Shop for dental supplies with confidence

CDA established The Dentists Service Company as a response to members’ call for support in the business side of practice. TDSC’s group purchasing program was built on the strength of CDA’s 150-year heritage, 27,000-strong membership and history of innovation serving them. Now, group purchasing benefits are available free to CDA members through the TDSC Marketplace.

“I shopped the Marketplace when it started because it sounded like a great idea, and it was being done by a company I trusted,” said John Jeppson, DDS. “[It] has proven to me in my 30-year career to be a company that is dedicated to making the lives of dentists easier.” 

This trust is something that TDSC continues to foster. In a fast-paced digital market, TDSC is committed to protecting practices from gray-market goods, all while offering significant savings and shopping convenience. In the first nine months of Marketplace operation, shoppers saved an average of 20 percent compared to manufacturers’ list prices.

“Since TDSC started, I have tracked my savings on dental supplies, which is now at $7,000 and counting,” noted Jeppson. 

What does the Marketplace carry?
The shopping site is home to more than 25,000 items across 32 dental supply categories. Products range from everyday disposables to small equipment and handpieces. When building the initial catalog, TDSC consulted CDA members and third-party data to ensure a comprehensive offering that reflected the products dentists most prefer to use. Popular categories within the site’s extensive selection are burs and diamonds, cosmetic dentistry products, instruments, infection control and orthodontic products. In the event shoppers can’t find a desired product, they can request it online or by phone and the Marketplace team will make every effort to responsibly source it.

As of November, some of the top-selling Marketplace products include Filtek™ Z100 Restorative Universal Composites, Valiant® Snap-Set® Sure Cap® Alloys and Strip Crowns.

Who are the Marketplace suppliers?
Every item available in the Marketplace is supplied by a trusted, authorized source. TDSC and a dentist-led advisory team reviewed major suppliers across the country before committing to work directly with a small number of them. These suppliers directly provide the wide range of Marketplace dental products — all of which are authentic, shipped and stored properly and delivered though secure supply chains.

How were suppliers evaluated?
To ensure the authenticity of every Marketplace product, TDSC executed a comprehensive review of potential suppliers. Through this vetting process, multiple quality-control factors were evaluated, including:

• Company size, years in operation, market position and financial stability
• Reputation for excellent service and reliability, backed by references
• Range of products and ability to offer proven and tested alternates
• Supply chain and fulfillment strength with ability to scale up
• Experience working with online purchasing/fulfillment systems
• Ability for TDSC to continuously review product and service delivery

Every month, more CDA members are choosing the Marketplace as a dental supply source that they can shop with confidence. And the Marketplace continues to evolve to support their needs. As the Marketplace grows, TDSC learns from members’ feedback, the site becomes easier to use, and the product selection reflects shoppers’ new requests.

The Dentists Service Company specializes in group purchasing and practice management services, helping dentists practice on their own terms through supply savings and comprehensive advising solutions. Learn more at tdsc.com.

To explore the catalog and shop negotiated savings, visit tdsc.com.