News for Dentists and DCPs

Don’t decide on price alone

We live in an electronic age where price comparisons over the internet are increasingly common.

We are in a recession and this year, 2009, looks like being a tough one both for people and businesses. There is a temptation to buy, whether for practice or for home on the basis of price. Buy cheaply at any cost. But the cost can be higher than you think…

Time was when you stayed with the bank where you first opened your account and likewise with services such as insurance. In dentistry loyalty to your laboratories and suppliers and from them was much prized. And one should say not only mutually beneficial but also helped to establish the loyalty of patients to ‘their’ practice.

The current economic circumstances are not good, to put it mildly. We are in a recession and this year, 2009, looks like being a tough one both for people and businesses. There is a temptation to buy, whether for practice or for home on the basis of price. Buy cheaply at any cost. But the cost can be higher than you think. Price obviously is a major consideration when you are buying, but it should not be the sole one.

From the pages of newspapers and from consumer programmes on radio and television come stories of people who buy the cheapest and then suffer the consequences. The product and service was not up to standard or specification. It may not even be delivered. You should have read the small print. Such horror stories and almost unknown in dentistry, where word would get around very quickly about any poor service.

One way of guarding against such problems is to deal with a member of the British Dental Trade Association (BDTA). This is the UK body which represents manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors of products and services to the dental profession. It was formed in 1923 and now has in excess of one hundred members. Its Code of Practice has been developed to ensure that the highest standards of self-discipline are enshrined in the conduct of its members.

So if you are looking at where to buy products and services for your practice and you are not going to decide solely on price, what questions should be asking from your supplier? These may be some of them; no doubt you can think of others, but they are all ones that your BDTA supplier will be able to answer.

• How effective is it? How will it benefit my patients?
• How reliable will it be? How long will it last?
• What after sales service do you offer?
• What am I committing myself to? Are there any ‘hidden’ costs?
• What if I am not happy?

Effectiveness

Of course manufacturers and suppliers make claims for their products and services; that is a normal part of the selling process. But are these claims exaggerated? You are responsible for what you tell your patients, so how will my patients benefit? What claims can you make about the product to your patients? You will also want to know what evidence your suppliers have to support their claims. Safety is a prime consideration for them and you must take this into account when deciding on a purchase.

Reliability

A piece of equipment needs to be reliable and go on doing its job, hopefully, for many years. Different batches of material should perform equally well and survive for as long as possible in the hostile environment of the mouth. The BDTA code of practice says that their members ‘should ensure that products offered for sale are supported by adequate stocks and technical information. In addition, they must satisfy themselves that diagnostic aids, equipment repair facilities and spare parts will be available to support the customers for the normal expected life of the product’.

After sales service

This is an important aspect for you to consider when buying something. Time is money to you and you cannot afford to sit idly by, while your equipment is awaiting repair. After-sales service is thus an aspect of dental product purchases of the utmost importance. The BDTA code of practice places on its members an obligation to provide such a service, including ‘equipment repair facilities and spare parts’.

Financial commitment

Of course the price will be a major determinant in your decision, but it goes further than that. Beware hidden extras and service agreements that tie you in to a particular company for a number of months or years. In many cases such an arrangement will be mutually beneficial and you don’t, for instance, want to be changing private plans every year, nor do your patients want this. Unfortunately not all arrangements work out as well as we hoped, so find out what the position is if you want in the future to terminate an agreement.

Complaints

What if you are not happy? The BDTA’s Code of Practice requires members to install Quality Assurance systems which comply with the appropriate standards where this is not already a legal requirement. You should also ask what sort of complaints mechanism your supplier has in place.

There is more to buying than just price. The cheapest is not always cheaper in the long term. It is not always advisable to buy on price alone, but it is important to think about after sales service, quality and reliability. You are looking for cost effectiveness and value for money. The BDTA Code is based not only upon members supplying the highest possible standards of quality, but also on accurate, fair and objective information. The Code is intended to foster an ethical, orderly, competent and reliable supply network embracing all sections of the industry for the good of dentists, practices and above all their patients.

Print