There are a number of big box stores in the restorative dentistry field. All you have to do is Google “Teeth in a Day”, and your pop up advertisements will switch dramatically. I think it’s important to know and understand about the these facilities as many of their prospective patients come to us after an initial consultation.
For starters, the big chains that promise teeth in a day cannot actually deliver teeth in day because they have to ship molds out to labs that are most likely affiliated or part of their parent company structure. An outside lab means two things: time and additional cost. Last time I checked FEDEX didn’t ship overnight for free and labs four states away will still charge fees – and probably “rush” fees. What these big box chains can deliver are temporary teeth in a day which stay in place until switched out for the permanent replacements.
The Doctor and team you meet at the big box chains are more than likely flown in for the procedure. You will probably never see them again. That is their job – to fly into different cities to perform restorative surgeries. This expense (airfare and hotel and transportation for multiple people) certainly adds to the cost and negates the concept of continuity of care if you are seeing someone different each time. It is extremely important in restorative dental surgery to have procedures performed by one Doctor who knows your oral structure best rather than someone you are meeting for the first time on the day or surgery.
Ads, ads, and more ads. We are in the digital age which means we search things up on the internet. It’s good to self-educate. Once you research words like “dental implant” and “replacement teeth” you find yourself bombarded with ads. I won’t say the names of the bigger companies because I don’t wish to further their SEO, but those massive ad campaigns on your Google page, across all social media, and on email blasts cost money. The parent corporations of these big box store franchises spend huge money advertising and have the highest “customer acquisition costs” in the industry. Why should a patient needing new permanent teeth in southern New Jersey be contributing to the advertising budget of a big box franchise in Colorado? It just another layer that adds to the cost.
While you are on the internet researching new permanent replacement teeth, and as you see these ads pop up, take a few minutes to go on the websites of the big box companies. Check out who runs these companies because for the most part, they are not Dentists. They are equity fund managers and businessmen managing a portfolio of investment dollars with an obligation to return a profit to investors. The head of one of the largest box store dental chains wrote a book, Financial Secrets to Grow Dental Organizations. The last sentence of his introduction best conveys it all, “…if you want to take matters into your own hands and are committed to learning the tried and true dental finance secrets to aggressively and sustainably scale your business, pull up a chair, and let’s get started.”
Here’s what you will find when you come into our Washington Township office for an initial consultation which is free of charge: a private practice with a single Dental Surgeon, a private in-house lab just down the hallway, the same staff every day, and a loyal following of patients. If you need new permanent teeth, read, learn, educate yourself because new replacement teeth should be an investment in oneself – and not serve as an investment for others.