Orthotown May 2022 - 63

For the team, that includes scripting
and knowledge of products and processes
you offer, and how to comfortably communicate
all of this to patients. It also involves
tracking the progression of patient
treatments and ensuring that correct appliances
are ordered and received on time.
Technology can
be your friend!
3D-printing aligners in-house is quickly
becoming standard within practices and
can help create a smooth digital workfl ow.
This is where the digital business model
has a true ability to grow and expand your
practice, but this does vary signifi cantly
from practice to practice.
Other
digital workfl ow products to
consider include:
* Virtual consultation software
solutions that help capture leads and
offer the ability to engage patients
through video and text to deliver a
higher level of patient engagement.
* Remote treatment monitoring
products that will allow you to track
patient progress through treatment
remotely on a more consistent basis
and provide a higher level of patient
engagement.
As you evaluate new processes, you
should be looking at whether they help
increase your revenue per chair time, minimizing
the number of times a patient is
seen in person in your offi ce. This does not
mean limiting the amount of communication
or education with the patient! In fact,
we often see up to 400% more points of
patient contact through digital solutions,
because of frequent, short communications
through video conferencing and text messaging
throughout their treatment, rather
than the traditional mode of only using an
in-person appointment to communicate
with the patient.
We have the opportunity with digital
treatments and virtual appointments to
develop better patient relationships without
taking up in-offi ce chair time or doctor
time. This is convenient to the patient
and time-effective for you and your team,
allowing you to have the ability to use that
extra time to focus on additional areas of
growth within your practice.
Conclusion
Wherever your practice is along this
curve of implementing digital workfl ows
into your practice, recognize that orthodontics
has been shocked into the need for
more digital options over the past several
years. Orthodontists as a group seem to be
slow to accept this into their practices, and
are at times even defi ant despite the facts
that show the benefi ts.
There are more options available to
our patients than there ever have been-
from DIY treatments to general dentists
who can erode our patient base-and you
might question how you can compete in
today's marketplace as a practice owner.
I challenge anyone not yet adopting digital
patient fl ows to at least start to ask yourself
these questions:
* How can I serve my patients better
where they are?
* How can I have more time for my
personal life?
* How can I continue to work smarter
and make a profi t?
* Why am I resistant to the new
technologies and treatment methods?
Answering some of these questions will
set you on the road to fi nding answers and
solutions that fi t you and where you need
to be going. ■
Orthotown May 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Orthotown May 2022
