As an orthodontics dentist, there’s a lot you’ll need to consider to ensure you’re interpreting your patients’ x-rays accurately. However, sometimes, it can seem incredibly difficult to understand what your patients’ x-rays mean and what you’re looking at. Of course, this can undeniably leave you scratching your head in confusion. Luckily, we’ve outlined some of the key things you should know as part of your ortho training to help you understand what you’re looking at and formulate the right treatment plan going forward!

Tricky Cases in Panoramic X-Rays You Should Know

There are numerous different challenges that can make your work in orthodontics a little trickier. However, for the most part – though this may vary from state to state, so check your local laws first – the x-ray taker is responsible for accurately reading and interpreting the x-ray results.

In line with this, it’s your responsibility to ensure that the x-rays are read properly before making a treatment plan.

#1 Odontoma

An odontoma is one of the most common tricky cases you’ll experience in panoramic x-rays. An odontoma will often need to be referred to OS due to the complexity of the case.

#2 Condensing Osteitis

Generally speaking, condensing osteitis may need a slightly different approach. If you have previous x-rays from the patient that show the growth or lesion hasn’t gotten any bigger, it may not need specialist support; however, if you’re unsure, don’t hesitate to get in touch with an expert for more help. However, tooth extraction may be required in some cases.

#3 Super Numerary

If you’ve completed your ortho training, you’ll likely have heard about super numerary teeth – in other words, this occurs when there is an additional tooth that is not usually found in series. Super numerary teeth may need to be surgically removed.

Final Thoughts

Treating more uncommon conditions can be a little tricky. Getting further support (such as from the CBCT) may be helpful if you notice areas of defined and undefined margins and areas on the x-rays, or if you see a case that needs a more specialized treatment plan than you can provide.

Remember: if you have any queries, don’t hesitate to reach out to our Straight Smile Solutions team today!

Keywords

Orthodontics

Treatment plan

Ortho training

What Packages are Available with Straight Smile Solutions?

Have you been looking to take your orthodontic solutions to the next level? If so, starting out with top-rated professional orthodontic courses could be just what you need, and our friendly team here at Straight Smile Solutions are on hand to help. So, with this thought in mind, we’ll be looking at some of the different online orthodontic courses we have available and how these solutions might work for your business’s needs, too.

Our Online Orthodontic Courses and Packages

Did you know that Straight Smile Solutions offers our clients several different online orthodontic courses and packages?

We recognize that no single solution is right for everyone, which is why we’ve created several plans to help you find the ideal option. Our solutions are available for any dental clinic, lab, or DSO, depending on your need for help.

One-Off Cases – $449

If you only need our professional support for a one-off case, our one-off plan, A-La-Carte, might be right for you. Our A-La-Carte package offers a single 20-minute case review and full HIPAA-compliant screen sharing, ensuring you can get support with your own dentistry needs.

Make sure you have all of the relevant analysis in place (such as a Ceph report)  and your ClinCheck or treatment plans are all set up and in place to streamline the process and ensure you don’t end up overpaying for multiple cases.

Ongoing Plans

If you need ongoing support, our subscription plans for online orthodontic courses might be what you need. We are proud to offer three packages for ongoing orthodontic courses, which vary depending on the support you require.

Premium – $899 / month

The premium package is our standard package for those needing an ongoing solution, offering several key features that make it an effective strategy for many businesses – mainly those with seasoned experience wanting occasional support. Our premium package includes secure mail communication and support for braces, Phase 1 interceptive, and growth modification. Premium plans include up to 10 cases per month.

Concierge – $1499 / month

If you’d like to take things a stage up, our Concierge plan builds on the value of the Premium plan to offer even more in-depth support. The Concierge plan is available for braces, Phase 1 interceptive, growth modification, Invisalign, and other doctor-directed clear aligners. The Concierge plan included unlimited cases.

Concierge plans come with both long and short meeting offers. Short meetings are on a one-case-only basis and run for up to 20 minutes, meanwhile long cases run for up to 50 minutes. Responses are available by numerous means of communication, including phone consultation, SMS, video chat, HIPAA-compliant Zoom screen sharing, and more. We aim to respond within 24 hours or less, making this the ideal option for your own needs.

VIP – $2999 to $9999 / month

Our VIP package could be the right option for you if you need a more tailored plan! Indeed, our VIP plan offers the greatest versatility overall in terms of the different plans available. As a result of this, if you have been looking for a thorough option that really helps support your ortho work, VIP could be the plan for you.

The Premium package includes full support for Invisalign, doctor-directed clear aligners, braces, Phase 1 Interceptive, and Growth Modification, just to name a few. As with the Concierge plan, our VIP package includes unlimited cases. You’ll also be able to get in touch with us by whichever communication method you prefer most, which includes:

• video chat
• secure mail
• HIPAA compliant Zoom screen sharing
• phone consultations
• on-call communication
• SMS
• planning portals
• co-hosted webinars

Contact our Experts at Straight Smile Solutions Today

With four different packages on offer, we here at Straight Smile Solutions are proud to support your work through our online orthodontic courses and services. With this thought in mind, if you need help or new ideas, please don’t hesitate to contact us today, and we’ll do our best to help you find the ideal strategies for your orthodontic needs.

Keywords

Orthodontic courses

Online orthodontic courses

Straight Smile Solutions

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.

Working as a general dentist can come with numerous key challenges, and if you’re newly qualified, things tend to be even trickier. With this thought in mind, it could be worth looking at some of the most common red light cases you should avoid – in other words, the highly specialized cases that require expert orthodontic support. Fortunately, we have outlined the most common tricky cases you should know that are likely to present an issue for your own ortho work.

Red Light Cases You Should be Avoiding

There are several critical red light cases that you should avoid when it comes to your work as a newly qualified orthodontist or general dentist. These include the following issues:

• Negative overjet up to 2mm, class three
• Non-buccal impacted canines (buccal cases may be fine if you have experience)
• Full step Class 2 cases (especially among adults – this may be a little easier in children)
• Open bite of up to 4mm (all open bite cases should have a sign-off from OMT first anyway)
• Moderate to hard periodontal cases (these can still be tricky to tackle, even if they don’t seem it at the outset!)

If you get any of these cases, it’s generally advisable to refer the cases to a specialist team. Remember, these cases can be very fiddly and difficult to handle.

When to Tackle Red Light Cases

If you’ve got experience with several hundred “yellow light” cases under your belt by now, you could consider taking on a few of the simpler red light cases. However, this is provided that you still have support and supervision from an orthodontist. Don’t try to tackle these cases alone until you have a great deal of experience in treating similar issues.

Green Light Cases You Should be Accepting as a General Dentist

Have you ever wondered about which cases you should be taking (or not) as a general dentist? It’s not always immediately clear which cases you should or shouldn’t be taking as a general dentist, and this could leave you feeling a little unsure of how to proceed.
Fortunately, in this three-part article series, we’ve outlined a few of the key things you need to know about case selection for general dentists to help you take on the right cases for your experience. Today, we’re focusing specifically on green light cases; in other words, these are the cases you should pretty much always be accepting as a qualified dentist.
Cases to Accept as a Qualified General Dentist
As a newly qualified general dentist, selecting your cases very carefully is important. Indeed, there are many conditions that may require a more qualified dentist’s support – and in such scenarios, you may want to just step back and learn rather than tackling the case directly.
In line with this, as a newly-qualified general dentist, focusing on young patients is generally the best bet. Simple cases might only be a small percentage of cases taken by a clinic, but focusing on these can help you hone your skills.
When you take on a case, you should ensure that the patients have less than 6mm of crowding or spacing. If you want to take on a slightly more complex case, make sure to get orthodontic support.
What to Avoid as a Newly-Qualified Dentist
For your first 150 cases or so, there are several common issues that you may want to avoid until you’re more experienced. While these cases may not always be a problem, encountering any of these issues may make a case more complex, making it harder for you to resolve.
Some common issues you should avoid when accepting your first cases include:
– Missing teeth (ensure patients have not lost teeth between second molar and second molar)
– History of periodontal disease (for example, probing issues or attachment loss)
– Limited view of the lower incisors due to a severe overbite
– Open bite or crossbite cases
Hopefully, these simple tips will help you find the optimal solutions for your case planning.

What Are the Side Effects of Expansion in Schwartz and Rapid Palatal Expansion (RPE)?
Orthodontic expansion is a common procedure for adults and children alike. But what are the side effects of Schwartz and Rapid Palatal Expansion (RPE)? It’s important to be aware of potential risks before you or your child undergoes this procedure.
The Potential Side Effects
One potential side effect of Schwartz and RPE is root resorption, which occurs when the root of a tooth becomes exposed. This can cause pain and sensitivity; in some cases, the tooth may have to be extracted. Other risks include teeth tipping forward or backward, soft tissue trauma, displacement of teeth, displacement of the maxillary midline, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction.

Another risk associated with RPE is post-operative pain. This can occur due to muscle strain and inflammation caused by the device. In some cases, it may take several weeks for the pain to subside. Patients should also be aware that there is an increased risk of gum disease if they do not maintain proper oral hygiene following their procedure.

It’s also important to note that patients who have previously undergone orthodontic treatment may experience delayed results with Schwartz or RPE procedures because their bone structure has already been altered. Additionally, people who are missing permanent teeth are not candidates for these procedures because it could lead to further complications such as malocclusion (incorrect bite).
Conclusion
Are you considering expanding your palate? There are options for a fixed or removable device; however, rapid expansion may lead to more side effects than slow ones – so it’s best not to rush the process. The most common side effect is nosebleeds occurring once or twice during treatment – if they keep happening, then make sure to schedule an appointment immediately and consult your doctor.

Maxilla surgery is a common procedure, especially in younger generations. Millions of cases have been done with distraction osteogenesis, which involves stretching and popping the maxillae bones to create space for teeth eruption or jaw growth. For kids who lack development due to soft diets, improper breastfeeding, or other habits – these procedures could provide them with necessary expansion that an average mouth may never experience otherwise.

In many cases, fitting clear aligners such as Invisalign can seem difficult, to begin with. However, if you’ve been struggling, don’t worry – we’ve outlined some of the key things you need to know about the latest Invisalign delivery instructions to help make your efforts to fit Invisalign a little more successful.
The Latest Invisalign Delivery Instructions for Fitting Clear Aligners Successfully
If you’ve struggled to get good results from your Invisalign delivery instructions, these suggestions could help! With the following four simple changes, you should have very few revisions with your Invisalign clear aligners going forward.
– Optimize the ClinCheck: Learn to use and optimize ClinCheck successfully to help patients understand how their progress should go.
– Only send patients home with fully seated aligners: If aligner number one is not fully seated, send your patient home to use chewies. Once the patient has learned how to use chewies and tracking, recall them in around two weeks; the aligner should now fit.
– Create an accountability loop: Before your patients change their aligners, make sure you see them in person to approve moving to the next aligner.
– Provide instructions to patients: One of the most common issues people face is patients not knowing how their Invisalign clear aligners should work. As such, provide patients with clear instructions on using their aligners to reduce the risk of revisions due to mistakes.
If you’re still struggling with fitting clear aligners and need further support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our experts here at Straight Smile Solutions; we’re here to give you the skills you need to fit Invisalign braces perfectly every time.
Don’t forget, though: if your patient needs restorative work or if your patient has mixed dentition, there’s only so much you can do to prevent revisions.

Keywords
Invisalign
Invisalign delivery
Clear aligners

Serving young patients for orthodontics can be tricky, as kids develop differently despite their ages, and every patient’s needs differ. Phase 1 treatment is important for children who need it to avoid possible conflicts in the future, but starting too early can be harmful to children and possibly their teeth too.

What is the Right Age for Phase 1 Treatment?

Each patient has a skeletal, chronological, and dental age, but grade can also be a factor in phase 1 orthodontics. Chronological age factors the least in determining whether it is time to start phase 1 treatment.

First and second grade is often too young. Teachers in these grades are less experienced with the needs of orthodontic treatments and rules, and children might get singled out for being the first child with orthodontic treatment. Because of this, third through fourth grade is the sweet spot, but second is a ‘maybe’ if another child in the class has expanders or other orthodontic treatment.

Skeletal age can also factor into whether or not starting phase 1 in second grade is okay. Some children, especially girls, might be early bloomers, and physical development happening younger is a clear sign that expanders should be considered in second grade.

Emotional age is a potential detractor from starting a child earlier. Emotionally immature patients, such as those crying when they visit the orthodontist, usually indicate that a child is not emotionally prepared for orthodontic treatment.

For dental age, the requirement is for the number of adult teeth that have erupted. At least six to eight front teeth are preferable, as are the first molars. These teeth are necessary for treatment, and it makes it more difficult if these teeth are baby teeth that could risk coming loose.

For orthodontic specialists, offering Invisalign treatment is a cost-effective way to provide quality care. But how should associates be paid for these types of treatments? Let’s explain the best ways to structure orthodontic associate payments when providing Invisalign treatment.
Case-Based Payment Plan
The most common payment structure is based on cases. This means that the associate will receive payment for each case they complete. The amount of money they receive depends on the case’s complexity, and they generally get paid more for complicated cases with longer treatment times.
Per-Diem or Hourly Rate Payment Plan
Another option is paying your associates a per-diem or hourly rate for their services. By paying them a flat rate, you can ensure they are compensated fairly. It also makes budgeting easier since you don’t have to worry about fluctuating case fees.
Performance-Based Payment Plan
A third option is to pay your associates based on performance metrics such as patient satisfaction, number of cases completed, and number of referrals generated. This plan rewards associates who consistently deliver high-quality results and encourages them to go above and beyond what is expected. It also incentivizes them to stay up-to-date on the latest techniques and treatments to improve their performance even further.
Wrapping Up
Set up a compliance loop, utilize virtual monitoring systems, and make sure associates are aware of estimated completion times and additional fees if they become non-compliant with the system. It is important to note that orthodontic procedures take longer than other dental treatments, so cash flow can be negative initially until it becomes profitable over time.

As an associate, it’s best to use the owner’s doctor account when working with Invisalign, as this reduces liability. Write verbal agreements in a contract or addendum so both parties understand their obligations regarding Invisalign treatment plans.

Phase 1- https://www.straightsmilesolutions.com/classes/phase-1-interceptive-online-course/

Phase 1 Interceptive Online Course | StraightSmile Solutions®
You sent
Here’s the promo code for $100 off- https://www.straightsmilesolutions.com/about/deals-and-discounts/


Here’s the straightwire course- https://www.straightsmilesolutions.com/classes/digital-straightwire-class/

Digital Straightwire Class | StraightSmile Solutions®

The discount for that is already “baked in” for another day or so.

Here’s my Invisalign content- https://www.straightsmilesolutions.com/classes/educational-videos/

Educational Orthodontics Videos | Orthodontics Training | StraightSmile Solutions®

Here’s my clear aligner webinar- some are free- https://www.straightsmilesolutions.com/classes/webinars/

Orthodontic Webinars | Orthodontic Courses | Best Orthodontic Consultants

My suggestion is invest a few hundred into these course (plus she’d get 27 CEU) Watch all the content for the next few months. While doing that, start to have your team scan EVERY patient in your office with teeth. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GuO5kSt6kc&t=12s

How to Make Six Figures in Six Months with an iTero 2 or Above

and come up with your IBP/KPI for the office https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWsyI2Fm6kc&t=112s

Getting Patients to say “Yes” to ortho- Setting up Incentive Bonus Plans for Ortho

Once you have a lot of records (scans/photos/pano) BANKED- sign up for my Concierge membership- heads up, price goes up Jan 12 . We lock your fees in indefinitely once you subscribe so you will save a lot of money before Jan12. www.straightsmilesolutions.com/services

Orthodontic Consulting | Orthodontic Consultants | StraightSmile Solutions®

We’ll help coach you, your team, your TC, your back office on getting these treatment planned and sold. Any cases (Phase 1, aligners, invis, braces). I think 3-6 months is more than enough time to get her up and running as long as she preps first and you bank a lot of records so we can hit the ground running. That’s about it!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBi42T-LTM0&t=7s

How to Make Money with your iTero- the 2-2-2 Ortho Recall Plan