When purchasing dental supplies online, it is important to remember the phrase caveat emptor, meaning may the buyer beware.
Online purchases can leave customers very vulnerable when not done properly.
On one level there is not the same accountability from the vendor.
Without a physical location it becomes much easier to avoid unsatisfied consumers.
On another level, however, the customer looses the ability to quality check the item themselves.
This means they must be familiar enough with the product to make sense of the online description.
As with all other dental supplies, this rule applies to the purchasing of dental impression material.
While these two qualities of online merchandising can make buyers more vulnerable, there are two actions they can take to ensure they conduct a safe and secure transaction.
First, they must be familiar with the vendor.
Second, they must be familiar with the product.
By following these steps, customers can tap the convenience and discounts offered by the Internet while not exposing themselves to it's inherent risks.
Be Familiar With the Vendor Using a reputable vendor is an absolute must for online purchases.
When buying dental supplies there are two factors that can include or exclude a potential supplier.
First, you want to make sure you are getting good products.
A reputable site will only carry items that are FDA-certified.
This is absolutely critical.
Second, the items will do you no good if they do not make it to your location.
Therefore, it is also important to make sure the supplier has a shipping arrangement that works with your facility.
Be Familiar With the Product Being familiar with the vendor is of little use if you do not understand the product that you are trying to buy.
With dental supplies like impression material this is especially true given the variety of brands and characteristics offered.
A good impression will meet certain specifications.
These include having the right amount of saturation; having adequate tear strength and resistance to deformation when pulled out and a limited shrinkage.
For functionality it is also important that the substance has a short setting time, long shelf life and pleasant taste.
While these are the qualities of a good impression material, it is important to understand how different substances differ.
There is a lot of variability between offerings.
Below is a list of the different features to consider.
•Wetability-The ease of which a substance will cover a particular surface area •Setting Time-The amount of time it takes for the material to harden into a useable model after it has been applied.
This is typically between 2 and 6 minutes.
•Working Time-The amount of time it takes to prepare a mold before it is applied.
This should be no more than 2 minutes.
•Viscocity-This relates to the fluidity and how thickness of a compound.
Impression materials come in 4 levels.
There is putty (very high), tray (high), monophasic (medium) and wash (syringe) •Face Detail-This explains the quality of the mold and it's ability to properly capture surface details.
It is mainly a function of viscosity.
Online purchases can leave customers very vulnerable when not done properly.
On one level there is not the same accountability from the vendor.
Without a physical location it becomes much easier to avoid unsatisfied consumers.
On another level, however, the customer looses the ability to quality check the item themselves.
This means they must be familiar enough with the product to make sense of the online description.
As with all other dental supplies, this rule applies to the purchasing of dental impression material.
While these two qualities of online merchandising can make buyers more vulnerable, there are two actions they can take to ensure they conduct a safe and secure transaction.
First, they must be familiar with the vendor.
Second, they must be familiar with the product.
By following these steps, customers can tap the convenience and discounts offered by the Internet while not exposing themselves to it's inherent risks.
Be Familiar With the Vendor Using a reputable vendor is an absolute must for online purchases.
When buying dental supplies there are two factors that can include or exclude a potential supplier.
First, you want to make sure you are getting good products.
A reputable site will only carry items that are FDA-certified.
This is absolutely critical.
Second, the items will do you no good if they do not make it to your location.
Therefore, it is also important to make sure the supplier has a shipping arrangement that works with your facility.
Be Familiar With the Product Being familiar with the vendor is of little use if you do not understand the product that you are trying to buy.
With dental supplies like impression material this is especially true given the variety of brands and characteristics offered.
A good impression will meet certain specifications.
These include having the right amount of saturation; having adequate tear strength and resistance to deformation when pulled out and a limited shrinkage.
For functionality it is also important that the substance has a short setting time, long shelf life and pleasant taste.
While these are the qualities of a good impression material, it is important to understand how different substances differ.
There is a lot of variability between offerings.
Below is a list of the different features to consider.
•Wetability-The ease of which a substance will cover a particular surface area •Setting Time-The amount of time it takes for the material to harden into a useable model after it has been applied.
This is typically between 2 and 6 minutes.
•Working Time-The amount of time it takes to prepare a mold before it is applied.
This should be no more than 2 minutes.
•Viscocity-This relates to the fluidity and how thickness of a compound.
Impression materials come in 4 levels.
There is putty (very high), tray (high), monophasic (medium) and wash (syringe) •Face Detail-This explains the quality of the mold and it's ability to properly capture surface details.
It is mainly a function of viscosity.