Dealer versus direct
Two paths lead to the same equipment. On the dealer path, margin layers sit between the manufacturer and the practice, and the options can be shaped by the dealer's lines. On the direct path, equipment is sourced from the manufacturer to the standards of practices the company owns and operates, and the practice approves the specification and the final selection.
Side by side
Where the options come from
Dealer path: shaped by the dealer's lines and relationships. Direct path: aligned to the clinical standards of operated practices, not limited to one dealer's lines.
What is in the price
Dealer path: margin layers and distributor markup. Direct path: the manufacturer pricing structure, passed through without dealer layers.
Who negotiates the markup
Dealer path: the owner, if anyone. Direct path: there is no dealer markup to negotiate.
Who approves the specification
Both paths: the practice. On the direct path, nothing is ordered without that approval.
What stays the same
The equipment comes from the same manufacturers either way, and the practice still decides what it needs. What changes is the number of layers between the manufacturer and the practice, and whose interests shape the options the practice sees.
Questions to ask of any equipment quote
How much of this price is margin added between the manufacturer and the practice? Were the options shown limited to the lines this seller carries? Did my clinical and technical requirements drive the specification, or did the catalog? And am I the one expected to negotiate the markup? A direct path answers each of those questions in the practice's favor.
When the difference matters most
Equipment and technology are significant purchases, so the layers inside a quote are worth looking at closely. A practice that compares the direct path against a dealer quote it already has can see the difference on its own numbers rather than in general terms.
The intelligence behind the whole system.
Diagnose what the practice needs. Support better execution across every Copilot service.
Try Dental AI Copilot