Purchasing good online dental supplies is convenient because it saves you the time you would have used driving to and from the supplier, and you can do it anytime. However, it increases the chances of getting scammed or substandard materials because you did not physically confirm the quality or availability.
Therefore, verifying your seller’s and their product’s authenticity is crucial to ensure effectiveness and safety for all functions.
Check Manufacturer Authorization
Buying from authorized distributors of dental product manufacturers is the best way to ascertain that you are buying high-quality products. You can see the list of verified distributors by visiting the manufacturer’s or supplier’s websites.
Look for FDA Regulation
FDA-regulated dental supplies have been regulated by the United States Food and Drug Administration, ensuring they are safe and effective. You can verify the product’s approval from the FDA database.
Product Packaging and labels
Authentic dental supplies usually have professional and quality packaging and labels with instructions for use. They should also have a date of manufacture, expiration date, sterilizers used, and date of sterilization.
It also helps to look at inconsistencies like incorrect logos, misspelled words, or altered packaging, which could indicate counterfeit products.
Check Lot and Batch Numbers
Many dental supplies, especially disposable ones, have lot or batch numbers that uniquely identify the products or a batch that the product is in. Counterfeit products might have altered or invalid numbers, so send the numbers to manufacturers for verification.
Ask for Documentation
Documents like quality control certificates, certificates of authenticity, and proof of the supplies’ origin can help you verify the product’s authenticity and quality because sketchy suppliers will not have the documents.
Verify the Website’s Authenticity
Before buying online dental supplies, verify that the website’s URL is correctly spelled to match the business name. The URL should always begin with “HTTPS” instead of “HTTP.” It should also have a lock sign, which you should click on to ensure it is secure.
Read Client’s Reviews
There are numerous places to read client reviews, like Google and Yelp. Clients say whether they received their products and whether they are what was displayed on the website.
