Through case studies and live demonstrations, Dr. Snodgrass and his team saw applications for the technologies in all areas of the practice: from orthodontic work and implants to endodontics and periodontics. “The Summit was very enlightening and educational,” he says. “It was very well done and in a very nice setting. The information was well presented.”
One of the greatest benefits of the 3D Summit is that it allows doctors to step outside the busy practice environment and devote time to learning, says Williams. Doctors get answers from clinical experts, aka real doctors, who use the technologies in their own practices. The Summit is also a chance for the doctor and staff to further build their relationship with their Patterson team.
After the Summit, Dr. Snodgrass was fully committed to bringing CEREC and GALILEOS into his practices. “I think the technology has arrived and that CEREC is the wave of the future...I think GALILEOS will become a vital part of general dentistry and specialty in the future. I can’t imagine being an oral surgeon or periodontist and not having GALILEOS to help guide my implants,” he says.
Dr. Snodgrass ordered CEREC machines for two of his practices and GALILEOS for his Cool Springs, Tenn., location, which will serve as the practice’s imaging center until more machines are brought on.
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Nashville Branch Manager Matt Sabel says that when Dr. Snodgrass was making his purchasing decision, he looked at the technologies in two ways. First, as a businessman. And then from the patient’s perspective – “If it will help the patient, that ultimately makes the decision for the doctor,” Sabel says.
Dr. Snodgrass encouraged his staff to commit to becoming proficient in both technologies. “It’s expensive technology. If we’re spending that kind of money, you have to dedicate yourself to investing in learning about it,” he says.
He hasn’t been alone in providing training, however. Both Patterson and Sirona, the manufacturer of CEREC and GALILEOS, offer comprehensive support. “The Sirona people have been phenomenal in coming and teaching – they’ve been at our beck and call. We get right through to their technical support and they’ve been able to answer my questions immediately and get me started on the right foot,” Dr. Snodgrass says. “This is a highly advanced system and there’s a large learning curve, so you need support to ‘get ‘ it.”
While he and his staff have only been using their new CAD/CAM and cone beam imaging system for six months, Dr. Snodgrass plans to install another CEREC at a third practice in the near future. Where he once was a skeptic about the technologies, now he’s a convert. “I don’t think you need to be a trailblazer or be the first ones to do something,” he says. “But once the technology is verified and there and usable, I think you need to accept it and try to give your patients the best quality of dentistry you possibly can give them.” PT
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