Partnerships, Innovation, and Long-Term Vision with Chuck Cohen

In this podcast episode, get to know Chuck Cohen, the Managing Director of Benco Dental.

Chuck tells us, first and foremost, that Benco Dental's perspective revolves around the concept of long-term thinking. Instead of fixating on quarterly results, they prioritize strategic decision-making and encourage dentists to view their relationship with distributors as partnerships rather than mere transactions. This entails sharing practice goals and objectives, with the distributor actively working to help dentists achieve these objectives, creating a value-added collaboration.

"The interesting thing to me is that I think we are one of the best-kept secrets in dentistry. We're the third-largest player in the space and the largest family-owned, privately-held distributor. Patterson and Schein are bigger, but we're number three. Our market share is only 12%. So, that means, on average, eight out of 10 doctors may have heard of us but have never bought anything from us. I believe that we're a bit boutiquey in that way. We only want to grow as fast as we can provide great customer service, and that's been a conscious decision over the past 90 years—to maintain a high level of customer satisfaction. If we can also grow at the same time, that's good too. But customer satisfaction is what we live and die by."

He goes on to explain how independent dental practices outperformed large dental chains and DSOs in the post-pandemic period, proving their resilience and efficiency. Despite initial fears of DSO dominance, independent practices demonstrated impressive survival and recovery. This highlights the effectiveness of dental infection control procedures and the entrepreneurial spirit of independent practices. Overall, the dental profession showcased its ability to adapt and thrive during and after the pandemic.

In the ever-evolving landscape of dentistry, Benco Dental sees itself as a support system for both dentists and labs. A prime example is how to approach 3D printing.

"3D printing is going to change every single thing about dentistry, no matter what specialty you're in, no matter whether you're a lab, a general dentist, an endodontist, you need a 3D printing strategy. There are many opportunities to make mistakes in a 3D printing strategy, and the 3D printing strategy for one practice is going to be different from somebody down the street. There are many opportunities to make a mistake. Who can you partner with that's willing to help you figure out how to apply all these new whiz-bang technologies effectively into your practice? You need someone who understands the landscape, someone who sees other offices, someone who says, 'You know what, that is what I would recommend for Dr. Smith down the street, but it's not for you. You need to do this instead because you're a smaller volume practice.' That's where a partner can come in and help guide you. There will be a lot of dentists who say, 'okay, I'm going to figure this out on my own,' and I can guarantee a lot of them are going to make mistakes along the way because it's complicated and it's changing quickly, and that's where a distributor rep and partner can make all the difference in the world," says Chuck.

Moreover, Benco Dental places great importance on supporting small, innovative manufacturers. They actively seek out and champion these entrepreneurial companies, ensuring they receive the recognition and attention they deserve within the dental industry.

Benco facilitates the entry of innovative products into the market and collaborates with larger manufacturers to provide cost-effective solutions, adapting to the industry's changing dynamics. Innovation is another cornerstone of Benco Dental's strategy. They actively seek out partnerships with innovative companies to bring cutting-edge products and services to dentists. One noteworthy example is their early collaboration with Overjet, a leading AI company in dentistry, enabling dentists to stay at the forefront of technological advances.

Listen to the full podcast to hear all the details! 

To learn more about Benco Dental, click here to read more about their history.  If you're interested in establishing a partnership with Benco Dental, click here to fill out the new customer setup form. 

Benco Dental serves over 25,000 dental offices and dental laboratories across the United States. The company is based in northeastern Pennsylvania with locations in over 40 states. Benco Dental's approach centers on long-term thinking, a commitment to innovation, and fostering partnerships. These principles enable them to better serve the dental community and navigate the evolving landscape of the dental industry, ensuring they remain a key player in this dynamic field.