Australasian Dentist Issue 89

Category 112 AustrAlAsiAn Dentist testIMonIals Shop for equipment with confidence Making a dental equipment purchase isn’t the same thing as getting a chainsaw or power drill. Alldent offers customised technical support for all your big-ticket items. M ost people looking for hardware products would simply trot down to their nearest Bunnings store. the Big Box retailer carries every conceivable hardware product you can think of, and it’s just more convenient. there are times however, especially during weekends, when speaking to a green-uniformed employee to get some product clarification or advice would be nearly impossible. it’s even more frustrating when finally grabbing hold of one only to be told it’s not their department. the supermarket chain model tends to get weighed down by a labyrinth of sKus, brands and merchandise. Due to their sheer size, retail giants often end up a Jack of all trades but master of nothing. the same goes with their sales employees, who have to juggle multiple portfolios. not only have they to balance conflicting manufacturers’ interests but also keep up with respective KPis and monthly sales targets. Tried and true tech support All these things matter when you are shopping for dental equipment. unlike your typical hardware transaction, dental equipment buyers need to do more than just keep the receipt. Most dentists do not possess the technical knowhow to assess whether a piece of equipment would perform under their specific working conditions. Yet they are well aware that making the wrong purchase at the outset would mean frequent equipment breakdowns, repeated repairs and disgruntled patients down the road. since the dental equipment represents a significant expense for the practice, having access to tried and true technical support is not just a great, but often critical, option. this is where modest-size equipment sellers such as Alldent play a heavy-lifting role. While Alldent may not sell all the brands under the dental sun, they carry a carefully curated range. More importantly, they take pride in having more equipment knowledge and product experience than your average retailer. this is borne out by the dental seller’s distinct ability to customise and modify the equipment to suit individual preference. “technical innovation and craftsmanship are embedded into every equipment task by all employees at Alldent,” says Bill stoney, Alldent’s director. “everybody at Alldent knows it is their job to align all aspects of the business so that we present a finished task that is better than that produced by any other outfit.” that’s a bold claim for sure, but one that speaks to an individual’s lifelong commitment to the installation, mainte- nance and sale of dental equipment. Money where the mouth is Bill started as an apprentice instrument maker at the royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne in 1974 – the second person in Australia to do so at the time. “networking between a teacher and the Chief engineer of rDHM, both classmates during their Marine engineering studies, brought this about,” Bill explains. “it was a multi disciplinary role including plumbing, electrical, construction, machining and toolmaking as well as dental units and handpieces.” After a short break from the dental industry, stoney commenced a role at the school Dental service, but did not agree with some of its fundamental practices. “i was somehow in constant conflict withmiddlemanagement and others about how to operate an efficient maintenance By Danny Chan