Bruce Livingston is president of Boyd Industries Inc, Clearwater, Fla. He has been with the company for 24 years. Prior to Boyd Industries, Livingston was involved in the construction supply field in Saudi Arabia, San Francisco, and Boise, Idaho.
OP: What is your most popular treatment chair?
Livingston: Our most popular treatment chair is the Model M-2000FB. It features a cast aluminum frame with an all-steel subframe, operator-programmable positions that save time and increase productivity, 24-volt electrical components that eliminate shock, unlimited color selection, snap-in/snap-out upholstery, a 1-year warranty on parts and labor, and a 3-year warranty on parts.
OP: How do computer-ready chairside units speed up treatment?
Livingston: Computer units provide the orthodontist and staff a “one-stop” work center that has all the critical aspects of treating a patient—from the patient’s name, treatment plan/progress, radiographs, payment history, to his or her school. In addition, all the essential instrumentation and supplies are at chairside, saving time, maximizing chairtime, and treating and providing patient care.
OP: How popular are the E2 Gaming Systems among patients?
Livingston: The E2 Gaming Systems are extremely popular among orthodontic patients, keeping them entertained while in the waiting room. The gaming system also relieves stress on the front office staff—patients no longer complain about how much longer they have to wait until their appointment. The E2 Gaming System makes going to the orthodontist fun and enjoyable.
OP: What makes orthodontic equipment different from equipment provided by general dental equipment suppliers?
Livingston: Orthodontists understand the concept of “specialized” equipment for a “specialized” application. On any given day, an orthodontist treats up to 10 times the number of patients a general practitioner treats. Therefore, an orthodontist needs equipment that is built to withstand such an increased patient demand.
Boyd orthodontic equipment is built with cast aluminum frames with steel subframes, motors load-tested to 500 pounds and 25,000 cycles, and more than 50 years of industry experience serving the orthodontic community.
Orthodontic chairs also provide fixed (static) height options to keep costs down and patient positioning quick and efficient. A busy orthodontic practice needs more chairs to treat the patient schedules, so the fixed-base option keeps costs to a minimum.
Time and motion studies of orthodontic practices indicate approximately 80% of the chairtime involves a single operator. Therefore, the delivery system must accommodate this technique. All the dental instrumentation is on one side of the chair, normally delivered from the side. This provides maximum efficiency and accessibility to dental instrumentation and supplies located at the chair. General dental equipment is not built for the patient loads demanded by an orthodontic practice. Patients look to dental specialists for specialized dental care. Dental specialists look to specialized equipment manufactures to serve their specialized needs.
