The Rise (and Benefits) of Shared-Economy Dentistry

It all started with one common issue that Houston-based dentist, Dr. Sanjar, had with his patients. When needed, he’d refer them to a specialist who was able to treat them properly. Naturally, he got nothing in return for this. On top of that, it also happened that, most of the time, the specialist did not have any room to receive Dr. Sanjar’s patients. Therefore, his clients had to get by until they could be received by a specialist. With all of the above in mind, Sanjar and his friend, Trey Tepichin, decided that the world of the Internet would make a great platform in terms of finding specialists and getting them to a dentist’s office as soon as possible. The Sharing Economy Their big idea involving the Internet implied the use of sharing economy in dental matters. Basically, when a dental worker needed a certain professional, they would just go online and look for what they need. On the other hand, when the dental professional wanted to explore new job opportunities, they’d simply create a profile on the Cloud Dentistry platform and then advertise their small, personal business online. When Teaching and Sanajr considered this idea, there were a couple of mobile dentists who would do their job one-on-one. However, as Tepichin pointed out, people were not adopting such a system on a larger scale and, inherently, made it much more helpful for the industry – as well as more profitable. The Ultimate Goal The final goal of the two founders was to give dentists the ability to browse candidates for various jobs online and, at the end of the contract, the two sides would rate each other, building a trustworthy online platform. Even though cloud dentistry was initially a way to bring specialists and general dentists together, it soon evolved beyond its scope, now including dental assistants and hygienists as well. This is because, according to statistics, roughly 50% of all dental employees are either part-time or temp workers. In Houston, the home of Dr. Sanjar, there are around 300 specialists who are ready to provide their services – compared with the thousands of hygienists and assistants that are working part-time and have to spend time and money with temp agencies or job boards. The Benefits of Cloud-Based Dentistry Most, if not all people who use the cloud dentistry services have praised its speed. People who manage multiple dental offices or who provide consultations for dentists may need a certain specialist for various dental operations. In times like this, they can find their specialist and book them within five minutes – or even less. They just have to go online, read profiles, reviews, and ratings, and then book the person they need and they like. ● First of all, the temp-agency middleman is being cut out of business, saving a lot of money and time for both professionals and dental practices. ● The platform is simple, user-friendly, and intuitive. Much like Upwork or other freelance platforms, you can connect with the resources and talent that you need in your job. ● Given the above, this cloud-based solution is more affordable and efficient, when compared to temp agencies and job boards. ● Dental professionals will have more control over their careers because they won’t be forced to waste time finding a job or an agency that they can work with for a long time. ● Moreover, since assistants, hygienists, and dentists can create their own profiles and then maintain them, one could say that the only thing left for them to do is to grow their personal brand online. Just like a designer or content creator advertises themselves on their platform, so can a dental specialist on Cloud Dentistry. ● A single thirty-day access fee is the big news. As you may know, placement agencies usually charge a certain percentage of your hourly rate, including permanent placement fees. The cloud-based dentistry option does not do that – the fee structure is affordable and simple, comparable with other online freelancing platforms. ● On top of that, users can also enjoy real-time communication. This makes it easier for dentists to avoid issues like a busy specialist. Most dental practice owners have to face the issues that come with temp agencies on a daily basis. Naturally, the worst is not being provided with help immediately – when their client needs it. Cloud Dentistry allows them to browse for the perfect candidate, check their availability, and then communicate with them in real-time. Working as a dental hygienist or having to browse for dental hygienist jobs will no longer feel like a burden or something that’s actively wasting your time and money. Temp Agencies, Job Boards, and Placement Agencies It goes without saying that temp and placement agencies, as well as job boards, will soon lose their customers when it comes to dentists and dental specialists. rnThis is because placement agencies, for example, come with certain fees that may break the profit that a specialist makes for the day. On the other hand, one needs some money and time in order to get placed via such an agency. Temp agencies – including their memberships – are also known for being too tedious and costing specialists too much money. They simply cannot compare with the benefits of a cloud-based dentistry option, which comes with a single fee and with the ability to grow one’s profile as a brand or business. Lastly, job boards can no longer keep up with everything that’s going on – no matter the industry. Nowadays, one can no longer trust the applications made on job boards, since they cannot review the specialist behind them. The Bottom Line It goes without saying that such cloud-based dentistry platforms will soon be very popular. If we take a look at freelancing platforms – such as Upwork – we can see that more and more people decided to skip posting their CV on various boards on the Internet and, instead, rely on a platform that can do so much more for them. The biggest benefit of such platforms is that you are guaranteed, as a specialist, to be found and hired by someone, as the platform is actively advertising your profile and keeping it up!