If you are looking to buy a new scanner for your office, you have plenty of options to consider. Some scanners are better-reviewed and more well-loved by professionals, but depending on your practice and your business goals in the future, your needs may be different.

So, let’s discuss factors that might make iTero worth the investment for you. We will also touch on some of the cons of iTero and why you may want to choose another scanner.

Pros of iTero:

• Tidy and Realistic Graphics
• Easy Exportation and Integration
• Ease of Use, Comfort, and Portability

Cons of iTero:

• Need to Wait for Training
• Customer Service for Non-Ortho
• Not Friendly for Non-Ortho Uses

One of the most important things to consider is that you might have to get used to all of the rules and fees that come with iTero. Being tied to a particular company can be uncomfortable for some business owners. iTero makes the most sense for orthodontists, but for general and pediatric dentists, iTero might not be the best fit.

iTero is especially the way to go if you specialize in Invisalign. But general and pediatric dentists use their scanners for more than just ortho, so considering if the hoops and monthly fees you must go through with iTero are worth it is a valid concern. All in all, iTero is the perfect scanner for Invisalign, but it can be a nightmare to manage other aspects of dental care with iTero for exports and other labs.

For this reason, many dentists who do a lot of Invisalign and ortho get two scanners. These professionals use iTero for ortho cases and their other scanner for other issues due to ease of use.

Have you been wondering if it is possible to make six figures in six months with an iTero? It sounds too good to be true, but rest assured that it is absolutely possible. Coming from a totally unsponsored and unbiased viewpoint, we’ve seen it done time and time again.

So, let’s discuss how you can make six figures with iTero2 or above quickly and easily!

How to Make Six Figures in Six Months with an iTero2 or Above

Scaling your dental or orthodontic practice should be your priority when trying to make more money. Right now, the iTero2 is the recommendation. The machine is not the moneymaker – you are! This is an important principle to keep in mind. If you purchase an iTero2 or other scanner machine and prepare yourself to roll in some new cash, you aren’t approaching making money properly as a dental professional.

The way that you do this is through an office-wide mission statement or goal and through a scaling-focused business model. With general dentists, pediatric dentists, and orthodontists, you should think of every patient who walks through your door as an opportunity. Do not use this machine while being a salesman, and do not ask them if they want an ortho consult, but take the time to teach your patients about their occlusion and their bite as a standard of care.

This is not only the proper way to care for your patient, but when you notice problems with patients through doing this, you have additional opportunities for revenue. Taking the time to scan your patients and potentially spending some money while doing so will pay off as you trade education and investigation for further income. Your patients will be satisfied with their care and will have better outcomes long-term as a result.

Dentistry Side Hustles You Need to Know

Have you ever thought about getting started with dentistry side hustles? In many cases, finding the ideal side hustle ideas can be a little difficult – but numerous excellent side hustle ideas can help you find the perfect solutions for your own income needs.
Remember: there’s no single solution that’s necessarily right for everyone, but starting your own side hustle alongside your orthodontics work is hugely valuable overall. So, it’s well worth considering potential side hustles for dentist consultants and how these might work for your own income needs.
The Best Side Hustles for Dentist Consultants You Should Know
KOL Work
KOL work can be hugely effective as an orthodontics side hustle. KOL work (Key Opinion Leader) is a form of marketing where you give lectures, webinars, and the like.
These side hustles can bring a good income. They can also be a brilliant way to grow your PowerPoint and presentation skills. However, they are somewhat restrictive; you may need to reschedule your plans to fit in with your client’s requirements, which can be incredibly frustrating in many cases.
Expert Networks
Expert networks are a great option for a decent income relatively quickly – especially if you have plenty of experience in the field. Expert networks are relatively easy to get involved with, but you may need to receive an invitation before getting started. However, it’s worth considering that they can take a relatively high cut for your services.
Some common examples for dentists and consultants include GLG, Guidepoint, Ridge Top, Alpha Sites, and the like.
Monetize Clinical YouTube Channels
One of the most obvious ways to create a side hustle in orthodontics – is to create your own monetized YouTube channel. There are numerous ways to monetize a clinical YouTube channel, such as advertisements.
If you already have skills in presenting, this can be a simple way to make a steady, passive income – but the earnings may be much lower than other options. However, it can take a long time to set up, too. Don’t forget the size of your target market, too.
Clinical Consulting
Clinical consulting is another hugely valuable opportunity for dentist consultants who have years of experience and want to help new orthodontists. This can be particularly valuable if you have a specialist field, but you’ll need proper insurance in place. It’s also worth noting that, depending on your clients’ requirements, you may need to be responsive at impractical times.
Recruiting for DSOs
As a further option, recruiting for DSOs could be a good option for orthodontics side hustles. Many DSOs need professional staff and don’t necessarily want to spend time trying to implement this themselves. However, generating leads won’t always result in hires – leaving you missing out on income. Plus, you’ll need to be a specialist to ensure
Final Thoughts
Orthodontics is a hugely exciting field, but branching out can be a further opportunity for dentist consultants. Today, we’ve outlined some of the best ideas you need to know to help your own orthodontics side hustles, too.

Keywords
Orthodontics
Dentist consultants

Working as a general dentist can sometimes seem tough, but this shouldn’t have to be the case. However, it doesn’t matter how much you study; orthodontic courses alone can only teach you so much, and in many cases, most of your expertise will come from experience and real-life ortho training rather than study. With this thought in mind, before you begin rushing into things, it’s important to look at the common yellow light cases and whether or not you’re suitably experienced yet to tackle these. First of all, it’s important that we consider when you can actually begin taking on yellow light cases yourself. Yellow light cases are something of an intermediate in terms of difficulty. They’re not necessarily hugely complex cases; however, before you begin taking on yellow light cases, you should ensure you have fully completed at least 50 green light cases. Yellow light cases are not suitable immediately after completing your orthodontic courses. There are numerous treatments that can fall into the category of being a “yellow light dentistry case,” and keeping these in mind can help you avoid taking on cases that are too complex for your current level. Common examples of yellow light cases that you should know as a general dentist include: – Slight Class 2 cases (up to 4mm on molars or canines, commonly in teenagers and children) – Deep or overbite cases (with any severity – never take even a mild case if you’re not experienced first of all) – Anterior crossbite edge to edge cases (this doesn’t necessarily apply to posterior cases) – Pre-diagnosed, minor open-bite cases up to 2mm (send patients to OMT first) – Pre-treated and managed mild periodontal disease cases with 3mm or less attachment loss pockets. Make sure the patient has received a one-month evaluation first; this will primarily be for older patients. – Any form of mixed dentition cases, especially for children and teenagers If you’ve only just completed your ortho training, or if you have less than 50 green light cases under your belt, we strongly recommend avoiding yellow light cases for the time being.

All You Need to Know About Skeletal Maturity and Orthodontic Treatment
Questions about skeletal maturity and orthodontic treatment timing can feel embarrassing for many patients. After all, the idea of having an adult looking at your teeth and trying to determine if you are mature enough for treatment can be nerve-wracking. While the process may seem intimidating, it’s important to understand the basics of skeletal maturity to feel more comfortable. Let’s break down all you need to know about skeletal maturity and orthodontic treatment.
What is Skeletal Maturity?
Skeletal maturity refers to a person’s physical development, specifically regarding their jawbone and face structure. It is typically determined by analyzing physical changes such as facial growth patterns, tooth eruption times, and bone growth in children. The goal is to determine when a patient is ready for orthodontic treatment to achieve the most effective results without putting undue stress on developing bones or compromising dental health.
How Is Skeletal Maturity Determined?
To determine skeletal maturity, orthodontists utilize several diagnostic tools such as x-rays, facial photographs, 3D scans, and digital models of the teeth. These images help orthodontists assess bone age to decide whether a patient is ready for braces or other correction treatments. That said, even with these tools, it isn’t always easy for an orthodontist to make an accurate determination—many factors go into determining whether a patient has reached their full skeletal maturity.
Do I Really Need To Be Skeletally Mature Before Getting Braces?
Yes! It’s essential that you wait until your bones have finished growing before getting braces or undergoing any kind of corrective dental work; otherwise, there is a risk of overcorrection or misalignment due to bones still growing after treatment has been completed. Not all patients reach full skeletal maturity by adulthood; some individuals may need additional treatments or adjustments throughout their lifetime due to late-developing bones or other factors beyond their control.
Are There Any Risks Associated With Delayed or Early Orthodontic Treatment?
Yes, there are risks associated with delayed or early orthodontic treatment. Some of these include:
1. Inadequate treatment: Delaying treatment can result in more severe problems, making it more difficult to achieve desired results. On the other hand, starting treatment too early can also lead to inadequate treatment and the need for additional procedures later on.
2. Extended treatment time: Delaying treatment can increase the overall length of treatment, leading to a longer and more uncomfortable experience for the patient.
3. Poor outcomes: Starting treatment too early or too late can lead to poor outcomes, including a less desirable final result, relapse of the condition, or the need for additional procedures.
4. Higher costs: Delaying treatment or starting it too early can result in additional procedures, leading to higher costs and a less favorable financial outcome for the patient.
5. Psychological impact: Delaying treatment or undergoing additional procedures can also psychologically impact the patient, leading to anxiety and dissatisfaction with the treatment process.
Conclusion
Having conversations around growth modification or skeletal expansion can be challenging; however, it is essential for effective treatment planning. The ideal person to initiate the conversation may vary depending on factors such as confidence and comfort level – it does not necessarily have to be of the same sex as the patient.

To determine if a patient is still growing, it’s important to consider more than just their shoe size.
Asking the right questions when determining a treatment plan for patients is essential. Questions should center around age-related factors, such as whether they have started their period or how many cycles they’ve experienced. Facial hair and voice changes can also tell signs that they’ve reached the peak of puberty; however, pediatricians may sometimes be consulted to help verify details with growth charts or hand-wrist x-rays.

When finishing up a case of braces or Invisalign, there are a few loose ends to tie up before completing the work that we have done. The last thing we often need to do is ensure that when patients go through with floss, there is a catch on all of the contacts.

Having open contacts in the front of the mouth isn’t necessarily an issue as long as your patient is aware of it, but open contacts in the back are a different story.

How Does Virtual or Ghost IPR Work to Close Loose Contacts in Invisalign?

Failing to close loose contacts in the back of the mouth and proceeding will prevent these spaces from ever closing and will create perio traps for your patient. This action could lead to liability for you as a provider.

Some options for closing the contacts in the back include finishing with a wrap-around Hawley. The combination of a bonded retainer in the front and a wrap-around Hawley retainer in the back is a great option, but you need to have a really great scan to make these work.

To close these spaces in Invisalign, do not use VPC. You will need to use virtual or ghost IPR, which aims to close those spaces, not align teeth. Ghost or virtual IPR is done by first scanning the case and noting down all of the loose contacts. Then, scan and submit with the instructions to “Please close spaces.” Double check these spaces versus what they picked up and see if every space that you felt was loose shows up with a 0.1 or a 0.2 and ask for IPR between that space. When the case comes back, do not do the IPR. Deliver the aligner, and the aligner will be the last step.

Have you ever wondered about what mewing is and, critically, how it relates to orthodontics? A quick spoiler: no, it’s not the sound a cat makes (not in this context, anyway). So, in today’s brief dental coaching guide, we’ll be looking briefly at some of the key things you need to know about what mewing is from an orthodontics perspective.
What is Mewing in Orthodontics?
First of all, what is mewing anyway? In orthodontics, mewing is a relatively common dental coaching process that helps shape the teeth and jaws. Mike Mew, a British orthodontist, developed the process.
With mewing, placing your tongue on the roof of the mouth – rather than pressing against the teeth – is believed to help sculpt your teeth and jaw. This may reduce pressure on your teeth in some cases.
Is Mewing Actually Effective as an Orthodontics Procedure?
Mewing is often considered to be a trend that’s not actually accurate in reality. But how true is this assumption?
Well, for the most part, mewing isn’t necessarily an effective alternative to professional dental coaching and support. However, in cases where dental conditions are caused by tongue position, such as a tongue thrust, alignment may improve with mewing – primarily alongside professional dental support.
As such, as an orthodontics practitioner, it’s well worth considering the concepts of mewing. However, most patients will also need support from oral myofunctional therapists to see significant improvements.

Williams vs a Flea Orthodontics Appliances for Lower Fixed Expansion?

Most commonly, lower fixed expansion cases will be seen in mixed dentition patients, and these unique scenarios can come with several potential complications and struggles. With this thought in mind, ensuring you know the difference between a Williams Appliance and a Flea for lower fixed expansion is vital, and we here at Straight Smile LLC have outlined several critical things you need to know to help out!
What’s the Difference Between a Williams and a Flea Orthodontics Appliance?
For the most part, both the Williams Orthodontic Appliance and the Flea Orthodontics Appliance have very similar features. However, the main difference between the two Orthodontics appliances is that Flea appliances have a soldered extension attached. This extension works to align crowded anterior teeth.
Which is Better for Lower Fixed Expansion Cases?
Both tools can be incredibly valuable, but if you’re attempting to use a Flea Orthodontics Appliance, it’s crucial you’re first experienced before attempting this. Indeed, Flea Orthodontics Appliances, when used incorrectly, can result in risky mistakes, such as teeth being pushed through the bone. So, if you’re not already well-versed in using these tools, you may want to avoid using a Flea Appliance.
As such, the Williams Appliance is generally much easier to use and comes with lower risk. So, this may be a safer bet to consider for your own orthodontics needs in lower fixed expansion cases.
For further support, please don’t hesitate to contact our team here at Straight Smile LLC with any orthodontics related questions you might have, too!

Keywords
Orthodontics
Straight Smile LLC

Have you been looking to determine whether a mixed dentition patient requires a palatal expansion and how this applies to dental vs skeletal crossbites? This can sometimes be a little tricky to accurately pinpoint and treat, which is why we’ve outlined a few critical things you should consider as part of your ortho course to help you find the right approach for mixed dentition patients.

When is a Palatal Expansion Required for Mixed Dentition Patients?

Mixed dentition patients (typically young children) may require a palatal expansion in some cases. A palatal expansion should be attempted at around seven to eight years of age and helps widen the palate, which may help with crossbite cases. However, there is a significant difference between dental and skeletal crossbites, which are highly important to recognize when determining the best ortho treatment course for the patient.

Dental vs Skeletal Crossbites

Generally speaking, in mixed dentition patients (children primarily), a dental crossbite is a relatively rare case to see. Contrastingly, skeletal crossbite are generally more common, such as maxillary hypoplasia or mandibular hyperplasia. However, the displacement of teeth could potentially put the patient at risk of a dental crossbite.

Final Thoughts

Generally speaking, most orthodontics cases you’ll see in mixed dentition patients requiring palatal expansion will be skeletal in nature. Dental displacements can occur, but these are generally less common overall.

Keywords

Orthodontics

Ortho course

Mixed Dentition

Have you been looking to find out when you should be using Invisalign and when to just stick with regular braces? Both Invisalign and regular braces can provide good solutions, but to get the best results, you want to ensure you’ve started out with the right type of solution for your patient’s unique case. Of course, this topic is largely down to personal choice, and there’s no right or wrong answer exclusively; still, we’ve outlined a few things you may want to think about to help inform your decision.
Braces vs Invisalign
Generally speaking, Invisalign is an incredibly effective tool. However, in a handful of specific cases, you might find that braces could still prove a better solution. These include the following cases:
– Impacted molars (particularly second molars as opposed to third molars)
– Impacted canines
– Cases where the patient doesn’t necessarily want to use Invisalign
It’s worth noting that you can always start with braces and switch over to Invisalign if possible. For example, in the case of an impacted canine or molar, you may be able to begin using Invisalign once the tooth has come up. However, Invisalign can be relatively expensive due to Invisalign’s laboratory fees.
There’s No Simple Solution
There’s no simple way to say whether braces or Invisalign is necessarily better for a specific scenario. This can naturally lead to patients becoming incredibly confused by the entire topic – so, ideally, you’ll want to be able to show your patients’ past cases with whichever method you choose and, critically, offer them a ClinCheck before accepting payment to ensure the patient is satisfied with the service. It doesn’t cost a cent to run a ClinCheck, after all.

Keywords
Braces
Invisalign