From a dream to reality

A big dream.

For Dr Xianghua Cheng, that dream is being able to provide patient-oriented services and preventive treatments in a modern dental practice. That is exactly why he named his dental clinic DM Dental: DM stands for Dà Mèng (大梦), which means “big dream” in Chinese.

Soon, Dr Cheng is going to realise his big dream to make high-end dental services available to an even larger number of people by opening his second dental clinic in Dongguan, China. Like the first one, the second clinic will also be equipped with Planmeca products.

Dr Cheng, why are you going for Planmeca again with your second dental clinic?

“I have been using Planmeca dental units and imaging devices at my first dental practice for three years now, and I am highly satisfied with them. Planmeca products come with unique features that have helped my clinic differentiate from others, earn new patients and convert first-time visitors to regular customers, who keep revisting the practice regularly for preventive checks.”

“For example, Planmeca Compact™ i dental units have built-in internal infection control features that help guarantee the safety of my patients and medical team. The Planmeca Ultra Low Dose™ imaging protocol is another great feature that has contributed to the growth of my clientele, especially among children. And these are just two examples.”

Although external infection control is something people have started paying more attention to in the past few years, internal infection control often goes unnoticed. You have made it a competitive advantage, but how did you manage to do that?

“Generally speaking, most patients judge the cleanliness of a dental clinic only by external infection control. However, invisible internal infection is also critical and it actually reflects the true level of clinic management because it demands more attention and commitment. That is exactly why I always tell my patients how the integrated infection control features of my dental units are used and explain the reasons why this can radically benefit them during treatments. They learn to trust me and the technology.”

“As a result, all my regular patients know that they are receiving a much safer treatment in my Planmeca dental units than they would get otherwise. This is a core reason why they choose and recommend my clinic only. Having understood the importance of internal infection control, they are no longer willing to visit other clinics that cannot offer such high-standard service. It is the internal infection control that makes my patients stay with my practice.”

“And, although I said internal infection control demands more attention, it is actually a breeze with the Planmeca Compact i dental units. Since the cleaning and flushing systems are integrated in one compartment within the unit, I do not need to insert instrument hoses and suction tubes to external devices for cleaning. These measures streamline my workflow without taking a lot of time. I perform short waterline flushing after each patient, and still my patients do not have to wait around for long.”

Another feature you mentioned is the Planmeca Ultra Low Dose protocol (ULD). Are you discussing patient doses with your customers on a regular basis?

“Yes, especially with the parents of younger patients. In general, Chinese parents have become more and more aware of the importance of their children’s dental health status. On the other hand, imaging dose is still an unfamiliar concept to them. As a father myself, I feel it is important to educate parents on the matter so they can make responsible choices.”

“I am using lower doses for the imaging of children to make it as safe as possible. This is easy with Planmeca Ultra Low Dose imaging protocol, which helps us acquire high-quality images with any CBCT programme and adhere to the ALADA principle (As Low As Diagnostically Acceptable) with every image.”

“Actually, educating parents on patient doses has largely contributed to the growth of our children patient community. The parents, now aware of patient doses, are also recommending my clinic to their friends.”

One thing Planmeca users often mention is the Planmeca Romexis® software. Is this a factor affecting your decision to continue with Planmeca?

“Absolutely! I really like the software, in which all the patient data is available on a single platform. When I search for patient information by their ID or name, I can browse and access all their data from one place with only a few clicks."

"The software can also be customised with optional software modules. We have only activated the modules we need currently. But once my second clinic opens, we are probably going to add the Planmeca Romexis® Clinic Management module to boost clinic efficiency on cross-clinic communications and management.”

Finally, can you give us a sneak peek of what your new clinic will be like?

“My second clinic will be an upgraded version of his first one, equipped with the latest Planmeca technology. For example, instead of Planmeca ProMax® 3D Classic, the clinic will have a Planmeca Viso® G7 imaging unit with a larger field of view (FOV) of up to 30 x 30 cm. The unit also enables live virtual FOV positioning and size adjustments and has an occipital head support for more comfort. With Planmeca Viso, the clinical service scope of DM Dental is able to cover an even broader range of indications in the future. I am also eager to have Planmeca Compact™ i5 dental units at the clinic.”

“I have a strong bond with Planmeca and our story goes beyond a mere buyer-seller relationship. It is an ongoing cooperation and a process of fulfilling my big dream.”

Copy: Bo Wang & Mari Suominen
Images: Courtesy of Dr Cheng, DM Dental