Orthotown May 2017 - 9

patients and delivering results are now
becoming commonplace in the orthodontic
literature and continuing education circuit.
Functional appliances have been available
for all my career, but are now more cosmetic
and less obtrusive.
The elephant in the room is of course
the aligner technique. Everyone has strong
feelings about a certain material or company.
Aligners can be a love-to-hate world. Within
the past decade, clear aligner therapy has
changed from an experiment created by a tech
company to a major player in the orthodontic
profession. Modern orthodontists ignore the
influence of this technology at their peril.

Clear aligner therapy
has changed from
an experiment to
a major player in
the orthodontic
profession. Modern
orthodontists ignore
the influence of this
technology at their
own peril.
The changes to modern practice cannot
be measured just in revenue or patient
statistics but also in an overall expectation
from patients. The public perception of
orthodontics, the need to deliver cosmetic
options and the psychology of the modern
patient relative to this device are overwhelming. Clear aligner therapy has caused major
shifts in not only referral patterns but staff
utilization and office protocols as well.

The product is designed to be delegated
from the initial exam to the delivery of
aligners with attachments. Are you using
the product to its full potential?
Lab processes have been altered with the
addition of intraoral scanning not only for
aligners but also for immediate delivery of
retainers and archiving treatment results. At
a recent CE meeting, Dr. David Paquette
presented a beautifully treated case in which
an intraoral scan was gathered to not only
fabricate the retainer with virtual bracket
removal, but to also create missing lateral
incisors-complete with shade scanning. It
was a wonderful way to illustrate for patients
how their final smile would look.

The business side
With so much time and so many visits
being saved, better business planning needs
to walk hand-in-hand with the advancements
in the practice.
* Staffing, in many instances, requires
a new type of team member who's
been trained in the art of sales,
marketing and digitization. Digital
familiarity spills over from social
media and computer skills to the
operation of new equipment-
equipment that often requires a feel
for how the "internet of things" is
integrated.
* Staffing is most likely going to get
leaner and more productive. The
skills highlighted, if wrapped in the
right individual, will allow for more
production per employee than in the
past; assistants will no longer just be
assisting or performing tasks.
* Don't overlook office design. Separate
areas for digital capture, and placement of aligners and appliances, will
require a new ergonomic footprint
to be truly effective. Square footage
is likely to decrease on a per-patient
basis.
Have you got some ideas to share? Have
you noticed a change in your practice?
We'd love to hear how you have used new
materials, processes or techniques that have
allowed you more free time. ■

Talk to Dan
via email

Got a story idea or want to
sound off on this column?
Get in touch with Orthotown
editorial director Dr. Dan Grob
through email:
dan@orthotown.com.

orthotown.com \\ MAY 2017

9
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Orthotown May 2017
