Dr. Patrick McQuitty is a dentist. He specializes in crowns and veneers. Using a radical new approach that involves precise specialization and digital imaging, he is able to serve a wide client base in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. His approach is different, fresh, and patient-centered. Those facts have contributed to the success of Dr. McQuitty and his clinics, named Crown Studios. Above and beyond all of this, McQuitty is personable, with a manner that is clear and focused. He is centered on serving the needs of his patients, the people of this city, as well as those who live up north in our capital city.
Albuquerque City Lifestyle Magazine interviewed the good doctor to find out more about his stunning success with his dental clinics, as well as his plans to change and improve the way dentistry is performed, both here and nationwide. Here's a quick glimpse into the man behind Crown Studios.
Albuquerque City Lifestyle Magazine: Patrick, what’s your story? What’s the story behind Crown Studios?
Dr. Patrick McQuitty: Well, I’ve been a dentist since 2003. They teach you in school to do everything, all kinds of dentistry, from extractions to root canals. You can also train in several specialties, like oral surgery and periodontics. So, when I first got out, I was doing everything. However, in 2007, I became involved in a form of digital dentistry called CEREC.
Could you please tell our readers about CEREC?
CEREC digital dentistry is a system that uses computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing to create dental restorations like crowns, veneers, and bridges in a single visit. The process involves a dentist using an intraoral camera to take a digital scan of the teeth, which is then used to design the restoration on a computer. The design is sent to a milling unit that carves the restoration from a ceramic block. When we used to make dental crowns, we had to make an impression of the tooth, provide the patient with a temporary crown, which is a very invasive procedure. The results are sent to a lab, and a couple of weeks later, the patient gets a crown. In addition, there’s a lab bill involved, and sometimes the crown works, sometimes it doesn’t. But technology started changing that game. Instead of the physical impressions, now we can take a digital scan of the tooth to be repaired and restored.
How did digital dentistry change things for your practice?
I was intrigued. But I was still doing everything else at the practice; root canals, extractions, everything I could. But I purchased a digital scanner and also a milling machine. We had these small computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing machines that could mill out a porcelain crown. As the technology improved over the years, the quality of the crowns vastly improved. This all started me thinking about whether I was doing the best I could for my patients. Long story short, I decided to eliminate other procedures from my practice to focus on digital crowns. I started taking courses on digital dentistry, and I became really, really good at that.
That education, that revelation, led to you founding Crown Studios, right?
Yes. During this process, I noted that dental prices were going up. A lot of my patients complained that they couldn’t afford the various dental procedures being offered, and rightfully so, dentistry is expensive. They’d tell me they were going to go to places like Mexico to get their dental work done. I understood that, but I also knew that there had to be a better way. I wondered if there was any way that I could do what I love, which is making excellent dental crowns and veneers, for a lower price. First, I asked myself, what would I want, as a patient?
What did you come up with?
I wouldn’t want physical impressions. I would want as fast and simple a service as possible. And I would want the lowest cost and the highest quality. I would want a happy dentist and dental office. That’s what I would want, and that’s what we offer our clients. I sat there, and I dreamed up what a high-production, high-tech office would look like, what it was capable of doing. After about four years, I realized that we could make the dream a reality. As I continued to look at this model, in order to make it the best possible for our patients, I realized we had to focus on crowns and veneers and eliminate the rest of the practice.
What else did you do to create Crown Studios?
We decided to eliminate dental insurance from our Albuquerque practice. We were also saving money by eliminating other services, and so, combined with the digital technology, we were able to significantly reduce prices for a crown and for veneers, and we were able to buy eight of the scanners and milling devices for the practice. Because of this, we were able to lower the cost of a dental crown from $2000 per tooth to as low as $599 per tooth. That low price is still about what your co-pay would be if you used dental insurance!
What kind of results have you seen with this new dental service model?
It’s been astounding. We didn’t even have to advertise at first, although we are now getting into that framework as well. We are excellent, elite at what we do, and we refer our patients out for their cleanings and other necessary dental procedures. The benefit there is that all these other [dental] practices in Albuquerque are gaining patients. It’s a win-win for everyone involved. What I’m finding is that if you pull dentistry apart, you become really good at one thing, the prices get reduced, and most importantly, the patient gets the best care possible. We are endeavoring to bring excellent dentistry to more people.
How do our readers get in touch with your practice in order to start saving money to begin getting excellent dental services here in Albuquerque?
It’s as easy as calling our office at 505.588.7000 or emailing us at hello@dentalcrowns599.com to make an appointment. You can also find us on the web to learn more about what we do.
Crown Studios is at 5400 Central Ave, NE, Unit 101C, Albuquerque.