An Interview with Trident Dental Laboratories
Laurence Fishman, Owner, Chief Executive Officer
INSIDE DENTISTRY (ID): What makes Trident Dental Laboratories unique?
Laurence Fishman (LF): With more than 25 years of experience as a full-service dental lab, Trident Dental Laboratories is one of the most competitive labs in the industry today, servicing dentists nationwide. Trident Labs delivers consistent quality, dependable service, and exceptional value. Our standard operating procedures are strictly followed to make sure cases are inspected throughout the fabrication process for quality assurance and to ensure dentists receive their cases as prescribed. All cases are fabricated with FDA-approved materials.
With the integration of the latest CAM/CAM technology, we have absolutely mastered the quality of the leading zirconia restorations in demand. An open line of communication is maintained between our highly trained technicians and dentists and they are always accessible to consult on restorative cases. We provide free shipping supplies, convenient pick-up and deliveries, a vast range of fixed and removable restorative options, quick turnaround times, patient education tools, and self-service online options for customers to track cases and manage their account. We create win-win relationships and share profits with our dentists by offering exclusive products and premium brand products at an advantageous price-point they can ultimately pass on to their patients.
What truly sets us apart from every other dental lab is maintaining the ongoing trust and loyalty of our customers. Our customers are important to us and are treated with the utmost respect. We get to know their unique preferences and ensure we have their best interest and that of their patients in mind. If not, offering competitively priced premium products with superior quality will simply not matter, especially with so many dental labs ready to offer the same, if not more.
ID: What are the top 3 most important elements of your success?
LF: 1. Never giving up! My perseverance to succeed—with failure not being an option—is one of the most important attributes to my success. No business is successful without experiencing challenges and setbacks. Learning from them and doing your due diligence to know what will drive the growth of your business today, tomorrow, and in the future is key.
2. Staying on top of the latest technology advancements in the dental industry, knowing which to invest in and integrate into my business has been a key factor in effectively and efficiently meeting my customers’ restorative demands without increasing costs or compromising quality.
3. Marketing has always been and continues to be a very important element in my success. Trident has always had a leading edge in the industry by integrating state-of-the-art technology to deliver the latest restorative options at the most competitive prices and quickest turnaround times. By utilizing the various marketing platforms available today, such as print, e-marketing, and social media, we maintain our brand awareness, communicate with new and current customers, and differentiate our products and services from the competition.
ID: What defines your approach to business?
LF: Our commitment to excellence and ensuring the quality of every single case delivered. Trident takes pride in meeting the expectations of dentists and their patients alike and guarantees its work 100%.
ID: What are your top initiatives for 2015?
LF: One of the top initiatives for 2015 is to continue the exponential growth of our zirconia market. Trident now offers BruxZir® Solid Zirconia (a registered trademark of Glidewell Dental Laboratories) restorations at a guaranteed flat rate.
ID: Can you share anything that you might have in the pipeline right now?
LF: Dentists are adapting to the new digital technology and have started making chairside impression scans a common practice in their dental offices. As a result, they are quickly becoming the preferred delivery mode for digital cases to our lab. Having mastered CAD/CAM technology, we are able to successfully receive digital case files from various intraoral scanning systems (Cadent iTero, 3M True Definition, CEREC Connect, Carestream, and Trios), fabricate accurately for a perfect fit and functionality, and deliver model-less restorations for solid and layered zirconia, e.max CAD, and even PFMs, which no other lab currently offers. Dentists partner with Trident to streamline their digital workflow, save on shipping costs, and receive leading products with the quality and accuracy always expected.
