From Consultation to Innovation: Practicon Through the Years

Practicon has gone through a lot of changes in its 26-year history. What began as a venture into consultation and education has blossomed into a thriving and ever expanding dental supply company. With strong leadership and a desire to always be on the side of innovation, Practicon has seen exponential growth over the last two and a half decades.

The company was founded by Ann Page Griffin and Dr. Jasper L. Lewis. Ann worked with Dr. Lewis's pediatric dental practice as their Dental Health Educator and later became Marketing Coordinator and Practice Administrator. She embarked upon office tours and taught preventative dentistry to school classrooms. As demand for Ann's educational, management, and marketing services heightened, the need to expand beyond the resources of the practice arose. Thus, on September 13, 1982 Practicon, Inc. was formed.

1985 was a big year for Practicon, with its first mail order catalog! The Ideal was published that year in August and offered a whopping 50 dental products (our latest catalog contains over 2,300)! Also in that year, Practicon finally had a place to call home. The 950 square foot finished attic space above Dr. Lewis's office served as headquarters to the company's small work force.

As business continued to grow, a larger shipping facility was needed. Shipping moved to a 2,500 square foot off-site warehouse in 1988. In 1992, Practicon moved to a 9,500 square foot building and by 1993 had grown to employ 30 associates. The company also received its first product patent for the Optishield. The next 2 years saw tremendous growth as sales grew by 30%! The catalog evolved from the tabloid format to a more traditional format.

Finally, in 1997 Practicon moved to its current location. It was then a 20,000 square foot building, but has since expanded by another 12,000 feet! To support it's continued growth, the company has continued to add new positions and now employs over 50 associates! By continually adding new and innovative products (such as the Optra-Gate, Optra Dam, Denta Pak, and Angle-Ease) and offering superb customer service, Practicon has continued to grow, in spite of widespread economic hardships. With its top-notch blend of marketing, merchandising, and old-fashioned customer service, Practicon looks forward to continued growth for many years to come.

Keep your practice website up-to-date and attractive…

and if your office does not have a website, invest in having one developed as soon as possible. More potential patients than ever before are searching the web for a dental practice in which they can receive quality treatment plus above-the-norm personal care that lead to a long term trusting relationship. In other words the new patient is seeking a cutting edge practice with a variety of the latest and best treatment options available, and he/she is likely to look for that information on an attractive website.

Your website may include biographical sketches about the dentist and staff members, details about the practice such as appointment hours, location, service mix including any specific treatment procedures offered, and educational information that lets new patients know your practice is committed to helping them achieve and maintain optimal oral health. Many other features can be part of your website, depending on the variety of options available from your website developer.

Once the website is active, be sure to include your web address on all practice paperwork, including business cards used by the dentist and staff. Mention it in your telephone on-hold messages. List it in the telephone yellow pages or any other advertisements published for the practice. Make certain your website is one to be proud of and then let patients and potential patients know how to find your practice via the web.

An effective marketing technique:

Want a free, yet simple, way to gain new patients through current patients? How? In two words, “Simply ask.” Asking a current patient to refer family and friends should be done regularly by a staff member who has interacted with the patient during that appointment or by the dentist before the patient leaves the treatment room. Seeing a busy office, many current satisfied patients assume the practice has all the patients it can handle, failing to realize that the practice does, in fact, enthusiastically welcome new patients.

An example of effective phrasing might be, “Mrs. Lindell, Dr. Smith is seeing new patients. If you know family or friends who want a great dental office with the nicest patients and best dental care available, please ask them to call us.”

During the morning huddle review of that day’s schedule, the staff and doctor may want to decide who issues the reminder to which patient. Alternatively, the request may consistently be offered by a business staff member during check out, by the hygienist, the dental assistant or the dentist.

ADA Annual Session 2008

Anybody with a taste for taquitos, tamales, and tequila will love the setting for this year's ADA!

Who's ready for San Antonio? The 149th American Dental Association Annual Session and Exhibition is only one month away, but if you haven't yet registered to attend, it's still not too late. Everything kicks off Thursday October 16, including the World Marketplace Exhibition that runs Thursday through Saturday. Stop by and see Practicon - we're at Booth #689!

Visit the ADA website for more info...

We're already taking a look at some of our newest and most popular items to bring to the show. Anything special you'd like to see? Let us know! If you plan on coming to the ADA and want to see a particular Practicon product, just send me an email. I'll see what I can do!

In the meantime, start packing for breezy strolls down River Walk, live local music at Main Plaza, and historical diversions through the Spanish Missions. All during the ADA Annual Session 2008!

Cavex Alginate Evaluation Kits - Only $4.99!

Hi everyone! Cavex brand alginate is one of our most popular and best selling products. Those of you who are familiar with Cavex products already know of their superior quality. Those who are new to the brand will want to take advantage of this terrific offer!

We are now offering Evaluation Kits for the popular Cavex product line. Available in ColorChange, Impressional, or CA37 formulation configurations, each kit includes a 1.1 lb. bag of Cavex alginate, a trial pack of GreenClean Alginate Remover, a scoop, a beaker and additional product information. Cavex alginate offers excellent detail reproduction and tear-resistant elasticity. In fact, Cavex ColorChange received a 5+ rating from The Dental Advisor and has been named a Top 100 Product for 2008 by Dentistry Today. Evaluation kits are available to new customers (limit one per customer) for only $4.99, which includes shipping and handling. To request an evaluation kit, please call 1-800-959-9505, mention code CAVEX08, and specify the type of Cavex you wish to try. You'll want to act quickly, because this offer ends October 31, 2008 and supplies are limited. For more information on each item, visit http://practicon.com/category.aspx?cid=6002

This offer really is a fantastic value. I hope you'll agree that Cavex alginate is a superior product and decide to use it in your office! If you have questions or comments, please leave me some feedback! Thanks for taking the time to read The Practicon Insider.

What type of brush should be used for infants, toddlers, and older children?

Often, customers are unsure what size or type of brush to buy for children of varying ages. I am frequently asked what type of brush should be used for infants, toddlers, and older children.

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, oral health care should start at birth. Gently wipe the baby’s gums with a soft, wet cloth after each feeding. Check out our Tenders. This is a product specifically designed for infants! Once teeth appear, a soft bristled, child brush should be used twice a day. The Angel Brush and the Infant-Toddler Safety Brush are excellent products you can use to clean brand new teeth.

When a child is 2-3 years old, dentists recommend switching to a child toothbrush (according to Medicinenet.com). Use a soft bristled brush with a head that is small enough to maneuver inside the child’s mouth. Switch to an adult sized brush when the jawbone extends and the mouth is large enough to facilitate a larger sized brush (usually by age 12). Some people with smaller mouths can use a child-sized brush for life!