CEREC CAD/CAM Solutions at Midtown Dental

“For me, our logo says technology, art and dentistry. And that’s what we’re about. So when patients come to my practice, they come to expect that technology,” says Apekian.

And Apekian has delivered, starting with the purchase of CAD/CAM solutions in 2014. “I always say that CAD/CAM, or CEREC, was kind of my gateway drug into digital dentistry as the first big investment I made. I really flew with it. And it’s gotten to the point where I don’t think anyone in my practice can live without it,” she says.
 
She’s also seen results. In eight years, her practice has grown to 18 team members and 11 operatories in a 4,500-square-foot office that now sees 100 new patients a month without spending on advertising, she says.

Launching into digital dentistry

When she made the investment in CAD/CAM solutions, Apekian’s goal was to achieve better clinical outcomes and an improved patient experience, she says.
 
Single crowns remain Midtown Dental’s “bread and butter” dentistry. “CAD/CAM gives you the confidence that you’ll have perfect margins and perfect contacts every single time. You also have less post-operative sensitivity and less frequent visits,” she says. “Patients just appreciate not having to get numb a second time, not having the issues with temporaries, not having issues with fit, and obviously the patient convenience of not having to come in for multiple visits.”

Creating a buzz among patients

Apekian isn’t the only one excited about digital dentistry. “There is definitely a buzz from my patients. I think that they would say that we genuinely care about them and our technology makes the appointment smoother and more comfortable,” she says.
 
Her practice makes a deliberate effort to help patients understand how they do dentistry differently. “We’re showing them how we’re designing a crown as we’re doing it. We encourage them to go watch their crown get milled,” Apekian says.
 
Patients want to tell their friends and family, she says. “Those people come to the practice and are really loyal patients as well. I think once patients have this experience of efficiency and a single visit, they don’t want to return to something else.”

Honing skills and learning new procedures

Apekian says one thing that surprised her about CAD/CAM is it’s taught her to be a better clinician.
 
“Seeing my work magnified really is an eye-opening experience because you might think your preparation is beautiful when you take an impression and send it to a lab. But when you magnify it and you’re forced to actually design and produce the final restoration, I think you recognize all the things that you can improve upon,” she said.
 
Once you get through the learning curve, the efficiency and control of CAD/CAM allow you to get into new parts of dentistry, she says. “Ten years ago, if you had asked me if I was going to place implants, I would have said probably not. And now here I am doing fixed full arch prosthetics. I think a lot of that has to do with the technology.”

Running a practice made easier

While Midtown Dental has grown significantly, Apekian says it’s easier to run than ever.
 
“Now I can take some time and have that balance in my life for my young children, and I can provide more complicated procedures while even working a little less than I used to,” she says. “I’ve learned to delegate. I’ve learned to incorporate systems that support technology. And the technology really provides efficient care for patients.”

Patients come to the practice for all it has to offer, so there’s less risk that they will leave if a staff member does. And there is less employee turnover, she says. “I have team members who say they would never leave my practice because there are so many fun gadgets to work with.”

Apekian adds, “There are so many of these byproducts that you don’t consider when you start incorporating CAD/CAM. Primarily for me it just makes me excited and happy to practice every day.”