Cost Analysis: Disposable vs. VisionButler (Varied Sizes Kit)

Assumptions: 

Disposable Retractor Cost: €150.00 per box of 80 (€1.88 per unit).

VisionButler Investment: €400.00 for 5 units (€80.00 per unit).

Tested Lifespan: 1,000 autoclave cycles.

Clinical Year: 240 working days.


2. Accelerated Savings Projection (2-Year Horizon)

The following table illustrates how the initial investment in the first year yields exponentially higher returns in the second year when no new equipment is required.


*Note: The Pro level assumes a rotation of 25 units to handle 50 patients per day.


3. Strategic Proposal for Practice Leadership

Subject: Reclaiming € Clinical Overhead – VisionButler Implementation

The Challenge:

The clinic currently spends €1.88 every time a disposable retractor is used. For a high-volume facility, this results in an annual "sunk cost" 

The Solution:

By investing in a fleet of VisionButler reusable retractors, we transition this expense from a recurring operational drain to a one-time capital asset.

Key Financial Benefits:

Instant ROI: The entire investment is recouped in 2 - 3 months.* ( see spreadsheet )

Massive Profit Retention: Over two years, a dental practice will retain significant funds  that would otherwise be spent on waste. ( see savings above in red )

Product Longevity: At a usage rate of 10/day, your VisionButlers will last approximately 2 - 4 years before reaching their 1,000-cycle limit depending on the rate of sterilisation in the practice and the initial number of VisionButlers purchased


Executive Financial Summary

1. The primary driver for this switch is the extreme disparity between the cost of single-use waste and a durable asset.

Disposable Unit Cost: €1.88 per use (based on €150.00 per box of 80).

VisionButler Unit Cost: As low as €80.00 when purchased in clinical sets (5, 10, 15, or 20 units).

The Break-Even Point: A VisionButler pays for itself in just 43 uses. Given its 1,000-cycle rating, the remaining 957 uses represent 100% profit retention for the clinic.

Assessment: For high-volume clinics (50 patients/day), the savings of €43,400.00 over two years is equivalent to the salary of a full-time staff member or the cost of a new high-end dental chair.

3. Operational Longevity & Reliability

VisionButler is engineered for the high-intensity environment of a modern dental practice:

Autoclave Durability: Tested to withstand 1,000 sterilization cycles.

Asset Lifecycle: At a standard usage rate (e.g., 5 or 10 uses per day), a set of VisionButlers will last approximately 4 years before needing replacement.

Scaling Efficiency: Large clinics do not need a 1:1 replacement ratio. Because units are recycled through the autoclave, a clinic seeing 50 patients a day only requires an inventory of 25 units to maintain a seamless workflow.

4. Sustainability & ESG Impact

For dental companies looking to improve their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) metrics, the data presents a clear environmental "win."

Waste Diversion: One VisionButler prevents 1,000 plastic retractors from entering a landfill.

Volume Impact: A high-volume practice (50/day) diverts 12,000 pieces of single-use plastic annually.

Logistics: Reduces the carbon footprint and storage requirements associated with shipping and housing hundreds of bulky boxes of disposables.

5. Annual Global Assessment Environmental Impact of eg 100,000 Dentists 

(Using Average Usage of only 2 Disposables a day each - = 200,000 disposables a day )

Environmental Impact (ESG)

Environmental Impact (720 Tonnes)

Even at low daily volume, the aggregate waste is substantial because it is non-recyclable clinical waste.

Waste per Dentist: 7.2kg per year.

Total Clinical Waste 720,000 kg (720 Tonnes).

Visualizing 720 Tonnes:

Vehicles: Equivalent to burying 480 family cars in landfill every year.


Volume: This amount of medical waste would fill roughly 60 standard shipping containers.

Incineration: Burning tonnes of plastic releases significant toxins and CO2, contributing to the healthcare sector's carbon footprint.

This data provides a compelling "Green Dentistry" narrative for dental companies and eco-conscious practices:

Annual Waste per Practice: A single practice using 

5 Retractors a day generates 1,200 pieces of plastic waste annually, plus wrappers, postage and cartons

10 retractors a day generates 2,400 pieces of plastic waste annually, plus wrappers, postage and cartons

20 retractors a day generates 4,800 pieces of plastic waste annually,. plus wrappers, postage and cartons

Global Impact: Across 10,000 dentists, the use of disposables creates 12,000,000 pieces of plastic waste (at 5/day) or up to 48,000,000 pieces (at 20/day).

Sustainability Goal: Switching to VisionButler effectively eliminates this specific waste stream for up to four years per unit.

This data presents a powerful case for the VisionButler as a superior alternative to single-use retractors, focusing on aggressive ROI, long-term durability, and massive environmental waste reduction.

1. Core Financial Assumptions

The financial model is built on the high recurring cost of disposables compared to a one-time investment in reusable technology:

Disposable Cost: €150.00 per box of 80, resulting in a unit cost of €1.88 per retractor.

VisionButler Investment: While the retail price for a single unit is €98.00, bulk clinical sets reduce the cost to €80.00 per unit (e.g., €400 for 5 units or €1,600 for 20 units).

Operational Timeline: Calculations are based on a standard 240-day working year (20 days per month).


2. Operational Longevity & Durability

The VisionButler is designed for extreme durability in a clinical environment:

Sterilization Cycle: Every unit is tested to withstand 1,000 autoclave cycles.

Expected Lifespan: Based on standard recycle rates (240 - 480 times per year), each VisionButler is expected to last for 4- 2 years respectively depending on daily rate

Inventory Efficiency: High-volume practices (50/day)  require an inventory of 15 - 25 units depending on how often the retractors are to be recycled through the autoclave throughout the day 


Summary

For Dentists: The primary message is Profit Retention. A high-volume practice is currently "throwing away" over €20,000 per year on plastic. By investing just €1,600 once, they can reclaim €43,400 over two years while using a tool that lasts for four.

For Dental Companies: The message is Sustainability and Market Leadership. VisionButler represents a shift toward "Circular Economy" products that reduce global dental waste by millions of units while providing a more durable, premium experience for the clinician.