From Erbium to Solea: Falling in Love with Pediatric Dentistry Again

By: Jennifer Bryk Hechko, DDS, MS, FAAPD
Topic originally appeared on ConvergentDental.com. Dr. Hechko granted permission for igniteDDS to share with our readers.

My Solea Story started back in May of 2017 when I purchased a practice that had an erbium laser. That laser served as a really nice coat rack for a couple of years until I worked up the courage to start learning how to use it.

My Experience with the Erbium Laser

My practice vision is centered around a superior patient experience, and I hoped I would be able to offer anesthesia-free hard tissue procedures. 

The erbium laser worked pretty well for that, but I was not able to accomplish what I truly wanted with it. I was getting a lot of kids complaining about the noise, and I was not able to fully do all the Class II preps that I wanted with just the laser. But the most important thing that drove me away from the erbium laser was the constant maintenance and lack of support.

My erbium tended to go down frequently, and I began losing revenue at a very fast rate. My patients had come to expect fillings without anesthetic, so when the laser wasn’t working, I would have to cancel out a week at a time until the laser could be fixed. After needing to replace four of the fiber optic cables at $4,000 a pop, I decided it was time to explore other options.

I needed something reliable, something that could be maintained easily with remote updates, and something that, if it did go down, did not have high fees to send out a technician. 

My Experience with the Solea Laser

Early in 2021, my Solea Representative happened to walk into my practice to invite me to a dinner being held that night. He asked that I just come to listen and hear about another option to the ER:YAG laser. I was intrigued by Solea, but I was equally happy for the chance to get out and see some of my colleagues after a year of staying in!

I was astonished at what I saw and learned that night. The next day, I got a proposal to purchase my Solea and I signed it immediately. I was very hopeful that everything that I had been promised was going to come true.

Now, two years later, I can tell you that everything has come true and more. 

I have fallen in love with pediatric dentistry again. My Solea works as expected and the level of Customer Support I’m provided is unmatched. I was getting burned out numbing kids, and now I am able to do pulpotomies, stainless steel crown preps, taking out teeth with only topical and a PBM light.

In addition, I have explored a whole new section in my practice of soft tissue. I’ve been able to do so many frenectomies on infants, all the way up to teenagers that have a new lease on life when their tongue is fully functional. 

Key Takeaway

I encourage every dentist to take the time to learn about Solea, talk to as many people as you can, and actively check out all the great things that are happening within the Solea community.

I’m excited for the future, and I will continue to focus on my number one priority of creating the best patient experience possible. Solea is a big part of that, and also a big part of why I love what I do.