Sincere relationships powered by digital

When talking to Reynolds Lawnin about how his dentistry and his dental clinic have transformed in recent years, two distinct themes emerge; relationships and technology. “For me, sincere relationships are how you get to do the dentistry that makes you excellent,” he explains.

Initially, Reynolds’ practice was rooted in traditional methods thanks to its 65 years of serving patients in Houston, Texas. When his partner retired, he took the opportunity to go fully digital by investing in an intraoral scanner, 3D printer and milling machine.

His journey into DSD began during the COVID-19 pandemic when a periodontist friend introduced him to a DSD livestream course This experience ignited his interest and he soon realized that DSD was "the way for me".

What he has built up his clinic since then challenges the notion that long-term established dental clinics cannot switch to fully digital comprehensive care and continue to thrive and attract new patients.

“DSD has helped me reach my ‘why’, which is building relationships," he continues, adding that "the more time you build those relationships, you don't have to worry about patient flow." He confirms that DSD workflows focused on patient communication have helped him to further this goal. Testament to this fact is that his practice has not had a fully functioning website for some time, and that despite this he gets on average 15 new patients per month through word of mouth referrals.

His practice's tagline, "Remarkable dentistry through sincere relationships," encapsulates his approach.

Accessing Collective Intelligence through technology

Reynolds has noticed a number of benefits since implementing DSD in his clinic. "My cosmetic caseload has gone up five times since working with DSD," he says, adding that with DSD he has not only improved his clinical skills but also his professional fulfillment.

“DSD has made my practice more efficient and successful,” he continues, adding that with the help of DSD Planning Center he is more conservative in his treatment planning and able to make better clinical decisions in small and comprehensive cases alike. One of the most impactful aspects of DSD for Reynolds has been the concept of collective intelligence. By using DSD’s treatment planning services, collaborating with specialists from around the world, he is able to “see a lot more”, improving diagnosis and care.

To illustrate his point, he shares a case of a patient who had been told by six orthodontists that she needed jaw surgery; however, with DSD, they were able to develop a treatment plan that avoided surgery, which was a non-negotiable for the patient. "This is the power of the Planning Center and its collective intelligence”.

In another complex case that he completed for his DSD Mastership, he was struck by the psychological impact on the patient whose feedback emphasizes how much DSD has changed his life: “I’m loving it, confident, happy, and it is way more than I could have ever expected”. The treatment plan had required lifting the bite to create space which Reynolds had not been able to achieve before. Working with the DSD Lab and Planning Center to design and execute the treatment resulted in what he considered to be "a beautiful case".

"The first man to walk on the moon was Neil Armstrong but it took 400,000 people to put him there" he says. "Dentists hav a problem, because we're the Neil Armstrong and we don't think we can use 400,000 people. That's what DSD does. They're the 399,999 people behind me," he concludes.