DPG
Blog entry: Warren White, Komet USA
A
clear vision for the future, enhanced by a respectful eye to the past
As a longtime
member of the dental industry, I‘ve been privileged to enjoy a front-row view
of the modern evolution of dentistry, witnessing firsthand the recent advances
in instrumentation, materials, procedures, and techniques. Aside from the
natural progression resulting from scientific advances and cultural attitudes,
contemporary dentists and industry members have been challenged by economic
shifts that affect all members of the dental community, from caregivers and
manufacturers to insurers and patients.
One of the most
apparent changes seen today is the corporate business model adopted by growing
numbers of dental practices. Years ago, my family dentist was an independent
practitioner who ran his own office on his own terms. Today’s dentists,
however, are operating on a completely different playing field, where the
ability to adapt to change may mean the difference between practice success and
failure. Modern practitioners start their careers in far greater debt than
their predecessors, and they strive to find a way to be profitable while
dealing with the costs associated with operating expenses, rising taxes,
healthcare expenditures, and escalating tuition.1
Group Purchasing
Organizations, such as Dental Purchasing Group (DPG), offer an attractive
option for independent dental practices looking to improve pricing models and
reimbursement rates as well as identify cost-saving solutions and achieve
sustainable growth. In partnering with DPG to provide its members with access
to premium quality instruments and gold-standard customer service, Komet USA is
proud to bring its tradition of innovation and excellence to today’s generation
of dentists. Over the past nine decades, the global family of Komet companies
has maintained a respect for tradition while keeping an eye toward the future
and finding the right way to blend the two philosophies.
In 1923, our
founder aimed to make Komet one of the most valued names in dentistry, and he
recognized the importance of control over the quality of products bearing the
Komet name, effectively laying the foundation for the strong research,
development, and delivery methods that are still in place today. Value is
achieved through innovation, and value-minded professionals respect
quality-driven companies. At Komet, the products we sell are shipped directly
from our own factory in Germany to the end-user. We conduct our own research
and development, we do our own manufacturing, and we have a highly
sophisticated operations system that enables us to maintain inventories for the
worldwide Komet family of companies.
From the
beginning, we took on the role of innovators, responding to and foreseeing
changes within the dental industry. We established a method we like to call
“the Komet way,” which defines the business practices that have enabled us to
remain current for over 90 years: The Komet way is ensuring that doctors have
the right instruments for every procedure, every single time. It is using our
people, our products, and our delivery protocol with an emphasis on customer
service and satisfaction. Most of all, the Komet way is never selling out,
always acting with integrity, and continually working to improve our
instruments. We’ve evolved directly with dentistry by adhering to these values
while partnering with dental experts, industry leaders, educators, and our
customers. Today, we are proud to further that evolution by including DPG in
our list of integral partners.
At Komet USA, we
strongly believe that the independent dentist remains the backbone of the
industry. Dentistry has evolved and flourished in the hands of the independent
dentist, and that history should be valued. As a family-owned company with a
rich tradition, Komet subscribes to the premise that the past should be the
basis for bettering the future. In partnering with DPG to respond to the needs
of our customers, we merge that tradition with modern innovation to provide
today’s dentists with the highest-quality dental burs and diamonds paired with
unparalleled customer service.
References:
1.
Levin, Roger P. "Practice Production—Seven ways the new economy has
changed dentistry." Dental Economics
101.12 (2011): 40.
