Gary McHale of Buffalo is one of two Dental Fix RX franchisees in Western New York. McHale rides around from dentist to dentist in a state-of-the-art white van, making daily stops in Rochester, and fixing hand pieces, chairs, compressors, and X-Ray systems among other things. Dental Fix RX is a national mobile dental repair company and its slogan “The Faster Fix” is splashed in paint across the side of the van.
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“Most companies are going to take the hand piece and send it away to a repair shop and so they’re looking at two to four days at least, shipping, repair time, getting it back, and transportation time. We can fix it the same day,” McHale says.
And he does just that, sitting right outside in the dentist’s parking lot. If he doesn’t have a particular part in stock, McHale says he can have it shipped to him overnight. Perhaps what most intrigues customers is that Dental Fix RX is less expensive than most other dental maintenance and repair options. Typically it costs around $300 to $400 for most repairs, with prices increasing for more elaborate work.
Of course, this cheaper fix helps the dentists with their bottom line. Keeping more money in their pockets enables these professionals to expand their business opportunities and open up new revenue streams. When McHale’s mobile business launched in April, Dr. William Leicht at Oak Orchard Medical in Brockport, New York didn’t hesitate to give his services a try.
“You’re using one [hand piece] on every single patient. Each dentist probably has four hand pieces, because they’re constantly getting autoclaved in between patients. With the wear and tear on them, they need maintenance on a regular basis,” Leicht says.
Dental Fix RX was founded back in 2009 and now has nearly 200 franchisees providing service to dentist offices across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
After working for more than a decade as an executive in the gaming industry, McHale might seem as though he is now out of his element. But it’s his passion for tinkering and years spent as a carpenter and electrician that led him to this unique opportunity. The challenge, for now, is getting his brand new business off the ground. And if it grows the way he thinks it will, McHale plans to bring one or two employees along for the ride.
“This is not a get rich quick scheme, which I like. It’s challenging. There’s been some times where I’ve had to go door to door with my little tin cup and knock on the door and say ‘Hey would you like someone to fix your dental equipment for you?’ But it’s fun,” he adds.
