What is CHAIR?

Think of CHAIR as dentistry Uber for “immediate load full arch cases” available when and where the doctor needs it. Doctors schedule online, on-demand, and are matched with the closest, most competent, and available technician for the requested procedure and CHAIR takes care of the rest.

How does CHAIR work?

CHAIR is a community of skilled lab technicians across the country, following a professional code of conduct, covering a span of differing in-office procedures that dental practices need. CHAIR will market these services to dentists nationally. When a doctor request is submitted (date, location service requested, etc.) CHAIR will offer the job to the lab technician community with the goal of quickly aligning a lab technician to the service request. Once the technician has been assigned, the doctor confirms the service and CHAIR then coordinates between the doctor and the technician both before and after the chairside service to ensure everything goes well.

When did CHAIR start?

Chair is a new cloud-based company that is made up of a network of labs, lab technicians and dentists. CHAIR is created after recognizing a need for the lab technician full arch clinical support by the dental community nationwide.

What are the advantages of using CHAIR?

CHAIR gives you access to a national network of experienced professionals; we will have someone there around your schedule. Our network brings with it the best practices of doctors nationwide as well as their surgical protocols. All CHAIR technicians debrief weekly to learn and improve, with CHAIR you will know you have the latest, best-informed, and trained technical assistance.

I have my first case coming up, why do I need a technician to assist me?

It is true you don’t need to have a technician on site, but if you don’t have a trained staff member to help with the laboratory work the surgery time will be dramatically increase. Having a skilled dental technician alongside you in a surgery can not only greatly reduce your chair time, but reduce stress, while typically producing greater patient satisfaction and outcome. If the surgery runs into complications, the benefit of having a technician on-site is significant as their unique education and experience can help address situations you may not have experienced before. Many doctors request this service for each case since the time savings and great results is well worth the cost and ultimately helps the bottom line.

What can I expect from the CHAIR technician on the day of surgery?

You can expect a professional to be by your side, they will be dressed in crisp clean CHAIR branded scrubs. They will be familiar with the procedure for the day and the details of your case and have done their homework in advance. They, or a CHAIR team member, will have touched base with your office ahead of time to make sure all required materials are onsite, but they will arrive with equipment and backup supplies just in case. Finally, they will conference with you ahead of the procedure to understand what you desire chairside in regards to their participation and conduct in the surgery room, they will provide as much or as little involvement as you desire.

What types of procedures do you support?

The diversity of the CHAIR clinical support team makes us the resource that we are! We have collected a team of clinical support staff experienced with all the most popular procedures, from relines and direct pickup of attachments to All-on-X procedures including all the most popular guided bone reduction and implant placement.

Is CHAIR available in my area?

Yes, if you are a dentist or specialist and have a dental chair we will travel to your office. This service is available in the continental USA.

How do we start this process?

Fill out the initial profile online. We will confirm via email and a staff member will contact you for a formal introduction and discuss the date and time of the first request. After your first case, simply go online and schedule your next case; you can trust that we will be there for you.

How do I pay for service?

Your initial registration for CHAIR does not require a credit card transition. However, once you schedule an appointment you are asked to provide your bank information for an ACH transfer. The day before the procedure you will be charged for the service. After the service, you will be asked to fill out a brief survey of your experience. We will pay the technician as soon as the survey is complete and thank you for doing so with a $50 credit towards your next CHAIR surgery.

Can I quit any time?

Yes, this is a month by month agreement, with a 30-day notice if there are pending surgeries which you have agreed to assist.

What is the contact information for CHAIR?

Our phone number is +1-866-822-7748 , and general email is info@chairsidesupport.com.

Do I need to sign a contract with CHAIR?

Yes, we require a contractor agreement which is for the protection and clarity of understanding between all parties. The client agreement frames our work as an independent contractor and includes a non-solicitation agreement to prevent direct hiring of our staff, a waiver of liability for technicians working under your supervision and an agreement to pay policy.

What does it cost to have a CHAIR Support Technician in our office?

We have a defined fee schedule which is based upon how far a technician is located from your office. The set fee schedule includes travel costs and expenses so there are never any surprises. You know the costs upfront. The only exception is if the procedure runs dramatically over schedule, which is unusual, and an additional night stay or flight change is required.

If I have a preference to work with a chairside technician, may I request him/her in the future?

CHAIR will try to match this request as best as possible. We cannot however make guarantees that the same technician will arrive each time. We do promise that a competent individual will arrive each time.

What do I provide and what does the technician provide as far as materials?

Doctors are responsible for chairside materials. CHAIR technicians take back-up materials. We can make suggestions for all chairside needs, both pick-up materials, burs, wrench kits, etc. CHAIR has a full kit available for purchase.  In the CHAIR preprocedural checklist, the doctor and technician know who is providing what materials and equipment.

Can you provide online support from CHAIR?

If you’re concerned about a technician traveling to your office, we can connect online during the procedure using MS Teams, Facetime, Skype or Zoom to provide your office with the essential answers to questions. We feel it is important to have a CHAIR clinical support team member present because of the value that they bring; however, we can accommodate this request.

What training and certification does the CHAIR support team members have to perform the clinical support during surgery?

CHAIR requires experience and knowledge from all its participating technicians and their experience and talent is thoroughly evaluated as part of their onboarding procedure. We interview professional references of all CHAIR technicians and observe their clinical skills firsthand to ensure a great fit with our organization. They are trained in appropriate chairside manner of conduct, yet are comfortable speaking up in a respectful way to ensure the case goes well.

Who vets these support team members?

The CHAIR team has been carefully selected by the dentists and technicians that have worked with them in their personal operations to perform these challenging procedures.

What are the guarantees on the service?

We do not guarantee the outcome of the clinical procedure, only the fact that we will be chairside to help you and your team to make the best decision for your patients. We do guarantee your satisfaction with their professionalism and skill. Our clinical CHAIR staff is only there to support you with the lab aspect of the procedure and help you to make the best restorative decisions; they are not qualified to make clinical decisions pertaining the patient or the patients’ health.

What if I have a complaint about the CHAIR technician?

CHAIR will settle all disputes. We have agreements that both parties sign when coming on board that manages arbitration of disputes. It is important that both sides are heard and that a fair outcome is realized.

How can I be sure I have all the restorative components and implant parts needed for surgery?

Part of the benefit of CHAIR is clear communication. Our checklists of materials and parts make sure you have what you need for surgery, and extra parts just in case. In general, doctors will supply the implants, abutments, and other components for surgery, as well as the materials. Upon request, CHAIR can provide all materials needed.

We use a unique implant system – how do I know if you are familiar and can support this specific system?

Although we do not claim to be experts in every implant system (that is the implant reps job), CHAIR’s clinical support staff are well versed with the nuances of most implant systems and we are well prepared to overcome the challenges of any specific system. We make it our job to be prepared and support you with the armamentarium you choose to deploy on the case, including speaking to the implant rep or company prior to arrival.