Checking Back in with the Ultimate Winner: How it Changed His Dental Practice Forever
Back in 2009, Dr. Michael Lakota was the grand-prize winner of Dental Product Shopper’s “Ultimate Office” contest, transforming his practice with the largest sweepstakes prize in dental history.
As part of his winnings, Dr. Lakota, who has a private practice in Naperville, IL, received a CS 9000 3D Extraoral Imaging System (Carestream Dental), a full CEREC MC XL System from Sirona Dental Systems (Dentsply Sirona), as well as implants, anchors, a caries detection aid, and a slew of the profession’s top materials and supplies.
Seven years later, as DPS offers dentists another chance to build their “Ultimate Office,” we checked back in with Dr. Lakota to find out how winning the sweepstakes changed his practice in the long term.
Dental Product Shopper's Interview with Dr. Michael Lakota:
Q: What has been the greatest impact of winning the Ultimate Office?
A: It has improved my level of dentistry. Financially, it was tough to gain that level of technology prior to winning. Increasing the level of technology gives better service to my patients
Q: Of the many products you won through the contest, what made the most impact?
A: The digital x-rays, digital pans, and the CEREC machine. To my patients, I’m up to date, and I look modern, and that was a really positive step for my patients.
Q: Are you still using many of these same products today?
A: I’m using all of them. In fact, I’m using some things that I never used before that I wasn’t thinking about using. Even the non-big-ticket items (such as) V-ring (Ultradent): it’s not an expensive product, but I love that thing; it’s awesome to use.
Get the full story in the May issue of DPS and be sure to enter the "Ultimate Office" sweepstakes for your chance to fulfill your dreams, like Dr. Lakota.