Frustration w Dental Supply Companies!

[Dentalteam2009]

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Hi all!
We are a specialty practice in MI. We have been ordering supplies from the larger companies (Schein, Patterson, etc.) I realized we are paying about 40% more for most supplies. There are a ton on smaller online companies with great prices. Is your office using any of the smaller online companies? If so, what has your experience been like?

I am really frustrated by all of this!
txs

 

[doc toothache]

Since you are unhappy, you can test the waters and share your experience. Alternatively, post in DentalTown and be more generous with specifics.

 

[Cold Front]

Hi all!
We are a specialty practice in MI. We have been ordering supplies from the larger companies (Schein, Patterson, etc.) I realized we are paying about 40% more for most supplies. There are a ton on smaller online companies with great prices. Is your office using any of the smaller online companies? If so, what has your experience been like?

I am really frustrated by all of this!
txs

Schein raises it's prices about 3% every year, and blame the vendors for price increases. I order certain items from Schein catolog and get 25% off through my Schein Rep. I do the same for Benco. Your supplies should be not be more than 5% of your revenues. If you try to be cheap and order from overseas, then you won't get the help for quick local services like Schein and Benco can provide.

 

[Dentalteam2009]

Schein raises it's prices about 3% every year, and blame the vendors for price increases. I order certain items from Schein catolog and get 25% off through my Schein Rep. I do the same for Benco. Your supplies should be not be more than 5% of your revenues. If you try to be cheap and order from overseas, then you won't get the help for quick local services like Schein and Benco can provide.

Yes, there are some items discounted, but there are a ton of smaller supply companies online. Just a quick search w a few of the companies can save me money.

 

[Daurang]

Start with net32.com, bestbuydental.com, ebay.com. Benco is probably the cheapest of the big guys, but you still must stay vigilant or price will creep up. Expect an extra 2.5% 'medical device tax' on all your purchase this year on to[p of your other taxes to fund Obamacare.

 

[djeffreyt]

Be careful with net32.com. Whiel you choose the vendor, you may want to call the vendors to make sure they are open. There is one vendor on Net32 which has consistently cheaper prices but due to being owned by people with some stricter religious beliefs, they have lots of holidays. I've had stuff delayed 2-3 weeks because of ordering near or around holidays.

 

[OhioDMD]

Try Safco dental supply or pa dental supply. I have both my Schein and Patterson rep price match
Safco. It just took sending them away empty handed a time or two and when they asked why no orders I told them I found it cheaper elsewhere. Both were more than happy to price match to keep the business.

 

[dentalsaving]

There are some items discounted, but there are a ton of smaller supply companies online. Just a quick search w a few of the companies can save me money.

 

[justsusan]

I got a letter from DC Dental Supply saying if you fax them your invoices, they'll show you how much you can save. Basically, you have to pit supply companies against each other to get a lower price. You shouldn't be paying those catalog prices.

Also, subscribe to BiteDownDeals..good savings there.

 

[DrJeff]

I do the vast majority of ordering through Schein. Can't beat the service. Never pay catalog prices. My Schein rep knows that if she messes around with pricing that my business partner and I will take what last year was about $200k in sales for her elsewhere very quickly

 

[beannaithe]

Most of the bigger offices I've worked in use either Schein or Benco. I worked in one office where the owner would surf a ton of websites to find the best deal. Spent a heck of a long time to save a few dollars. Worked for him, but the office never knew when anything was coming.

Ran out of saliva ejectors, cotton rolls, gauze, etc at one point or another. Had no one to bail us out when we needed a quick drop off of material.

The worst for me was when we ran out of latex-free gloves. I could barely work for almost a week because I was so itchy from using the regular latex gloves in the office.

Buying at least some stuff from Schein/Benco seems to be worth the piece of mind that someone will bring you some last minute materials if you need it.

 

[Smilesmile33]

Check out Advance Dental Supply. Great service and name brand products. Really inexpensive for top quality items. I think they are located in Michigan too.

www.advancedentalsupply.com

 

[Cold Front]

I do the vast majority of ordering through Schein. Can't beat the service. Never pay catalog prices. My Schein rep knows that if she messes around with pricing that my business partner and I will take what last year was about $200k in sales for her elsewhere very quickly

$200k in supplies a year? That's roughly $17k a month. Your rep will never let you down for that level of orders, and he/she will never be able to control the 3% increase in price for most products they add to previous year's prices to your next year's orders. That's roughly $5-6k extra to you in 2015. And as far as service.... any dentist can call Schein, Benco, or Patterson, but you will always pay, whether a regular rep or not is assigned to your office - it's a portion of the business they receive from your office. There are no savings with those guys, just moving numbers around - that's what the catalog is for, they are overpriced to begin with - and you will still pay more even with their discounts.

I spend $25k a year on Net32 for all my 3 offices, and yes... I get the same exact products, from Gluma to Kerr brands. Net32 is the future.

Reps from big suppliers always inviting me to lunch, dinner and all paid trips to Chicago, LA, Dallas to see their E4D and high end products. I will always say No if it benefits them than my business.

But I guess there are always clientele those companies cater to for any level of the industry. And the bottom line will always be the overhead - while some doctors have 35% overhead, and others at 70%.

 

[Daurang]

$200k is obscene!!! Might as well buy a new Ferrari and push into the NY harbor each and every year. Maybe that's why most dental office run at 75% overhead. Cold Front and my office runs no more than 30%. You're paying for your rep's retirement instead of your own retirement.

 

[bigdavepi]

Hi guys,

I am an investigator in the Maryland/DC area investigating increasingly high prices charged by major dental supply companies. If anybody has been victimized by paying such high prices, please contact me at 917/301-0430 and visit my site atwww.djcinvestigativegroup.com.

David Cohen

 

[bigdavepi]

Hi guys,

I am an investigator in the Maryland/DC area investigating increasingly high prices charged by major dental supply companies. If anybody has been victimized by paying such high prices, please contact me at 917/301-0430 and visit my site atwww.djcinvestigativegroup.com.

David Cohen

 

[dentaldealer954]

If you want the stock/service of a larger supply house without paying high prices you should probably look into Darby Dental. Darby is privately owned and is one of the top 5 dental supply companies in the United States. Their focus is to cut supply costs typically saving offices 15% or more compared to Schein/Patterson. They are even able to beat Safco pricing.

The fee schedule is transparent and consistent without random price increases. Call 800-448-7323 ext 2127 for details.