ONLINE COMMUNICATION

Forward Trends:

As the operatory makes it's transition from hands-on dentistry, to the use of digtitized tools to streamline chairside procedures, to diagnose and treat patients more accurately, and to bring efficiencies to front office practice management, dentists are increasingly using computerized tools to communicate with their laboratories. According to the Dentist/Laboratory Communications survey Dental Lab Products conducted in September 2007, the percentage of dentists using the Internet to communicate with their laboratories has gone up 125% in the last two years and a whopping 492% since 2003.


E-mail, Web-based image management solutions, Web and Videocasts as well as the newest tool, digital impression-taking devices, all enhance the ability of dentists to communicate case information quickly, easily, and more accurately. According to dentist respondents, nearly half (48.1%) of those who use the internet to communicate with their laboratories do so by sending digital images, and almost one-third (31.2%) of respondents said they use general-correspondence email. Although the percentage of dentists who report using computerized tools for communication purposes is still small (20.1%), the increase in their use shows promise for future two-way e-communication.

X-Rite Shade Vision System

"To implement the art of life enhancement, transformative dental art is only possible through communication and continuing education."
- Tony Licuanan, AOA Dental Lab

T.G.I.F.

Not quite a day at the beach...

But, due to scheduled maintainace of our mechanical room on the 8th Floor, here at One Union Square, to check our air compressor, etc., the laboratory will be closed all day on Friday, February 15th.

Our phone lines are open however, and we will be picking up and delivering cases as normal.

- Tony L.

All Ceramic Website:

To drive more awareness, Dentsply has increased marketing efforts to our community and added CE programs, DDS trade advertising, a new website: http://www.allceramiccrowns.comand the Certified Cercon Warranty.

Cercon zirconia frameworks now come with a 7 year warranty against breakage. Details in this program will be forthcoming and Certified Cercon 7 Year Warranty *case stickers* will be included soon.

- Tony L.

http://www.allceramiccrowns.com/
From Dentsply, 02-02-2008:

We are pleased to announce that the new Cercon Website - has officially launched. The site name was chosen to provide a more broad appeal than just the Cercon brand name and will position Dentsply and Cercon as leaders in the all-ceramic crown and bridge restoration category. This platform will also provide greater flexibility as we expand our all-ceramic product offering in the future. An added benefit is that the site name optimizes customer search initiatives by encompassing a wider, more general topic. This website will enhance the overall on-line identity of Cercon and our Cercon Certified Laboratories and will provide an excellent avenue for disseminating information and generating sales leads. One of the primary goals is to drive brand awareness to the Dentist and drive prescriptions. We will optimize the site through the main web search engines- Google, Yahoo and the Microsoft engine.

The site is broken down into the following key information areas:

1. Patient- This section provides consumers with information on Crown and Bridge options and will contain patient related information on Cercon Zirconia.

2. Dentist- This section provides Dentists with the following information categories- Cercon Research / Clinicals, Dental Trade Articles, Cercon Literature, Treatment / Restoration Images, Practice Tips and a Certified Cercon Lab listing.

3. Lab- This section provides Dental Laboratory information in the following categories- News and Events, Cercon Product Demonstration Video, Cercon System Components descriptions, Trade Articles and Lab Brochures/Advertisements

4. Club Cercon- This section is designated for our Certified Cercon Laboratories and requires a password. Here we will store Product Images which can be downloaded for marketing purposes, DDS Marketing materials available to the Cercon Lab, News and Promotions, Product Pricing, Cercon Product DFU's and Technical Tips for Cercon. Cercon Labs will need to activate access to this site by following the instructions for setting up their User name and Password.

5. Contact Tab- This provides an area for Customers and Prospects to request information and is emailed to Dentsply Prosthetics Marketing

As we move forward we will continually add to this website as we obtain more relevant content.

We hope you will find this a beneficial tool that will help build the Cercon Brand and your business. We are also always interested in your input on Cercon and the ways we can grow the business together.

Thanks for your support
Scott Martinet
Cercon Product Manager
http://www.allceramiccrowns.com/