Dr. Mark Morin of Southfield, Mich., is a dentist who possesses three of the main ingredients that spell success:
- He is able to focus on a goal that allows him to do the kind of dentistry he likes to do best and pick the times he wants to do it.
- He is totally convinced that modern dental technology works to the advantage of both patients and dentists.
- He is absolutely committed to the fact that continuing education must be intrinsic to the very practice of dentistry itself if practices are to be successful.
Dr. Mark Morin's brand-new 3000 sq ft state-of-the-art practice is everything it should be for teaching hands on clinical dentistry.
Graduating from the University of Detroit in 1985, Dr. Morin set up practice and started his dental office from scratch with three operatories in a 900-square-foot remodeled home. It was going to be a family practice, but Dr. Morin soon found his interests leaning toward sophisticated restorative procedures involving computerized ceramic restorations.
The introduction to CEREC
In 1989, Dr. Morin took a course in CEREC CAD/CAM (computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing) dentistry at the University of Alabama. This type of computerized dentistry was very new at the time, having been developed in 1985 by two researchers from the University of Zurich - Drs. Werner Mormann and Marco Brandestini. Dr. Morin "fell in love with the concept" and has never looked back.
Only four years out of dental school, he was still severely in debt with school loans. The $59,000 purchase of a CEREC unit made Dr. Morin very nervous - but not enough to stop thinking about the purchase.
One reason he considered the purchase was his search for an alternative to silver amalgam. He soon made the difficult decision and purchased a CEREC in 1989 - only the second to be sold in North America. Amazingly, it paid for itself in six months!
Dr. Morin has spent the last 11 years traveling throughout the United States and Europe learning as much as he can about the CEREC system. In his private practice, he places 12 to 15 restorations each day and has been visited by many famous clinicians and researchers from around the world. He is an internationally certified CEREC trainer, and has lectured extensively on the integration of technology in dentistry. Currently, he offers private as well as group courses on CEREC technology in his high-tech training center in Michigan.
Dr. Morin is justifiably proud of his involvement with CEREC and is convinced that CAD/ CAM dentistry is one of the greatest breakthroughs in dental technology. According to Dr. Morin, that 1989 $59,000 unit was a "Model T" compared to the "Ferrari" CEREC 3 unit available today.
"Despite its (CEREC 3) $90,000 price tag, the advantages are tremendous," he says. "Where else in the world can you get a one-appointment crown, veneer, or onlay with a material that closely approximates enamel?"
Patients appreciate the one-appointment efficiency. So do the doctors, who don't have to worry about those unproductive appointments that tie up chairs and cost money. Furthermore, Dr. Morin states that CEREC makes his practice distinctive, which he believes is essential in today's marketplace of educated and informed consumers. He believes that the benefits of CEREC technology make him more efficient and profitable, despite the initial cost of the machine.
Dr. Morin has been able to use the income generated by CEREC to purchase new technology such as a Sirona/Sidexis digital Pan/Ceph unit, which he loves.
"It's great to e-mail your digital X-rays to your specialist for an immediate evaluation," Dr. Morin said. "Technology certainly has changed the way we practice. Those dentists who take advantage in differentiating themselves will be successful in the new millennium."
Dr. Morin firmly believes that the future of dentistry lies in centers like his, because "dentists can no longer take the risk of purchasing expensive, high-tech equipment without learning how to use and implement it within the actual dental environment. There is just too much at stake in hard-cash investment and patient satisfaction. That's why hands-on courses are so valuable in a technology-abundant world. They allow dentists to get the feel of sophisticated equipment, play with it, and put it to full use under clinical conditions. Then they can return to their offices with complete confidence in a decision well made."
And what does Dr. Mark Morin see for his future?
"I love dentistry, and I love new technology. My dream - and it's just around the corner - is to practice two days a week, continue to lecture, and give courses three days a week. Of course, there's going to be lots of time to spend with my family - my wife and partner, Rhonda, and our children, Ashley, 10, and Austin, 7."
Indeed, Dr. Morin is a man with high goals. He has a full grasp of the impact of dental technology on the excellence of treatment for today's (as well as tomorrow's) patients, and he is totally committed to the philosophy that every dentist needs to be a continuous student. Add it all up, and that's what spells big-time success.
Dr. Mark Morin's brand-new 3,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art practice is everything it should be for teaching hands-on clinical dentistry. Each of the seven operatories on the main floor is filled with high-tech equipment, including flat-screen intraoperatory computers, intraoral cameras, air abrasion units (Kreativ and ADT), Nd lasers, high-speed curing plasma arc lights, Diagnodent, The Wand, and a collection of CEREC machines (a CEREC 1, two CEREC 2s, and a CEREC 3, with two milling machines), all of which Dr. Morin uses extensively. The lower level, seating 40 to 50 participants, features every amenity for high-level clinical lectures.
For a course schedule and further information, please contact:
Dr. Mark Morin
19178 W. Ten Mile
Southfield, MI 48075
(248) 828-9989
[email protected]
For more information on the CEREC system, visit:
www.pattersondental.com/html/cerec.asp
