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Bastiaan Ruizeveld de Winter & Frans Story: 'With us, you're not a number'

In the lounge of Lassus location Stadionplein in Amsterdam, Bastiaan Ruizeveld de Winter & Frans Story engage in conversation with MASTERS. The lobby of the dental practice of the CEO and COO of Lassus Dentists looks more like a fancy hotel lobby than a practice. And that's how you're treated: 'With us you are not a number'.Text: Bart-Jan Brouwer
Online editing: Mical Joseph
Image: John van Helvert

Torpedo

Bastiaan: "When I was seventeen, I had one dream: I wanted to have my own ship. So it became merchant shipping or the Royal Navy. I chose the latter and started with the submarine service. The first two years I slept on top of a torpedo, after ten years I was commander of my own submarine. At some point I felt the need to lead larger groups. Through a recruiter, I ended up at Bergman Clinics as site director of an orthopedics clinic. There I was in charge of 22 surgeons and 300 staff. The next step in the career path at Bergman Clinics would be managing a division of 1,200 people. At the time, I was already in talks with Thomas Rietrae, race entrepreneur and owner of Lassus Dentists. His company had grown tremendously and he was looking for someone like me. I stepped in, but soon found that it was also too big for me alone. That's where Frans comes in. He was in the hearing industry and was very focused on hospitality, which we at Lassus also feel is very important. He joined the club and, as operations director, manages all the branches. This allows me to focus more on quality, HR and big projects."

Capital letter Z

Says Bastiaan, "We are a service company for dentists, with two types of clients: the people who come to us, whom we may take care of, and the dentists - who often work as freelancers. We make sure they have a well-facilitated room and that the very latest state-of-the-art equipment is at their disposal. Among them is a milling machine that allows us to grind a crown in 15 minutes, so that you as a client don't have to wait days for your new crown, but are ready in one treatment. And we take care of the administration, billing and everything around it, so that the dentist has as much time as possible one-on-one with the client. We unburden the dentist so the client can get the best care. With a capital Z." Says Frans, "We currently have twelve locations, five of which are high-end: large practices where we offer both general dentistry and specializations, including oral hygiene, teeth whitening, implantology, endodontology, veneers and the placement of click dentures, dentures and braces. In addition to these dental treatments, we offer complementary specializations including jaw physio, nutrition & lifestyle and acupuncture. It is our ambition to eventually have a similar practice as here in all provincial capitals: with at least ten rooms, where we offer all specializations."

Five Star Service

Frans: "What is unique about Lassus Dentists: we are open 365 days a year. Even in the evening, on weekends and holidays. Why? Because people want to go to the dentist at times that suit them. Care should not only be available on weekdays from nine to five. Our clientele is very broad: from the elderly to children, from entrepreneurs to employees, and lots of expats. They love our organization. Like visiting a dentist in New York: metropolitan set-up, hospitable, five-star service, always available... Here you feel at home." Bastiaan: "That experience, that's why people want to become clients with us. When they come in here, you see them thinking: wow! It's like walking into a hotel lobby instead of a dental practice. And that's how you're treated. With us, you're not a number. You are not immediately put in the dental chair, but first take a seat in a sitting area to begin a conversation with the dentist."

3D scan

Says Bastiaan, "Our goal is to help clients keep their teeth throughout their lives. You want to stay away from dentures as you get older. Keeping your own teeth is also much better for your jaw, for overall health. That's the bottom line. The normal revenue model is to fix cavities, we want to get ahead of that by creating a multi-year plan and making a concerted effort to keep your teeth healthy. It starts with diagnostics based on X-rays and a 3D scan, among other things. With such a scan, you can much better assess the position of the teeth, how they move and what wear and tear that entails. Before anything is done, overall oral hygiene must be in order and, for example, old restorations are replaced, if necessary. The teeth must be healthy first. Once the basics are in place, further work is done. For example, are your teeth straight? In addition to all the specialties, we also have a nutrition and lifestyle expert in-house, who can advise on eating patterns." Frans: "Many people think: Lassus is for the rich. But that's not true at all, because dentist rates are fixed in the Netherlands. We charge the same as a dentist with home practice without wide opening hours, range of specializations and modern technology. Of course, the treatment plan may require a client to visit us more often than the regular semi-annual check-up. Even then, our client pays less on average over the years because of the preventive nature of our care. If you keep your teeth healthy, that saves dental procedures in the long run. It's as simple as that."

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