The same composite, the same gloves, the same burs: at one supplier you pay noticeably more than at another. Yet few practices really compare their prices. That's understandable, because it takes time and the prices are hard to put side by side. In this article you will read what to look for when you compare dental supply prices.
Compare your own prices, not the list price
The price on a supplier's website is not always the price you pay. Many practices have arrangements with their supplier: a discount on the whole range, better prices on certain brands or a bonus at the end of the year. So always compare with the prices you see when you are logged in.
Calculate per unit
Suppliers often sell the same product in different packaging. One sells gloves per box of 100, another per 200. One sells composite per syringe, another per set. If you only look at the price per package, you are comparing apples and oranges. So work it back to a price per piece, per syringe or per milliliter.
Read promotions carefully
Buy 3 get 1 free, the third package for 1 euro, 10% off above a certain amount: promotions make a comparison even harder. Work out what you pay per unit if you use the promotion, and ask yourself whether you will use that quantity before it expires. A cheap box that expires ends up being the most expensive one. Read more in our article on finding and comparing promotions.
Don't forget shipping costs
A product that is a few euros cheaper becomes more expensive as soon as you pay shipping for it. Many suppliers deliver free above a certain amount. So don't just look at the price per product, but at the total of your order: sometimes it is cheaper to order everything from one supplier, sometimes it pays to split your order.
Check availability
The lowest price doesn't help you if the product only ships in a few weeks and you need it tomorrow. So also check whether a product is in stock, on backorder or unavailable.
Consider an equivalent alternative
For many consumables, like gloves, face masks or saliva ejectors, there are equivalent products from another brand. Compare those per unit too. For materials your team is used to, like a trusted composite, habit often weighs more than a small saving, and that is a perfectly fine choice.
Comparing prices with Swyp
Doing all these steps by hand takes a lot of time per order. Swyp does the work for you:
- Your own prices. Swyp fetches prices live from your own supplier accounts, so you see what you pay, with your arrangements included.
- Promotions at a glance. When a product is on promotion, you see the supplier's original price and which deal applies.
- Compared per unit. Cheaper alternatives are compared per unit, and Swyp warns you when package sizes differ.
- The total counts. Scout looks at your whole cart and finds the cheapest split across your suppliers, with shipping costs and free-delivery thresholds included.
- Stock included. You see per supplier whether a product is in stock.
That way you compare with every order, without it costing you extra time. Read more about comparing prices in Swyp or see which suppliers you can connect.
