The Vital Role of Dental Engineers in Providing Essential Technical Support for Modern Dentistry
Designing, installing and maintaining the many items of advanced equipment essential for modern dentistry requires the specialised skills of dental engineers. Sadly, the years have taken their toll on Britain’s dental services, and the recent pandemic has done nothing to ease the situation. The country is experiencing a nationwide shortage of dentists, placing unprecedented pressure on the existing facilities and leaving many practices severely overburdened.
On the plus side, new and emerging technologies are replacing slower and less efficient methodologies, helping dentists to reduce their steadily growing waiting lists. However, even the best-made machines are apt to fail occasionally, especially when used repeatedly. It can be a great comfort to know that professional help is at hand when an intraoral X-ray unit ceases to function, or a dental chair remains stuck in the prone position. These are not tasks for the average handyman. Only experienced, qualified dental engineers possess the specialised knowledge and skills to repair these items and ensure they are subsequently well maintained.
A Maintenance Agreement Ensures Help From Dental Engineers When You Most Need it
For a smaller practice, a few days without an essential item of equipment could lead to significant financial losses. There’s also a chance that some disappointed patients may seek future treatments elsewhere. However, even a more extensive business could face serious setbacks when attempting to manage its correspondingly larger workload. For those with a maintenance agreement, help is only a phone call away and the chance to resume their professional services with minimal delay. Furthermore, a contract will clearly define guaranteed service levels, such as response times, availability and loan equipment and is invariably less costly than summoning ad hoc assistance.
Dental Engineers Prove Prevention is Better Than Cure
Purchasing dental equipment is a significant expense, and it makes sense to protect your investment. Current inflation levels mean replacing poorly-maintained or damaged items could put additional strain on practice budgets. By contrast, ensuring crucial capital equipment is serviced by qualified dental engineers in accordance with the manufacturer’s written recommendations and at appropriate intervals will significantly extend the life of your equipment. Regular servicing will also avoid costly downtime. Incidentally, it is also worth noting that failure to conform to these requirements could invalidate the manufacturer’s warranty. In addition, a maintenance agreement carries a known, fixed cost that can be included in your annual running budget.
While poorly-maintained equipment might still function, it could pose a safety risk to patients and staff. If faulty equipment should cause an accident, a practice could face an expensive compensation claim. The Health and Safety at Work Act obliges employers to eliminate any hazards that may pose a risk to staff and visitors to the workplace.
What can Dental Engineers do for You?
Hague Dental Services employ a team of award-winning, experienced engineering specialists with collective expertise in the repair and maintenance of all forms of dental equipment, including the most advanced digital cameras, scanners and X-ray and computed tomography units. Click here to read the success story of one of our many delighted clients.
