As anyone who has participated in an online auction has learned very quickly, purchasing anything from Internet sites (or anywhere else where purchases are made sight unseen) is best done with eyes open and a healthy dose of caution, and such is certainly the case when ordering online dental supplies. This is not by any means to even subtly imply that all Internet marketers engage in questionable business practices. On the contrary, the vast majority are scrupulous business people, and treat their e-customers as well as they would treat a friend who walked into their brick and mortar store. But let's face it: the anonymity of the Internet does lend itself to facilitating business practices that are less than forthright, and there are businesses that take advantage of the opportunity. Dental supplies

Furthermore, it behooves the prospective dental supplies customer to know exactly what he or she needs, and to make certain that what is being offered for sale matches those needs. While it is generally possible to find "bargain" dental supplies online, in far too many instances, those "bargains" can turn out to be substandard quality or, just as bad for the dental supplies customer, unavailable for delivery as promised. One can only imagine the scene in a dentist's office when a shipment of crown materials, dental trays, or burs is delivered, only to discover that the quality of the materials renders them virtually unusable to the conscientious practitioner. And learning at the last minute that the anticipated dental supplies won't arrive until two weeks after the promised delivery date can set even the most organized operation into a panic. Telling a patient that you don't have the materials to perform their procedure or worse, performing the procedure using poor quality tools and materials, is a sure-fire way to get your patients looking for another dentist.

So how does a clinic go about eliminating the potential for such scenarios? Before buying dental supplies from an online supplier, make sure that the dental supplies provider handles only quality, FDA-certified products, and that the operation is capable of meeting required delivery schedules. A middleman who deals only in small quantities placed with wholesalers isn't likely to offer the best selection, much less the lowest possible price for quality merchandise. The distributor who routinely places large bulk orders directly with manufacturers is obviously going to have a bigger voice - and be in a better bargaining position - with those manufacturers. Well-managed dental practices know which kind of supplier will best serve their - and their patients' - interests.