The camera and film maker said medical imaging films and related products will see increases because of rising raw material costs.
December 18 2006: 9:44 AM EST


Eastman Kodak Co. said Monday it would raise prices for its medical imaging films and related supplies by 8 percent to 12 percent, the second increase this year, due to higher raw material costs.



Source: CNN Money - http://money.cnn.com/2006/12/18/news/companies/kodak.reut/index.htm



Got a dentist still using film who’s still riding the fence, unsure whether to make the investment into digital? This price increase combined with sale of Kodak’s Healthcare Division makes this an ideal time to convert to digital with Schick.



Digital is not expensive!



We tell doctors to think of the time involved in using film and how much that costs and we tell them to consider the cost of the materials involved. On top of that, they now have to consider that there is no guarantee that the price they get for film and chemicals this week will be the same next week.



Certainty with Sensors



Digital radiography sensors are a one time purchase – they’re not subject to the kinds of cost fluctuation that affect consumable products such as x-ray film. There is no need to start stockpiling film and developing products to hedge against possible price increases - once a purchased their sensors, the material cost of a full mouth series that is taken tomorrow will be exactly them exactly the same 12 months from now, 24 months from now and so on.



You can't trust Kodak!



Dental film imaging is dying! Kodak knows this and as trying to make as much money from film while they still can. While Kodak dominates the dental film market (2005 market share 80.30%), it is struggling to make an impact on Schick’s dominance of the digital sensor market.



Certainty with Schick



Schick’s relationship with Patterson guarantees a stable future for dentists buying Schick sensors. The unlimited warranty and the 100% satisfaction guarantee means that customers can enjoy piece of mind when making what can be a daunting transfer to digital. Combine with the rapid and stable growth that Schick has enjoyed since making Patterson its exclusive distributor means that support will be there for many years to come.