DDShgSolutions is a family owned and operated business. Our goal is to be one of the world’s leading producers and providers of high-quality U.S. made dental materials. We are 100% committed to customer service while offering products at affordable prices.
David Mendlik started the company 10 years ago with the intent to offer dentists a solution to an industry-wide problem at an affordable price. There is a huge problem with prophy paste and build up in wastewater lines in the dental industry. DDShgsolutions eliminates this problem by separating and filtering 99% of waste line products at the chairside. Dddshgsolutions separators can also be installed in cabinets next to the chair. By installing at these locations, it prevents buildup of amalgam and other restrictive materials in dentists’ pipes and vacuum systems. In 2002 I sat down with a list of 1,000 dental dealers in the U.S. and started cold calling each individual company. I sent emails and follow-up calls on a bi-weekly basis. Most of the time the response was, “Maybe we will add your amalgam separator at a later date” or the other response was, “Email me something in six months.” So I did just that and followed up every six months until 2020 when the amalgam separator became mandated in the U.S. As of 2022 we have 83 dealers and service technicians that offer the Simple One amalgam separator. We are also in 8 different countries. Each dealer and dentist have direct access to my cell phone. I answer their calls when support is needed, daily, weekly or yearly. This is easy to do when you offer a simple product that works and is easy to install and maintain.
We do provide customer support for our dealers as well. We pick up the phone so their clients can talk to a human. We recognize that their time is valuable also. No one wants to hit ten prompts and still never get anything accomplished. Answering the phone in order to directly help is probably the most rewarding and personally my favorite part of the business. We take as long as the rep or dentist needs to make sure each and every question is answered. When you offer a product that works well and is easy to install and maintain, it just makes your job that much easier. The feedback I usually get is, “I wish I would have done this a few years ago.” In fact, we have heard this on more than one occasion: “I wish I would have thought of this idea.” We even had one dentist offer to buy half the company. With this kind of feedback, it’s easy to know you are onto something successful. It also makes for an easy and rewarding workday.
One of our biggest selling points moving forward is the fact that amalgam will be decreasing from year to year. With our system, you can reduce the amount of rooms the separator is needed. So eventually if there is a person that still has amalgam and needs work, you can schedule them to the chair that has the amalgam separator installed. This will allow each dentist to continue to help reduce mercury in our environment at a reasonable cost to the office’s bottom line. Yes, this means there is a life expectancy to our company. The estimate is about 10 more years and our system lasts 9-12 months. I am 49 years old so once the last unit is returned, I should be 59 and ready to move on to the part of life that most people dream about: retirement.
I would say the biggest problem with our system is there are a lot of service technicians and dentists that do not even know we exist. Most dentists would need to ask their rep or in some cases demand to use our system. We have had ads in the ADA newsletter and received a “great” rating from the Gordon Christensen CR report.
When asked what the biggest struggle is with small business, I really think it is the balance between offering a high-quality U.S. manufactured product at a lower cost and still being able to afford the marketing, testing, labor as well as all the day-to-day costs associated with running a small business. I would also mention there is a point you may have to decide if customer service or increasing your profits is your goal. DDShgSolutions has found that balance while still being able to make sure everyone is happy, but that’s not always the case with every small business.
If you plan to start a business or have an idea about a business, I would recommend talking to people in the industry. Ask lots of questions. There are a lot of people who will share their experiences with you. Listen to them and sort out what you think is good and maybe not so good. Then apply it. I would also say if someone asks you to contact them in six months, don’t interpret that as rejection but rather, make a note and follow up with them… again, again and again. Maybe a company is simply not interested at the time. Maybe that business owner or purchasing person just doesn’t share the same vision as you. Things do change a lot in the world of business, small companies and large companies alike. People move from company to company. Maybe the next business owner or purchasing person that steps in is now on the same path as you and now the six-month follow up just became a yes. I can tell you as a small business owner, “yes” may just be the best word in the dictionary. Good luck to you, whether it is selling something or running a landscape company. Hard work and listening to people around you to make an educated business decision will always pay off.
Respectfully,
David Mendlik
GP
The work of a family doctor includes a wide range of clinical diversity, which requires extensive knowledge and erudition from a specialist. However, I believe that the most important thing for a family doctor is to be human because the cooperation and understanding between the doctor and the patient are crucial in ensuring successful health care. On my days off, I love being in nature. Since childhood, I have been passionate about playing chess and tennis. Whenever I have time off, I enjoy traveling around the world.
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