With significant lead times in the dental industry for various pieces of equipment, Jim Hague considers what can be done to keep your refurbishment project or squat creation on track and frustration-free.
I’ve been working in the dental industry for 26 years, and I’ve never known anything like the lead times we are now facing for some equipment. That’s not across the board. Many off-the-shelf items are available now, but some bespoke options are taking up to nine months to make it to the UK.
This is the worst-case scenario, and it is important to note that a company like Hague holds a lot of stock. We have over £1 million worth of stock available right now across lots of areas, including equipment that might be needed for an emergency repair. With our expertise, things can still get done in a timely manner to the highest specifications.
Nonetheless, two hugely important aspects of realising your refurbishment or squat creation dreams are managing expectations and time management – and this is not new.
If you want to transform a squat or pre-existing practice to a high standard in two weeks from conception to realisation, that was never achievable! When you look at it like that, you start to realise that these lead times are actually very manageable with careful planning.
So, whether the distribution challenges are a result of Covid-19, Brexit, the terrible war in Ukraine or a combination of them, we can move forward. With the demand for dentistry growing in the UK, we can still help you get your practice to where you want it to be, to greet and treat new and existing patients.
Planning ahead for success
For the majority of practice owners, there is a lot of planning that goes into a refurbishment project or equipment replacement, sometimes years.
So, what we are saying is manage your expectations in terms of time and get in contact with your refurbishment/distributor of choice six to nine months ahead, rather than two or three months. The longer you leave it, the less choice you will have.
For example, we hold certain chair packages as stock and we do have a few still unallocated. Whereas if what you want is particular to your needs, a certain model, a certain colour, a certain specification, then it’s a new order. That is some six to nine months.
There is no point waiting for the situation to change, because the variables are clearly uncontrollable. We live in strange times. We need to learn to live as well as we can given the circumstances. Part of that is not losing sight of our professional goals.
Continue to evolve
More than ever, we need to be kind to ourselves, continue to evolve, and reach out and support one another to make good things happen when and where we can.
Yes, there are delays. But there are also price hikes coming our way and I don’t see them coming down any time soon. So far, our suppliers haven’t passed all their extra expenses onto us, and we haven’t passed all the costs onto our customers, so that margins have been slashed to help out as much as is possible.
However, on the other hand, for example, even if oil prices reduce massively, and therefore the solid surface tops could come down a little bit in manufacture price, I don’t see that being passed onto the end user.
So, again, my advice is that when you think you’re ready, then order without delay. It’s not unlike the car industry, with which we are all pretty familiar.
If you have gone to buy a car in the last couple of years, because of the chip shortage, your first choice might not be available for a year or even more, but there are some great options for purchase if you are supported in your choices with expert advice.
By your side every step of the way
We have the UK’s largest showroom near Gatwick, available for your viewing. We hold stock for a wide portfolio of products, from chairs, stools and autoclaves to compressors and CBCTs.
In addition, we cover all things digital and non-digital. Visit our showrooms at your convenience, including evenings and weekends. Let our team give you the confidence that you are making an informed choice.
For further information on how Hague Dental Supplies can help you create your ideal practice in a timely and frustration-free manner – and keep it that way long into the future.
Please visit www.haguedental.com, email [email protected] or call 0800 298 5003.
