Founder and Ceo of DentalPro

Michel Cohen Founder and Ceo of DentalPro

accessibility is crucial: in terms of territory, logistics and also Price

We were established in 2010 and we have grown every year since then, in terms of both new openings, in cities and shopping centres, and acquisitions, while also continuing to invest in technology and in respect for quality, the environment and safety. We will continue to do so with the aim of bringing our service closer and closer to our patients. Currently, we have 252 direct dental centres – 160 of which are in shopping centres – in 14 Italian regions, 1,900 employees, 1,500 dentists working with us and a turnover of more than 200 million euro, making us the largest dental care group in our country. In 2022 we intend to open about ten new clinics in shopping centres and city centres, not counting possible acquisitions, where small-scale healthcare is effectively taking hold. In these establishments, where consumers increasingly follow the best offer, especially when it comes to food, and are therefore difficult to retain, thanks to our service we provide an important added value: we help to increase the frequency of access and the loyalty of patients. This is because, if they are being treated by us, they may need at least 3 to 10 appointments, perhaps with a process that lasts up to 2 years: it is clear that, with this kind of commitment, after going to the dentist, they are also likely to stop at the supermarket and perhaps even take a look round the shops. Certainly, a post-pandemic threat, particularly with regard to shopping centres, is that

«we prOvide shOpping centres with an impOrtant added value in terms Of frequency Of access and custOmer lOyalty: if patients are receiving treatment frOm us, they have tO cOme back»

also offering exit strategies and enhancement opportunities to individual dental practices. In Milan, where we have our headquarters, our 16 facilities are located in the centre and the suburbs, practically in all the neighbourhoods, precisely to ensure proximity and convenient access to dentists, a strategy that we intend to implement more and more for the entire network. For us, the term accessibility means not only territorial and logistical accessibility, but also attention to price, which we maintain in the mid-range. We also make an important contribution to the many shopping centres in which we are present, a large part of these realities, due on the one hand to the lockdowns and prolonged closures, and on the other hand to the acceleration of e-commerce, are experiencing difficulties with regard to the commercial offer, with a level of vacancy that can be defined as worrying in some cases. For our part, the scenario in general offers up opportunities. In particular, we are

▲►A DentalPro Clinic

investing heavily in technology, and we have signed a major contract for the complete digitisation of our surgeries, starting with the dental cast/impression with scanner. This solution not only improves quality in terms of precision and comfort, but saves time and is also sustainable because it avoids wasting tons of plaster and plastic and reduces CO2 production. Finally, in terms of social responsibility, to ensure care for the elderly and disabled who have difficulty travelling to visit us, we offer a transfer service through a specialised company. Always with a view to making life easy for our patients. •