Digital dental impressions and clear aligners are highly effective treatment options for patients, as well as lucrative service lines for general practitioners. To learn more, Becker's Dental + DSO Review recently spoke with Matthew Riley, DMD, owner at Riley Dental Group in Glasgow, Ky.
Note: Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Question: When did you first introduce Primescan to your practice and why? What was the reception among the staff to this new technology?
Matthew Riley: I have two practices, both in rural south-central Kentucky. One is a four-doctor practice where we see over 10,000 patients. It's very fast paced and the practice is heavily PPO involved. The other practice is in a much smaller town, about 30 minutes away. From the beginning, I was the most anti-digital impression and digital workflow dentist that you would ever talk to. As far as crown and bridge, I loved my lab and they were giving me great results. I was afraid to transition into this new technological realm and I was apprehensive about staff and dentist acceptance. Then I spoke with a dentist friend who also has a fast-paced office, and he recommended that I look into Primescan.
We bought our first Primescan system in April 2021 and within two to three weeks, I realized how much I loved it. The education from Dentsply Sirona and their distribution partners was tremendous. They helped us incorporate the tool into our very, very fast-paced environment. For about a week, I saw hesitation in the employees. After the training, they loved it just as much as I did. In June 2021, we bought a second Primescan system for our second practice. Now both our offices do all digital impressions.
Q: How has Primescan improved patient education and communication? Does it make it easier to explain the oral health benefits of clear aligners to patients?
MR: Absolutely. Primescan digital impressions are wonderful. They allow the patient to see what I see, even more effectively than an intraoral camera. That's important for patient education. Because I can take a full scan, I can show patients how large their amalgam fillings are and where occlusion marks are. Primescan has been a tremendous help with patient acceptance.
When we start talking about SureSmile® Clear Aligners, we add scans to the model and show the progression that would be possible with the aligners. Patients see how we are going to incrementally move teeth. It's so hands-on. Patients are very impressed because this technology enables them to see what we are recommending.
Q: How has Primescan, especially when paired with SureSmile® Clear Aligners, helped grow your practice? What results have you seen?
MR: Primescan and SureSmile have been tremendous platforms for us to add to our practice. I did my first SureSmile case in September 2021. Since that time, we've seen an increase of over $250,000 in collections from SureSmile and that's only with one doctor at my main practice. We are now training other doctors on this solution. Without a doubt, Primescan with SureSmile has been the best purchase I've made.
Q: How has digital dentistry contributed to improving patients' overall health?
MR: Many of my patients think because their parents had dentures at 50, they will also need dentures at 50. When people are younger, we can use digital impression technology to show how we can save teeth. I can also show them that when dentures are involved, there are lower bite forces. Once patients understand what we need to do, we know that it will dramatically improve their oral health in the months and years to come. It's been wonderful to help promote a more healthy lifestyle to the patients in my community.
Q: What is one piece of advice you would give to a GP looking to add a scanner to their office and to do more clear aligner cases?
MR: When I was looking at different clear aligner platforms, I felt some were too expensive and would be difficult to pass along to patients in a rural, middle-class area. Another platform didn't provide any education. I think what's so great about Dentsply Sirona is their collaboration with CDOCS to provide advanced education through Clinical AcceleratorsGet involved with continuing education — I think that's the first step for GPs interested in a clear aligner platform. I did that even before I bought a scanner. I'd also recommend reaching out to the Dentsply Sirona reps. They've been wonderful at answering tricky technological questions.
I love what Primescan and SureSmile have done for my practice and what they've done for patient acceptance. For all those years, I was asking, "Why should I do this?" Instead, I should have been asking, "Why not do this?"