CEREC and Single Visit Dentistry

Please briefly explain how long you have been working at your clinic and your background in dentistry.
I’ve worked as a dentist from 15 years now. I joined Dr. Rizk Girgis’ clinic as a general dentist in 2005, before travelling to Saudi Arabia in 2011 to join Andalusia Dental Group in Jeddah working as a prosthodontist.

Please tell us about your specialisms within your practice?
During my early years I worked as general dentist. Now I focus solely on prosthodontic procedures.

What triggered your initial interest in digital dentistry?
The digital impression and CAD/CAM systems

How long have you been working with Dentsply Sirona products?
More than 10 years now.

When did you invest in your first piece of Dentsply Sirona equipment, and what was it?
The first pieces of equipment that we bought was a Cone Beam SL, Omnicam and MCXL milling machine.

Your practice uses Dentsply Sirona products and equipment predominantly. What would you say is the advantage to your workflow and your practice by making this decision?
Ultimately it means that the end product that I am delivering to my patients becomes more accurate, faster and safer. I trust the technology and the quality of the equipment.

How do you find the CEREC workflow? From scanning, designing, to grinding/milling and sintering/finalsation.
Put simply, it’s more than perfect.

Why did you choose CEREC over other CAD/CAM systems?
CEREC is the most accurate chairside CAD/CAM system I’ve encountered. The software is easy to use and versatile, and the speed of digital impressions with the Omnicam is fantastic.

Can you explain your experience with the Dentsply Sirona sales process, from initial interest through to purchase and after sales support?
The service from all at Dentsply Sirona has been excellent throughout each stage.

What are the types of cases you do with CEREC? E.g. restoration, implantology, orthodontics.
Primarily we are focusing on crowns, endo crowns, veneers and implants – for now!

How has CEREC, and single visit dentistry, affected the satisfaction of your patients?
Single visit dentistry has had a significant effect on my patients satisfaction. It gives them their time back in the week, and it also helps me to have more time for additional patients.

How has CEREC and digital dentistry impacted your business?
Most importantly I save my time. I stop using impression material and I save on lab costs. Again this gives me more time to see more patients and have quality time with them and their procedures.

In your opinion, can you achieve a high return on investment with CEREC and digital dentistry?
It can certainly be achieved but you must have a turnover of patients using the equipment, which is more often than not.

What would you say was your goal with CEREC, and would you say you have achieved this yet?
I can definitely say that I’ve achieved my initial goals of saving time, increasing accuracy, and moving chairside to avoid lab costs and errors.

What do you think your biggest achievement was in your career to this point and how did Dentsply Sirona help to make that a reality?
When I was child I loved drawing, then in my faculty I loved the carving. My biggest achievement now is that I can draw and carve up to the finest of details for my cases very easily. In the past I had to go to the lab and carve the wax or build the porcelain which for me took too much time and effort, but now my dreams have come true and I can draw and carve my crowns very easily without losing my time. 

I would like to say thanks to Dentsply Sirona for letting me achieve this.