The increased demand for dental treatment places more wear and tear on equipment. Annual maintenance contracts are more cost-effective than ad hoc services. If you may be inclined to doubt the accuracy of this statement, stop for a moment and consider the potential cost to your practice of two or three days without a working handpiece or a malfunctioning dental chair. How would that impact you and, if applicable, your partners financially, and how might it affect your patients’ care? Could it even jeopardise their continued loyalty?
Although most modern dental equipment is manufactured to the highest standards, only energy is indestructible. Given time, anything with moving parts can become vulnerable to breakdowns. You may have one or two simple items that require no special knowledge or skill to fix and which you or an assistant can handle in-house. However, few dentists have what it takes to repair an intraoral camera or a cone beam computer tomography unit.
OK, perhaps you know an engineer who knows a bit about dental equipment maintenance and does callouts for a small fee. Are you one hundred per cent confident that person is certified to undertake your repair, or might you be in danger of putting the manufacturer’s warranty at risk? Can you guarantee he’s available at short notice in an emergency? Yes, repairs and replacements can be costly, so isn’t prevention a better option than cure?
The Benefits of Annual Maintenance Contracts
There are several sound reasons to consider maintenance contracts, all of which are crucial to ensure the smooth operation of a dental surgery.
- Safeguard your warranty: Like the producers of motor vehicles and aircraft, dental equipment manufacturers provide a schedule of recommended inspections and tasks necessary to ensure the continued safe and efficient operation of their products. In the unlikely event of a breakdown during the conditional warranty period, owners are assured of a free repair or replacement as indicated. However, failure to comply with the preventative maintenance schedule could nullify the warranty and necessitate payment in full for the services required. As mentioned earlier, so could employing an unqualified engineer.
- Avoid costly, unexpected breakdowns: A stitch in time genuinely can save nine or even nine hundred. A worn or damaged minor part found during a routine dental equipment maintenance visit could prevent a crippling repair bill a few months down the line. The money saved by such timely interventions more than covers the modest cost of annual maintenance contracts.
- Increase your equipment’s lifespan: When you first opened your practice, purchasing dental equipment was likely the second biggest investment of your life after buying your home. What better way to protect it than professional preventative maintenance?
- Keep your surgery’s doors open: Why risk cancelling patient appointments and losing income while waiting for repairs or the high cost of purchasing replacements to avoid downtime? A maintenance contract with a reliable supplier to provide the services of a qualified and experienced dental engineer is a far safer option.
Ready to Consider Annual Maintenance Contracts?
At Hague Dental Supplies, we back our world-class products with a team of certified, experienced dental engineers. Contact us about our annual maintenance contracts and flexible payment options, and enjoy peace of mind knowing we have your back.
