Meet Dr. Layla Baidas
Dr. Layla Baidas opened her own practice in 2021 as a 10-year veteran of dentistry. Signature Smiles of Park Ridge handles a wide variety of procedures for patients of all ages but specializes in cosmetic dentistry. Common procedures include crowns, dentures, and implants along with the usual fillings and night guards.
“All I do is I try to help my patients have a smile that they’re comfortable and confident with,” said Dr. Baidas.
But there was something holding her back from delivering the best experience for her patients.
All I do is I try to help my patients have a smile that they’re comfortable and confident with.
The Problem with Impressions
Any dentist who has done physical impressions knows accuracy can be a challenge. “These physical impressions, sometimes they can’t be 100% accurate if there is any blood in the mouth or if the patient moves. That’s why physical impressions are associated with higher redo percentage.” For Dr. Baidas, the redo rate for physical impressions was too high.
Add the wait time for lab work, and it’s a recipe for unhappy patients. “It used to take more than three weeks to get any crown or nightguard back or even partial dentures. And patients used to get frustrated. I mean, three weeks is a long time.” Restoration adjustments draw out the final fit appointment, which is not a great experience for an already impatient patient.
Dr. Baidas was looking for a way to give patients a better experience.
Going Digital with Dandy
As a new practice owner, Dr. Baidas needed a way to stand out from the crowd. And with a focus on cosmetic dentistry, aesthetics are crucial. “Since this is basically a cosmetic office,” she says, “I like my patients to be confident that I’m using the most up-to-date technology in this office.”
A fellow dentist pointed her toward the solution – Dandy.
Excellent Customer Support for Dentists New to Digital
We’re new to digital technology and digital dentistry, so I wanted a lab that would help guide me through the process, and Dandy has been awesome doing that.
“When I started thinking about going digital, it was very important to me that I use a lab with five-star support. We’re new to digital technology and digital dentistry, so I wanted a lab that would help guide me through the process, and Dandy has been awesome doing that,” says Dr. Baidas.
She went on: “The onboarding training was very comprehensive. [The] Dandy onboarding agent trained me and all my staff, my assistants and my hygienist, on how to use the scanner, and the process of how to submit a prescription. They walked us through the whole process. And they were really comprehensive about it. We had no issues using the scanner after.”
Dr. Baidas described her experience this way: “I’ve never seen anything like the Dandy customer service team. They’re always ready to answer any question by chat box, or you can call them any hour of the day…I type my question; I get the answer almost immediately.”
Quick, Quality Labwork
How quickly are restorations done and sent back to the dentist? “We get the crowns in one week, literally one week,” says Dr. Baidas.
And when crowns come in, Dr. Baidas says, “they fit really well. There is barely any adjustment that I have to do.” As a cosmetic dentist, there’s more to restoration success than fit. Dr. Baidas says, “It’s very important to me to deliver my patients with crowns that have natural and beautiful colors, and Dandy has been doing a really good job providing me with the shade I want. I send them pictures, I send them scans, and they deliver spot-on shade and fit for the crowns. Patients are always happy with the shade of the crown, the quality of the crown, and the turnaround time.”
Dandy’s crowns drop right in, and there is no need for adjustment. And that saves you at least 20 minutes on your crown seat appointment.
Leveling Up Her Practice
Patients are happy with more than just the final results. “They are impressed with the technology and love seeing their teeth. And it’s a lot faster [than impressions], so patients love it.”
The ability to show someone exactly what’s going on in their mouth has benefits too. “They can see all surfaces of their teeth. If they have a cavity, I can show them the cavity on the screen. And that helps improve my case acceptance with patients.”
Dr. Baidas credits new patient referrals to the improved patient experience and scanner technology because people can’t help but talk about it with friends and family.
It’s a lot faster in the office, and patients love it. They talk to their friends about it, they talk to their family about this technology, and that was a reason [for] new patient referrals to the office.
By using the Dandy portal, Signature Smiles has also been able to go completely paperless. Dr. Baidas says, “It’s very easy to fill a lab slip or prescription digitally – it takes one minute. There is no need for a pen and paper.”
If you’re ready to take your office to the next level, to go fully digital, Dandy will help you get there. It’s like having a mentor in the office.
What’s her final verdict? “If you’re on the fence about joining Dandy or not, I would say go all the way. If you’re ready to move your office to the next level, if you’re ready to go all the way digital, Dandy lab will help support you doing that.”