FAQ

Understanding Synergy
What is a GPO?

A GPO is a group purchasing organization in which practitioners pool their collective buying power to exert influence on manufacturers and distributors to negotiate cost-savings opportunities on goods and services. These range from consumable dental supplies to implants, dental lab services, insurance rates, and potentially even front- and back-office “nonclinical services.”

Unlike dental support organizations (DSO) or corporate dental groups, GPOs take no ownership of or stake in a practice and, therefore, do not have any influence on a practice’s clinical decisions or operations. A GPO is a tool that both practitioners and practice owners can use to level the playing field with the DSOs and corporate dental groups. The primary benefit of a GPO is that practitioners gain the negotiating power of several hundred to several thousand practices instead of negotiating as one or two doctors or offices.

How does Synergy offer such low prices for its members?

Our suppliers recognize that our experience in dental practices and in group purchasing makes us uniquely qualified to create programs that dental practices and related entities need and will use. Our ability to deliver highly interested and sophisticated members to these programs benefits the suppliers in many ways including increased sales through buyer retention and reduced costs by dealing with educated buyers.

In exchange for giving Synergy and its members a great deal, suppliers in the Synergy programs have the expectation that, if they provide Synergy members with a better deal than they currently have, Synergy members will: (a) support the Synergy programs by participating in them, and (b) switch from their current supplier(s) in order to take advantage of the superior value of the Synergy program(s).

Is Synergy a third-party distributor?

Synergy is not a third-party distributor and does not inventory or ship dental products and supplies. Synergy simply structures cost savings agreements for our members. Members will continue to order through our vendor partners, our vendor partners will ship the products, and our vendor partner will then invoice the member at the discounted Synergy rate.

How is Synergy Dental Partners compensated?

Synergy receives an administrative fee from its vendor partners.

Saving Money
How do I know how much Synergy can save my practice?

Synergy is happy to provide you with a no-cost, no-obligation price comparison. In fact, we encourage such price comparisons because we know that the Synergy programs will compare favorably when objectively analyzed. Contact our team today!

How competitive is Synergy pricing?

Synergy obtains deep discounts negotiated on your behalf, and continually monitors those prices to make sure they maintain a competitive advantage. Learn more.

I notice that Synergy tends to just have one primary vendor for each area while other GPOs sometimes offer multiple choices.

By consolidating all of our purchasing power with a single supplier for each product category, Synergy is able to maximize our leverage to obtain the best deals for our members. We do recognize, however, that in certain circumstances our members prefer regional suppliers. In these situations, we may offer more than one supplier for each product category i.e. dental labs.

What does it cost to be a member of Synergy Dental Partners?

Contact a member of the Synergy Dental Partners team here.

Do I purchase directly from Synergy?

No. You will purchase directly from Synergy’s suppliers and automatically receive the special pricing negotiated by Synergy.

Signing Up
Do I have to sign anything to join Synergy?

In order to join Synergy we require our new members to provide two items:

  • An executed Membership Application Form
  • Proof of a dental license
Does joining Synergy benefit all dental practices?

Yes. Synergy’s broad family of vendor partners is suitable for the general practice as well as the specialist. Please contact us to find out more.

If I am a member of Synergy do I have to participate in all of the negotiated contracts?

No. You may utilize as many, or as few, of the Synergy contracts as you choose.

Membership Details
How does invoicing work?

Order placement, billing, delivery, and payment will be conducted between the supplier and the member.

How can I find out what supplies and services you offer?

You can find a comprehensive list of our vendor partners here, though we welcome you to contact us directly about supplies or services that are specific to your needs.

What do I do if I have a problem with a Synergy supplier?

At Synergy, we expect our preferred suppliers to be fully responsive to the needs of our members and to promptly resolve problems if and when they occur. While we find that our suppliers are motivated to solve Synergy member issues, in the event of recurring problems, a major issue, or an unacceptable response from the supplier, we will intervene on your behalf to ensure that you are satisfied.

With Synergy you are no longer just a single practice, but part of a much larger organization whose consolidated volume exerts significant influence with our suppliers.

Although we hope that you never have a problem with one of our suppliers, when you allow Synergy to help you resolve your problem, it presents us with a real opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to our members.

Whenever possible, we do ask that you notify Synergy of problems you are having before you become so frustrated it is too late to resolve the issue favorably.

Who do I contact if I need help?

Whether you have questions about a supplier or about membership or are searching for resources for how to best operate your practice, we are more than eager to help. You can contact us here or call us at (888) 294-3588. We look forward to partnering with you.

Read what our members have to say about Synergy in our Dental Product Shopper Evaluation

“These are the same brand name dental supplies at a discounted price.”

Thomas Farley,
DMD, Charlotte, NC

“I can order from one vendor with confidence that the products are at a good price point.”

Gregory Camp,
DDS, Mansfield, TX

“Synergy allowed me to leverage the power of group buying, saving money and lower overhead.”

Levy Do,
DDS, Charlotte, NC
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