A True Partner in Dental Success

Through practice-focused programs such as the Supply Savings Guarantee, Burkhart Dental Supply is committed to helping dentists succeed.

In the more than 10 years that Dr. Joshua Papac has worked with Burkhart Dental Supply, he feels like they’ve become part of his team.

That’s because the dental supplier has been with him from the start, helping him build out his first 5-operatory space in 2013, and then combining that with a neighboring 5-operatory dental office in 2017 when his wife, Dr. Lindsey Papac, joined the practice. Burkhart guided the doctors through each remodel, coordinating the entire process and finding ways to optimize the space.

Over the years, Burkhart has served as a true partner that’s committed to their success — and that commitment shines through in programs like the Supply Savings Guarantee.

Burkhart guarantees, in writing, that supply costs won’t go above a certain percentage of gross production. If they do, Burkhart covers the difference. That happened once, Dr. Papac said, and they did exactly what they promised, writing him a check for about $800.

 

Staying on Target

Dr. Papac’s Burkhart Account Manager, Tawni Allen, is always looking for ways to save him money. For example, if she knows there’s a cheaper, off-brand version of a product he uses regularly, and that switching wouldn’t impact patient care, she tells him about it.

 

She also coordinates the best time to buy certain products to get the most out of vendor promotions and buy-one-get-one types of deals. She lets the team know if they’re about to go over budget for the month, what they can wait to buy, and makes sure they’re not overstocking products that are likely to expire before they can be used.

“Every quarter, we set budgeting targets for supplies, and Tawni really does her best to stay within that budget,” Dr. Papac said. “She helps me steward over my expenses and my business.”

While Dr. Papac buys most of his supplies from Burkhart, there are items he must get elsewhere. Burkhart keeps track of that spending, too.

“If I buy a specific product that Burkhart doesn’t carry, she’ll go through that itemized list and add it all up,” Dr. Papac said.

“We have targets for total supplies and targets for our Burkhart spend. She comes in every week and watches where we are on a month-to-month basis to keep supply spending at an appropriate number.”

 

Going Above & Beyond

With the Supply Savings Guarantee, Dr. Papac knows his office supplies will never exceed a certain amount. It’s clear to him Burkhart wants to see his practice thrive, and he appreciates that.

In fact, Tawni played a key role in the practice’s annual Free Dental Day, when the practice opens on a Saturday to provide free dentistry to the community. Tawni called various Burkhart vendors to ask if they’d like to offer free or discounted products to help facilitate the effort. Many said yes. “That was above and beyond,” Dr. Papac said.

 

Overall, he’s found that Burkhart’s commitment goes beyond business transactions and is about genuine partnership.

“I like that they try to be part of your team,” Dr. Papac said. “They want to facilitate our success rather than profit at my expense. That’s why I’m still here.”

 

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This article was written and originally published by Dental Product Shopper

Published in Catalyst – Q1 2024.

Category: Supply Savings Guarantee

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