Catalyst Fall/Winter 2022

BY ANDREA MCARTHUR PHOTOS BY HOLLY BELL

President

Burkhart is passionate about providing exceptional service for our clients .

We aim to identify each client’s unique needs along with their personal and professional goals We strive to provide helpful information, skilled service, and specific products We earnestly work in the best interest of others because, at the end of the day, that’s what makes our work most satisfying .

Passion is not a virtue developed overnight Since 1888, Burkhart has worked to make sure every service we provide, in some way, improves the career or life of our clients Many of the services we provide help free up our clients from smaller day-to-day tasks and allow them to focus on their top priorities . Some of those services include managing inventory, controlling supply costs, and making sure digital equipment and software work well together

We focus on one central goal, providing the best client experiences Staying focused is what makes us efficient, knowledgeable, and current in the marketplace

Lori Burkhart Isbell President

SERVING THE DENTAL PROFESSION SINCE

1888

At Burkhart we realize our clients are both dental professionals and business owners It is our goal to help them be successful at both Catalyst is fully dedicated to that success The articles in this publication vary from product use and selection to business management topics and provide information and guidance that can lead to a more successful practice We hope you enjoy!

If you have a request for a topic you would like us to cover in Catalyst, please contact our Marketing Department at: Marketing@BurkhartDental com

Catalyst Magazine is published by: BURKHART DENTAL SUPPLY 2502 South 78th Street Tacoma, WA 98409 P 253 474 7761 F 253 472 . 4773

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Bre Fate BFate@BurkhartDental com

All rights reserved Reproduction of any part of this publication without written permission from the Publisher is strictly forbidden Images are not necessarily to scale

The New Southridge Dental

A stone’s throw from their former 2,000 sq ft office in Kennewick, Washington, Dr. Simper and the Southridge Dental Team are bringing a new dental experience to their patients.

BY ANDREA MCARTHUR • PHOTOS BY HOLLY BELL

“Cozy” and “dental office” are words one doesn’t often hear together, but at Southridge Dental, they go handin-hand . From warm wood accents and a roaring fire to velvety couches laden with throw blankets, the goal of Southridge Dental has been to create a space and method of care that makes patients feel like they’re walking into a friend’s home, rather than an office . More than that, it’s their approach to dentistry that impacts everything from the flow of patients through the space to the equipment needed to give their patients state-of-the-art care . Dr . Simper sets up his operatories in such a way that the chair is free and easy to navigate around — more inviting, and less intimidating .

A Burkhart Team comprised of Jack Stewart (Account Manager), Dan Stucki (Equipment Specialist), Jeovani Guzman, Jason Kissler, Joshua Mouser, and Jonny Guzman (Service Technicians) worked with Dr Simper to make this vision come to life . We sat down with Dr Simper to hear about his experience:

How did you get started in dentistry?

I spent a lot of time in my uncle’s clinic, and it just always seemed super appealing I never really had a Plan B, so I’m glad Plan A worked out! Since I never really envisioned anything else, I’m glad it all came to be After I finished school I did two

years of residency . I spent five years, still in the Tri-Cities, working with another doctor before deciding it was time to go do my own thing . I found a practice for sale, and after four years, grew it to the point where I could move out and build this place . It all worked out faster than I thought .

What brought you to build your new practice?

I knew that I always wanted my own building I only had four ops where I was before, and we were just bursting at the seams – I knew I needed the space, and I knew I didn’t want to pay rent forever . I always had a vision of what I wanted

ABOVE Reception RIGHT Operatory BELOW Lobby

it to look like – it just took four years to do it! I have nine ops right now We’re setting up two more by the end of this year, and then there’s room for two more! Honestly, it’s gone beyond my wildest dreams

Has your new space changed the way your practice functions in terms of workflow and productivity?

Oh, it’s so much more efficient in this new building than before . We’ve been able to bring on a lot more staff, so that’s been fun We’re up to 27 staff now, which is crazy because when I started this, there were four, including myself My plan was always to try and build a small group practice – this has all just gone so much faster than I ever thought it was going to! Right now we have three doctors and there will be one more coming on . I just ordered more equipment and so that we’ll have enough for two more ops .

What was it like working with Burkhart through this process?

Burkhart has been awesome It’s the only company I’ve ever used – since day one! I knew Jack from working at the other office and he was just always great to me The team has just been awesome with laying things out

and making recommendations . I had a pretty good vision of what I wanted, and they made it come to fruition

What were you most excited about going through this process?

Having the space to grow . We were just absolutely at capacity, and probably beyond, with what we were doing out of four chairs It was starting to run so rough over there and we were just too busy . Everything is running so much smoother now that we have the space that we need . It’s like in Field of Dreams – if you build it, they will come It just blows my mind how quickly! We put in nine ops, and I thought that would be good for a while, but now we’re going to add two more this year . I never would have believed that a year ago

What do you feel has been the key to your growth?

Dr. Simper

I guess just having a growth mindset . I mean, it’s only impossible if you believe it is . There are so many things where you read about production, and they say you can only do so much per chair . If you believe that, then your practice is going to be like everybody else’s . I wanted to be different . The challenge of trying to do this drives me more than anything else I love to do things that people tell me are impossible

The challenge of trying to do this drives me more than anything else. I love to do things that people tell me are impossible.

Things just flow so much smoother and don’t feel nearly as rushed They know we have the space for things, and it just seems so much less stressful—I imagine the patients feel that too The one thing we really set out to do when building this place is to try and not make it look like a dental office at all There’s enough of those around, so we just tried to do things differently . From the feedback we get, we know the patients appreciate it

Oh, just do it! You won’t regret it at all . It’s like I said—this has been beyond my wildest dreams I only wish I could have done it sooner! I mean, there is never a ‘right time’, so just do it and jump as soon as you can

How has this new practice changed the way you interact with your patients?

What advice would you give a doctor who is considering building a new office?

ABOVE Lobby entrance BELOW Operatory

BY ANDREA MCARTHUR

Dr . Devin Dickinson’s practice in Arlington, WA recognizes that all of its patients are unique and deserve to receive dental care that reflects their individual needs . His team shares his commitment to deliver exceptional personal care and works with their patients to create a comfortable, stress-free, and rewarding dental experience . Staying up to date with the latest technology in dental treatment, allows him and his staff to evaluate, diagnose, and explain conditions or treatment options to patients effectively Dr Dickinson also serves as Affiliate Faculty at the University of Washington School of Dentistry in the Dental Urgent Care Clinic

We sat down with Dr . Dickinson to hear about his experience with our Supply Savings Guarantee Program

What is it that has made you stay with Burkhart if other suppliers are also coming in and making their cases?

Well, I had one come in and they tried to convince me that they could beat Burkhart’s prices I gave them our last couple of months of orders, and they came back a week later and said that they couldn’t beat the prices but that they make up for it with other consulting services . I told them I already get that from Burkhart, especially with the Practice Support Team .

How has having a Burkhart Account Manager helped you closely monitor your inventory?

I’ve been with Burkhart since I bought this practice in 2014 Of course, I’ve had people from other companies stop by and try to get us to switch

I think it’s been beneficial in keeping costs down as well as keeping inventory that you actually use . There’s no sense in having extra, especially with space and training constraints and things like that—we don’t want to just keep a bunch of extra X, Y, and Z around It’s nice to have another set of eyes looking in on our supplies to keep things lean and the overhead under control .

How long have you been with Burkhart and its Supply Savings Guarantee (SSG) Program?

Dr Dickinson and his team

Were you able to switch to any of the high-quality, better-value products Burkhart offers? If so, how did those work out for you?

Yeah, we switched products here and there. I can always count on my Account Manager, Niki Allan, to give me a recommendation when I say we need a product. She might say, “Yes, we do offer this, but we also offer another product that's comparable where we can get a better deal,” or something along those lines.

Do you use any of the Burkhart Private Label Products?

I do! We use some of the impression material, the Burkhart bite material, the Burkhart temp material, the Burkhart 330 carbide burs, and the 557s . We use a good number of the Private Label burs .

Were you able to take advantage of the manufacturer coupons and free goods that led to some of your cost savings?

Yeah, definitely . It’s so helpful because we're oftentimes busy and typically the person in charge of ordering is an assistant—they can’t be always cost comparing and looking at promotions and stuff like that . Our Account Manager is always good about bringing those to our attention She knows what we need and the frequency with which we go through a product, so she knows which Buy/Get deals will be good for us . She also is considering the expiration dates . She might say, “Well, you normally buy 2, and they have a promo for buy 4 and get 6 free, but based on your usage, you’ll end up with expired stock ” It’s just always good to have someone looking at that inventory and knowing when we last ordered items She always has the answer!

What would you say to a doctor considering taking advantage of Burkhart’s Supply Savings Guarantee Program?

I do have a doctor that I’m trying to get to switch over to Burkhart . She has been spending her time buying her own supplies or having the assistants compile the order and then double checks it—I don’t think that’s a productive use of a doctor’s time Plus, then the assistants are spending their time checking pricing and stuff . I was a dental assistant . I ordered supplies The doctor always wanted me to price compare—every single week— to see which files were cheaper and stuff like that . The amount of time it took to do that—paying me to research and look at three different companies just to save a couple of bucks on something—it didn’t make sense Our Burkhart Account Manager comes in and takes care of this for us . She brings her laptop in, and we can just ask her directly—all the questions of ‘can we do something cheaper or better’, all that kind of stuff is all handled with her in like 30 seconds .

The SSG checks off a lot of boxes that people are looking for in terms of saving on supplies . Don’t forget—time is money, too! You’re getting an affordable company that also has the extra resources that some of the bigger companies will tout like the Practice Support Team I’ve also never been under the impression that my Niki is trying to sell me on something—she’s never recommended something that wouldn’t be some type of benefit . It’s a level of trust, and that’s important I understand that maybe with a smaller practice you might be wanting to keep things lean, but on the other side, it’s costing you time that you could be spending doing other, more profitable things .

There are variable expenses and fixed expenses with a business—there’s only so much you can cut before you just really start to diminish the quality of your work Having someone to monitor your inventory and look for promotions can save

The SSG checks off a lot of boxes that people are looking for in terms of saving on supplies. Don’t forget – time is money, too!”

Dr. Devin Dickinson

“

you money . The time that you would normally try to invest in looking at all of these different ways to save—you can focus on some other things . If you could see another patient in the time that you’re spending scrolling through a website and price comparing, that could be increasing production, which will have a much bigger benefit

What part of the Supply Savings Guarantee do you find most valuable to you and your practice?

Time is money I used to get my distilled water for my practice, and now I just pay Mountain Mist to come

in to do it . I had a friend who was doing a similar thing for his practice He was out there checking some grocery stores—he shouldn’t be spending time doing that, and his team really shouldn’t have to do that either I told him: “Just sign up for one of these companies, and then forget about it . Don’t deal with it Time is money You don’t need to be spending your free time running around to stores ” The same thing can be applied to Burkhart . We don’t need to be checking three different companies to see what this one product is going for when my Burkhart Account Manager will check for us

I think people think bringing someone in is going to cost them more, but it’s quite the opposite .

The Road Warrior: Going the Extra Mile

BY JOY GARZA

Morning coffee in hand, Frank Yarbro reviews his schedule for the day He starts his workdays early, out on the road at 5 a . m . sometimes . After all, there’s a lot of ground to cover “I’ve got one of the largest territories in the state of Oregon . ”

Before joining Burkhart, Frank never would have guessed he’d grow a career as a service technician in the dental industry, but the transition was a natural one . “I’ve always been into repairing stuff ever since I was child,” Frank began “The first thing I ever did was when I was in the second grade ”

Frank flashes back to one day in particular— the day his dad made him the proud owner of his very first bicycle “We bought it, took it home, and tore it all apart . Then we painted it and put it back together . And that’s how I learned to work on bicycles ”

That was just the beginning . From bicycles to cars to jet engines, Frank would go on to repair it all “I just always worked on stuff,” Frank says

Frank recently celebrated his 25-year anniversary with Burkhart as a Remote Field Service Technician, troubleshooting, repairing dental equipment, and leading the charge on large-scale installations . And driving the distance to achieve it all.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Living almost 200 miles away from a Burkhart branch office (and many miles from most dental offices he services), Frank is on the road . A lot . He’s even been dubbed “The Road Warrior” by colleagues And rightfully so

“I go as far as the middle of Oregon to the California border, and to the coast of central Oregon on the east,” Frank chimes “And wherever else they want me to go .” While he often travels within his Southern Oregon territory, which is about a 100-mile radius, he’s more than willing to travel outside of it . “I’ve been as far south as San Francisco and all the way to Alaska ”

Frank explains that the average number of miles he drives each day can vary but sits at 100–200 miles roundtrip if he’s responding to service calls “Like today, I drove almost 100 miles one way to do a service call . I’m actually sitting in a parking lot in that town doing this interview,” he chuckles . “So I’ll drive home when I’m done . ”

No matter how far and wide Frank travels, he keeps a flexible mindset when it comes to his schedule and where he’s going The schedule

determines what time he leaves his home in the morning, for example, but “things can change very quickly,” he says . “I can be thinking I’m going to one place,” then have to shift gears and drive miles in another direction, depending on the needs for the day Indeed, a true road warrior .

NO TASK IS TOO SMALL (OR TOO BIG)

When it comes to what Frank does most, service calls are at the top of the list And in his words, one of the greatest responsibilities of a service technician is to “get the customer up and running” before patients (or production) could tell anything went down .

A fully stocked service van, ready and waiting, helps him achieve just that “I’ve got my own van with all my tools, supplies, and parts that I carry regularly When there’s a call scheduled, I jump in the van and take off . ”

Beyond service calls, Frank can spend days or weeks at a time leading large-scale installations . Whether a new build or office remodel, he oversees a team of service technicians, pointing them in the right direction while ensuring they have the tools needed to complete the job on time

“Like

Then he gets straight to work on his own install project “What I usually do is get the guys working on something, and then I’ll pick an item like a mechanical room or sterilization room ” Frank admits that it can be quite the challenge squeezing so much equipment into a space the size of a small closet, but at the same time, finds the process an enjoyable one .

Just because an installation is complete, however, doesn’t mean the job is done Afterwards, “the doctors and account managers will work together to make a punch list of what needs to be addressed,” Frank adds “They’ll send me the list and I’ll go in to clean everything up ”

SHARING KNOWLEDGE TO GROW OTHERS

With over 25 years in the dental industry, Frank has developed a wealth of knowledge, which he readily shares with his fellow technicians . “It’s fun to pass along what you’ve learned . Show them easier ways to do things,” he comments “Especially since I’ve been around longer than most anyone . ”

Of all the skills he’s developed, there’s one in particular that makes him really stand out That skill is troubleshooting “It’s a very logical process,” according to Frank

He goes on to explain that “troubleshooting is pretty much the same for whatever you’re working on because there’s a basic set of rules You can even troubleshoot and fix something that you don’t even know how it works ”

As you can imagine, being able to effectively pinpoint the root cause of any error is extremely valuable in this line of work . Because Frank knows this, he not only applies his troubleshooting techniques to his own day-to-day but passes on this knowledge to other Burkhart technicians “I’ve written out a set of steps to take in troubleshooting, and I’ve passed it on to everyone I work with I think I’ve even sent it up to the Tacoma office . Passed it on to them because they were interested when they found out I actually had something written down,” he laughs .

READY AND WAITING

Whether a sterilizer isn’t operating up to par or there’s a major install underway, Frank is there to answer the call . At the end of the day, facing (and solving) a challenge is what he does best “I can get so focused on a problem that I don’t even know what’s going on around me Then getting it completed and working again—that’s what I like doing . ”

ONE MILLION THINGS

run through your head on a daily basis.

Well, that’s a rough estimate and our best guess. As a Dentist and business owner, you wear a lot of hats. Let’s discuss what’s keeping you awake at night and how we can help.

Burkhart’s Practice Support Team is a value-added, complimentary consulting service available to Burkhart clients. It represents a commitment we have to contribute to the success of your practice.

YOUR SUCCESS IS OUR SUCCESS. PLEASE REACH OUT TO US ANYTIME. PracticeSupportTeam@BurkhartDental.com 1.800.665.5323