The story of ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers
Dental implants have been around for more than 40 years. First developed in Europe, implants have proven to be a successful and reliable solution for replacing missing teeth--the preferred solution for more and more patients. During the last two decades, U.S. dental professionals have embraced the use of implants, and the growth in demand has been strong as public awareness and acceptance grows.
Nevertheless, only a small fraction of people with missing teeth have been treated with implants.
Currently, as much as 20% of the adult population in the U.S. is missing multiple teeth, and wearing a full or partial denture. As much as 50% of the population 60 years of age and older is wearing a full or partial denture.
Dental implants have proven to be a superior treatment to bridges or dentures in replacing missing teeth, and are preferred by patients.
Background
In 2004, Dr. Don Miloni, a Colorado-based dentist and entrepreneur, began studying the growth in demand for dental implants. Dr. Miloni, with more than 30 years of dental experience, has developed and operated more than 80 dental practices, dental laboratories, and one-day denture centers in Colorado and Nebraska, and has always been closely attuned to developments in the dental industry.
Dr. Miloni made several key observations about the emerging dental implant market:
First, it was clear to Dr. Miloni, that while dental implants had grown substantially in use and popularity, only a small number of patients who would benefit greatly had been treated or were aware of dental implants as a treatment alternative to traditional bridges and dentures. This is largely because most people rely upon their family dentists for all of their dental treatment information and options, and most of these dentists are neither trained in dental implant restoration, nor anxious to recommend a treatment option that would send the patient out of their office to another dental professional. Additionally, nearly half of the general population has not seen a dentist in five or more years. These men and women, with perhaps the greatest need for implants, have almost no awareness of implant based restorative solutions.
Second, Dr Miloni observed that the approach to the delivery of dental implant treatment was convenient to the care providers, but not to the patients. Traditional dentistry is delivered in a very fragmented system of small providers and specialists. A simple dental implant case often would require visits to as many as three independent dental professionals, all in different offices, during the course of as many as 12–18 months. Each would bill the patient separately, with the total cost of treatment often unknown until the very end. And when patients had problems or needed follow-up care, to whom should they turn: their general dentists, the oral surgeons, the prosthodontists, or the labs--all of whom could have been involved in the treatment?
The third, and perhaps most significant observation, was that clinical research around dental implants now shows that new Immediate Function™ Procedures were proving to have success rates equal to or better than the traditional multi-stage treatment approach. The Immediate Function Procedure places new teeth on implants immediately after the implants are inserted. The traditional approach requires as much as six months between the insertion of the implants and the placement of the teeth on the implants.
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Vision
Having made these observations, Dr. Miloni put together the fundamental concepts that are now the foundational principles of ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers across the U.S.:
Develop high-quality, all-in-one dental implant treatment centers where all of the dental professionals, including the dental lab, are in one location, and the patient experience is greatly improved. All treatment services are provided by experienced specialists--each with advanced dental degrees and residencies: oral surgeons to place the implants, and prosthodontists to restore the teeth. And each facility is equipped with an on-site laboratory, as well as state-of-the-art imaging and treatment equipment, including a 3D CAT Scan. As a result, each all-in-one center can deliver the highest standard of dental implant care, in a single location, with a single treatment plan, and a single bill for all services rendered (with the total price set before any treatment takes place).
Apply the most advanced and proven Immediate Function Procedures in order to simplify treatment procedures, reduce overall treatment times, and give patients immediate solutions to their dental problems. These new protocols, including the All-on-4 Procedure for replacing a full arch of missing teeth using only four implants and without bone grafting, have been pioneered and proven successful in Europe. Combined with the all-in-one center staffed by dental specialists, the Immediate Function Procedure allows ClearChoice centers to deliver to patients complete dental implant and new teeth solutions, usually in one day.
Make information about dental implants readily available to consumers. In this age of the internet, and through additional use of television, radio, and print advertising, consumers can now be better informed and educated on the potential benefits of dental implant solutions to their dental problems. Those who are seeing a general dentist regularly now have a source for additional information and options around dental implants. And those that rarely see a dentist can now be informed and motivated to seek dental implant solutions to their significant dental problems.
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Building blocks
With these concepts in mind, Dr. Miloni set out to realize his vision of creating the leading dental implant treatment centers in the country. The first step involved building a “developmental” center in the Denver area to bring together the dentist, Oral Surgeon, lab and 3D CAT Scanner, all into one location. The first all-in-one center opened in Lakewood, CO in 2004. Dr. Miloni also began recruiting top dental and business professionals that shared his vision of the potential growth of the dental implant market, the power of the all-in-one center concept, and the potential benefits and attractiveness to patients.
In 2006, Dr. Ole Jensen, an internationally recognized and published oral surgeon, and the leading provider of dental implant placement services in Colorado, and Dr. Mark Adams, an experienced, well known and respected prosthodontist from Michigan, came together in Denver to work with Dr. Miloni to further develop and refine the all-in-one dental implant treatment center concept, now known as ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers.
Drs. Jensen and Adams each traveled to Europe and examined the work of the leading developers of immediate function treatment protocols, including the All-on-4 protocol for treating full arch cases developed by Nobel Biocare (the world’s leading manufacturer of dental implants) and Dr. Paulo Maló. With an on-site laboratory and state-of-the-art dental 3D CAT Scanning equipment, Drs. Jensen and Adams began performing and perfecting the immediate function procedures and protocols that allow implants and new teeth to be delivered in the same day with consistent, high-quality results for all types of treatment plans, but especially for the full arch restoration.
In 2007, ClearChoice moved from its developmental center in Lakewood to its new flagship Denver Center, a 13,000 sq. ft. facility dedicated to dental implant treatment delivery. This center has now become the leading center in the U.S. for delivering the All-on-4 Immediate Function treatment for those requiring a full-arch tooth replacement solution.
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Experience
In addition to having top dental professionals and the most advanced and proven treatment protocols, the goal at ClearChoice became to develop centers that delivered a superior patient experience from start to finish. That meant studying other medical treatment facilities, such as:
- The Mayo Clinic approach of bringing a collection of medical specialties under one roof and providing comprehensive diagnostic and treatment services to patients at one location. The emphasis at Mayo is clearly to provide an improved patient experience in addition to world-class medical care.
- The remarkable development and growth of LASIK treatment centers across the U.S. and Canada, where ophthalmologists created specialty centers focused on providing convenient, and high quality LASIK treatment services. These specialty centers have sought to deliver the highest standard of LASIK care, combined with a quality consumer experience.
- The experiences of other businesses involved in creating excellent consumer experiences, such as the hospitality and the high-end retailing industries. Many of the most successful companies have achieved their successes by combining high-quality products with a significantly improved level of customer service. In these competitive industries, most companies have learned that the overall purchase experience and the follow-up service they deliver to their patrons are just as important as the basic products and services they sell.
Following the sucess in Denver, Clearchoice set out to develop and open high-quality, full-service dental implant centers in other cities across the U.S. The key focus was to find and recruit experienced specialists in oral surgery and in prosthodontics, each with a reputation of high-quality implant dentistry and patient care. Soon, top oral surgeons and prosthodontists from around the U.S. were working with ClearChoice on the development of new centers.
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Implementation
By adding a team of experienced business professionals to its accomplished team of dental professionals, ClearChoice has taken the successful Denver model and replicated that success in nine other cities across the U.S., with many more under development. And through its advertising and marketing expertise, ClearChoice has taken the message of dental implants to the population in general, making people aware of the benefits of dental implants, and the advantages of receiving their dental implant treatment and care at an advanced specialty center like ClearChoice.
Each ClearChoice center is designed to provide a superior experience to the patient, one not typical of other dental and medical practices. From the large, modern, and high-tech facilities, to the personal attention delivered by the Patient Education Counselors, to the expert treatment delivered by the experienced implant professionals, to the thorough follow-up care delivered by the staff, ClearChoice stands alone in its ability to “delight” its patients with the dental implant care it delivers.
ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers now cross the United States. Each location is independently operated by licensed and experienced dental specialists, and has a shared business affiliation with the other ClearChoice centers. This national affiliation provides an opportunity for ClearChoice professionals to collaborate on a regular basis and share clinical experiences and developments. ClearChoice affiliated dental professionals are the leading practitioners in the U.S. in delivering Immediate Function dental implant treatment procedures.
ClearChoice Management Services, LLC (CCMS) was formed to provide business, management, and marketing services to each ClearChoice center.
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Results
The results have been extraordinary. ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers are now the leading provider of dental implant treatment services in the United States, based upon the number of centers operating, the annual number of implants placed, and the annual number of full-arch, Immediate Function cases completed. And all this has been accomplished without compromising on quality treatment and patient care. ClearChoice delivers the highest standard of implant treatment care, and is continually raising the bar in terms of quality care and patient experience in implant dentistry.
Dental implants are changing people’s lives every day. And ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers have changed and improved how dental implant treatment services are delivered to patients.
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