The Ups and Downs of Dental Product Development

If all the facets of what can be considered “Product Development” were written down, a small bookstore could be completely stocked with volumes on the subject. From finding inspiration to predicting return on investment (ROI) to protecting intellectual property, the topics are endless, as are the obstacles, regarding the evolution of an idea from napkin sketch to product delivery. Fortunately, those topics are also fascinating and irresistible to the many innovators and entrepreneurs that drive our civilization toward greater health, convenience, communication, speed, adventure, or any number of human milestones, despite the obstacles—one dream and one invention at a time. 

Few pursuits come close to creating the sense of satisfaction and accomplishment experienced by seeing one’s idea become a practical reality, used by others to improve lives and livelihoods. While I have never climbed Mt. Everest, I imagine the rewards of a successful product “expedition” to be nearly as uplifting, affirming, and at least as emotionally profitable, if not as financially profitable as hoped. And unfortunately, truly successful products can be as rare as a successful Everest summit. Never far behind in the constant stream of product dreams that fill an inventive mind, the feelings of failure when the greatest of gadgets refuses to sell, or even make it through the development process, can be confusing, depressing, and downright debilitating. 

Product development is a life of highs and lows, often creating a rollercoaster of emotions that make you want to change careers or, be it, hobbies at least—until the next idea hits you. Then you can’t wait to get strapped in and headed to the top again. Inventors stop inventing when they stop breathing. 

In a series of upcoming articles, as time and energy allow, I’d like to recall and share some of my experiences as a dental product developer since 1987 and some basics about how our own product development process works at Practicon. Disclaimer: Let me say that I am not an attorney, and I do not have a crystal ball or the Midas touch. That much is a proven fact. Free advice is worth the cost, but maybe something herein will help someone who is equally excited about an idea for a better “mouth” trap. 🙄

First, a little bit about Practicon, Inc.: Practicon was founded in 1982 with a vision of advancing dental health and increasing practice success through improving patient education. Building on a mission to Make Dentistry Better, we have grown to become a trusted developer and marketer of “Practical Innovations” that provide effective solutions for common problems, sold alongside a growing line of brand-name supplies. Customers describe Practicon’s products as creative, unique, and hard-to-find, many inspired or designed by dental professionals themselves. It has been my joy to have met and worked with many dental product developers at every level to help them profit from their ideas, when we could. Our product development mission is to develop exciting products that are relevant and useful in everyday practice—or in short, practical innovations. 

I am beyond blessed to be a part of a family business that has always put dental patients’ health needs first, dental customers’ needs second, and our own needs last. We treat shared ideas with the utmost respect and integrity, treating every idea as if it were our own, striving to earn and keep the trust inventors place in us. That is the only way we can expect to have the opportunity to learn about an inventor’s next idea. We have never charged for our product development support and guidance. Instead, we profit from the sales when and if the product reaches the market, usually rewarding the inventor with a royalty plus the chance to see their product Make Dentistry Better. No matter whom inventors eventually partner with in the ideation-to-launch process, my hope would be to help them avoid the traps and pitfalls of developing, protecting, manufacturing, and marketing a product or idea. 

So that this article is not only introductory jargon, let me share an initial thought here as we begin. I once had a nationally renowned marketing consultant tell me to NEVER fall in love with one of my ideas. I understand his point. Blind, endless pursuit of a bad idea can quickly make it the last idea one ever pursues. But I ask, if we do not fall in love with our own ideas, how can we ever expect others to fall in love with them deeply enough to part with their money? In my experience, successful product development boils down to two things: 

1. You must believe that what you are working on is going to benefit humankind in some way, not just yourself. The product must have a “grand purpose.” 
2. You can never give up on your idea, until either physics or cost make it impossible to proceed (we’ll detail the second “kill” point in a future article). 

If you’d like to receive links to these articles regularly, please let us know by subscribing here: practivations.blogspot.com. Otherwise look for future articles on our website under the Practivations tab at the bottom of our home page at: www.practicon.com. 

Next up: Practivations Article 2: Why an NDA? Part 1