yeah. I actually think it’s a 50-50. I think again, sign of the times and the current climate today, yes, you’re going to see a lot more virtual needs and virtual aid for remote login, especially when it comes to training. You’re going to want more of the webinar, remote access that can be provided. But again, I think it’s also going to be positive virtually, for webinars and some of that online training.

Darci Wingard:

And those type of vehicles that are provided, when you are large, when you’re a super large DSO of getting multiple people together at once, that requires no travel through any type of training or continuing education there. But I still think hands-on is going to be the best experience, and just depending everyone’s comfort level. But I still think that some in-person training where you actually have that type of education and learning and the practice is always going to be key.

Bill Neumann:

Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. So, all right. We’ve done our tests, we test pilot. We’ve decided that, “Well, okay, so maybe we’ve got two or three.” You said two, so we limit it to two options. How do we come up with a final decision? What’s the process after that? We field-tested it, we’ve had our meetings. Take us through what makes sense there.

Darci Wingard:

Yeah. I think again, you look at value add. And I think once you’ve done your pilot testing, you’ve done that initial exploratory discovery where the distribution dealer as well as manufacturers have come and said, “Here are the offerings, here are the options,” once you have that clinical board sign off and they’ve done their proper vetting process of this is what we’re looking for, again, all the boxes are checked.

Darci Wingard:

Now, we’ve had a couple of our affiliates pilot test, beta. They have now taken results back of what’s important to them. And again, I think there’s a multiple things that they have to look at. And every group is going to rate things a little bit different, as you said, in the beginning. It’s quality, price, the support. Again, it comes to someone that’s going to be that true partner for them, that’s going to be there to help, really help those DSOs really grow over time and be flexible. Someone that’s going to be able to provide something a little bit more customized to these groups, to better support their affiliate needs.

Darci Wingard:

But yeah, once you’ve made that final selection process and you’ve gone through the vetting, which can be an expensive process. I think it can take months to really get to where you’re going to go, because I think it’s an investment, too. You have to look at investing in the practice, and that’s what technology and your equipment are going to do. You’re able to bring in a different type of patient procedures, increasing that per patient production by bringing in a cone beam, where you’re going to have a better standard of care there.

Darci Wingard:

But again, I think once you do that pilot and that initial vetting, then it comes down to, I think, what is the best actual partner? And I mean that. I think it comes down to choosing a partner for that final decision.

Bill Neumann:

Yeah, and I think that’s good. And let’s maybe build on that support side of it again. I know, again, when we go back to that survey that we did two years in a row and the answers came out almost identical, where it was again, quality, price, but real close to the price was that support, which with equipment and maybe I’m going to miss something, so make sure that you catch me, but support can mean a lot of things. So you’ve got the technology support. You’ve got the sales support on the front end to make sure that-

Darci Wingard:

Yep.

Bill Neumann:

… they know what the different options are. With technology, it can be pretty daunting. And then you’ve also got that after-sales, almost the service. If I’ve got an issue, something breaks, what am I going to do? Is Planmeca there? Is the distribution partner there to back us up if we’re down with some of our technology? So, that to me, seems pretty important as well, and should certainly go into the process. What are your thoughts on the importance of that support?

Darci Wingard:

Oh, 100%. 100%. And I think one thing that Planmeca has done very well is we keep a focus on that entire service and support in that post-sale process. And there’s no added fees with any of it. So everything that we were talking about, the chat feature, you can call in, online remote support, continuing education and the training, all of that comes into play. We don’t have additional subscription fees or dish for a warranty that comes … Even a lot of our stuff is a standard five-year warranty, so that comes inclusive with a lot of the products.

Darci Wingard:

But yeah, definitely the education, the training piece. And again, when it comes to staying like a partner, that’s what you want to be looking at. Who are those manufacturer equipment partners that can actually provide that continued training, can help you if you are looking at CBCT and going into more 3D imaging and making that that standard of care across all of your locations? Once you have those images, how should people be reading them? What should they be looking at? So those are the things that we’re going to be able to provide, that continued level of education to make sure that once they’ve implemented this technology, that they’re able to use it daily. And they understand the way they’re using it in the way they should be using it.

Darci Wingard:

And again, it’s comes down to the clinical board really embracing the technology advantages. And again, with Planmeca, we have a lot of proprietary different type of options and algorithms we put into our machines, like our Ultra Low Dose, our CALM feature. And that really helps recruit quality, the tech savviness for dentists. It’s something they should be looking at when they are picking technology, whether it’s 3D, even when it comes to scanning or CAD/CAM, whatever it might be.

Bill Neumann:

So you mentioned a couple of things. This’ll be the last question for you. But as far as you talked, you talked a lot about technology, Planmeca is a technology company. What are the new technologies that DSOs and clinicians are looking for? Is it 3D? Is it the scan? You talked about Low Dose a little bit and the importance of that. And just, what are you being asked about now? Where does the interest level lie? I’m sure it probably goes to certain new technologies that you have.

Darci Wingard:

Yeah. I think definitely when it comes to some of the cone beam and the 3D imaging, I think you have a lot of the groups that have invested in a lot of the 2D. But you are seeing a lot of people now looking at 3D and saying it is the standard of care. And now we need to be implementing this throughout our various affiliations. And then it’s just showing we’re able to give that better care to the patient when you’re looking at a larger cone beam image in a different field of view.

Darci Wingard:

But the Ultra Low Dose that we offer, that’s going to be something that I think is like a keyword that you’re hearing a lot of people talk about is, are we compromising any type of image quality when we’re talking about Low Dose? And we’re not, with Planmeca. We are the imaging leader when it comes to the 2D and 3D. And our Ultra Low Dose is still going to let those practices be rest assured that we’re not compromising, again, any image quality for that Ultra Low Dose. And we want to make sure that the patients know that they’re safe coming in, and the Ultra Low Dose regarding radiation is there.

Darci Wingard:

And then CALM. If you’ve not heard of the CALM technology, that’s another thing that we have added into all of our 3D machines. So it literally corrects any type of movement. So even if you are a patient, a small child, moving, or a patient with Parkinson’s, it’s almost foolproof. You can take a proper image.

Bill Neumann:

It’s like an image stabilization?

Darci Wingard:

Yep, 100%. Again, and so these are some of the proprietary things that we have. And all of our 3D machines. Again, primarily on the 3D side. And these are all types of things that we are hearing a lot more about. We’re seeing a lot of interest in it, especially in the strategic accounts and the emerging DSO space.

Bill Neumann:

Excellent. Well, that’s all we have for today. But Darci Wingard, thank you for giving us some insight. It’s nice to talk to you. You’ve got the great background on the distribution side and now, on the equipment side with Planmeca. And appreciate the insight and maybe some tips and tricks for some of the emerging groups, as far as, “Hey, we’re starting to build out our formulary. What’s the process look like?” And specifically, when it comes to equipment. But that’s all we’ve got for today. And, Darci, thanks again. I appreciate to joining us. And until next time, I’m Bill Neumann with the Group Dentistry Now show.