As a society
we are now dependent on technology and the machines that it has given rise to.
We love our technology so much so that people who may not have money to spend
on things necessary will spend money on the newest cell phone, iPad etc… But
technology is not free, the latest profit making business models are all based
on selling a product, then selling the services associated with it. The
services are the hidden money makers for these technologies. So much so,
manufactures will sell the product (hardware) for cheap or often give it away.
The cell
phone is the classic example, money is made on the phone itself, but the apps
you purchase, the service plans, and all the accessories are the hidden costs.
If you compare the expenses of a typical family in 1970 to a
modern typical family you will see how the small but ubiquitous charges for a
technology have raised the cost of living. The following is a off the cuff list
of things we need to pay for yearly or monthly in our personal lives that the
previous generation did not:
Service
or Revolving Monthly or Yearly Expenses
Cable
Internet
Access
Cell
phone
Netflix
Anti
Virus plans
SiriusXM
Products
that require constant upgrades and replacement to keep up with changes
Cell
phones
Video
Games
iPad, iPod
Computers,
lap tops, wifi,
Software,
upgrades (some require yearly contracts such as Quicken)
Back to the cost of Dentistry…
Even more so than in our
personal lives, technology brings many added expenses to a dental practice. And,
furthermore, unlike personal items where you can make a choice to indulge or
not, in our field if you don’t keep up with technology you are considered (and
probably so) an out-of-date dentist, and who wants to go to a dentist who is
still practicing like it is 1970. Lets touch on some of the larger technology
expense categories, keep in mind, I love most of these new products and what
they can do, but I am demonstrating in this article why the cost of delivering
dentistry (or medicine) has become so inflated in recent years.
Digital X-rays: a tremendous technology that improves
diagnostic capabilities while reducing radiation exposure. We were one of the
first practices to go completely paperless and digital x-rays were the icing on
the cake. But the salesman marketed it as a cost saver when compared to
traditional film x-rays. The argument was you didn’t have buy film x-rays, and
the cost of developing them was gone. I’ve crunched the numbers and that just
isn’t factual. First of all, the initial cost of a digital x-ray system
includes upgrading your current computer system and expanding it to include
coverage in each operatory that x-rays are needed. Then the costs of the
sensors are about $6,000 each and they break occasionally. Of course there is a
monthly service contract needed in case something goes wrong, because there is
no way you can repair or figure out anything yourself on these products. Digital x-rays take up a ton of memory so
you need to large capacity servers to house all the files. And lastly they all
need to be backed up, and when the backup file is so large you have to use an offsite
back up company to ensure all your records are safe.$$$
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