StraightSmile Solutions®

There is nothing I like better than an underdog story and boy do I have one for you today!

I previously posted an article about measuring orthodontic efficiency in your practice. If you haven’t taken my challenge, please click here before you read the rest of this blog. If your margin isn’t at least enough on each case, you aren’t doing it efficiently. You should be profiting at least $1500-$2000 on each case. If you aren’t, read on. I’ll be talking about ways to take back control of the profitability of your orthodontic cases by leveraging technology to reduce chair time and lab fees.

I’ve been preaching remote consults and remote aligner check-ins for years with my StraightSmile Solutions® clients. This is not at all DIY or DTC dentistry. It’s actually quite the opposite. It’s just reducing unnecessary chair time and increasing efficiency in your practice.

In response to the frustration of many of my clients pertaining to the high start-up costs to join Dental Monitoring® (DM), my friend Dr. Doug Moorehead of Moorehead Dentistry in Ohio is launching a myriad of programs through GP Ortho Tracking™ to increase the ROI in your aligner, braces and functional appliance patients. With UNLIMITED patients and check-ins and start-up costs as low as $199 for each practice, it is the perfect solution for every general dentist, orthodontist or pediatric dentist who doesn’t have enough volume to sustain the high costs of Dental Monitoring System.

Just to compare apples to apples, let’s say you have twenty (20) active orthodontic patients. Your cost for all your patients for the set-up and support for first year of GP Ortho Tracking is just as low as less than $1400. In comparison, DM would be more like $4000-$6000 depending on which plan and services you choose.

To learn more about GP Ortho Tracking, visit: https://gporthotracking.com/

Looking to scale ortho? You can click here here to schedule a call.

Check out some of the new services we’ve launched in 2019, too! www.straightsmilesolutions.com/services/

Our YouTube site has a ton of great information on all kinds of orthodontics and tip to save money on lab fees, click here to check it out and subscribe!

It is the wild, wild west in the land of clear aligners. StraightSmile Solutions® is the ultimate aligner matchmaker. We help doctors select ideal cases for white labeling aligners to save on average 50-75% on lab fees and still obtain ideal outcomes.

With price points as low as $15 per aligner, now is the time to lower your lab fees!

Give us a buzz to learn more or to be connected to one of these excellent aligner design companies: [email protected] or schedule a phone call by clicking on the link on www.straightsmilesolutions.com

We help doctors and DSO’s through all steps in the white-label aligner process.

Aligner white-labeling is here. StraightSmile Solutions® is the ultimate aligner matchmaker. We help doctors select ideal cases for white labeling aligners to save on average 50-75% on lab fees and still obtain ideal outcomes.

Remember, there are four main steps to the alternative aligner workflow and the Design is just step #2. For ideal outcomes, all four steps must be executed ideally and your SOP and workflow must be optimized.

Give us a buzz to learn more or to be connected to one of these excellent aligner design companies: [email protected] or schedule a phone call by clicking on the link on www.straightsmilesolutions.com

We help doctors and DSO’s through all steps in the white-label aligner process.

My eighty-seven-year-old mother-in-law now knows what a clear aligner is. That is because SmileDirectClub has done in the last three years what Invisalign failed to do over the past twenty years – create global brand awareness of their product.

With this in mind, I have a hard time understanding the victim mentality displayed by the dental profession towards SmileDirectClub. The consumer’s ability to recognize or recall a brand is central to his or her process of making a purchase decision. Purchasing cannot proceed unless a consumer is first aware of a product category and a brand within that category. Thank you, SmileDirectClub, for creating this awareness on your dime. It’s our turn now – let’s capitalize on this instead of playing the victim!

This is where OrthoFx comes in. I’ve had my eye on OrthoFx for a number of months. I wanted to share what I learned in a blog post for my readers. When my incessant requests for interviews with their exec team went unanswered, I even went so far as to visit their headquarters in Fremont last summer – but nobody answered!

Finally, after 6 months of trying, I was invited to meet with the team. We met today, and once I understood the business model and opportunity, I was really blown away.

Many doctors enroll in the Invisalign Clear Fundamentals course. Unfortunately (for them), very few successfully integrate aligners into their practice. I attribute this to the fact that the quality of Invisalign’s onboarding experience greatly deteriorated as they scaled. OrthoFx is looking to change this.

OrthoFx understands that not all patients are interested in a referral to a traditional orthodontist. It is inconvenient and unfamiliar. For this reason, many patient’s oral health needs are unaddressed if their general dentist doesn’t offer orthodontic services. However, general dentists are uniquely qualified to provide limited orthodontic treatment because they truly understand the oral health of their patients and they follow their patients for life. As we all know, malocclusion causes more than just cosmetic concerns: the collapse of arch width, loss of guidance, tooth wear, deepening bites, fremitus and bone loss all come as a result of continued tooth movement. Malocclusion is a progressive disease.

OrthoFx believes in the “hub and spoke” model of interdisciplinary care. Few general practitioners can carry out a proper facial, skeletal and dental orthodontic assessment and diagnosis. In order to provide true quality of care, we need to collaborate with local specialists. OrthoFx hopes to both educate dentists correctly and provide a platform for mentorship from specialists.

This is not at all a “ship and forget” model. The team at OrthoFx allows the doctor to just be the clinician, without the stress of marketing, billing, case presentation and collections. They partner with the doctor to create a happy patient journey through and beyond treatment.

Many doctors are also unaware of the importance of orthodontic aftercare, both from a care perspective and from the standpoint of an additional revenue center. OrthoFx will also be providing this resource to their providers.

In conclusion, I have my eye on this tech start-up. They are a progressive company looking to level the playing field and support interdisciplinary care all while providing an excellent patient experience and high-quality orthodontic products.

Orthodontic sleep, airway, tele-medicine and aligner companies are the hottest tech startups and StraightSmile Solutions® has the experience to help you scale! We offer anyone currently in the dental industry a 20 minute complimentary consultation. Visit www.straightsmilesolutions.com to schedule your phone call by clicking in the top, right corner. Venture Capitalists, our rates start at $600 an hour for a phone call up to 50 minutes long. Email us to schedule at [email protected] .

Orthodontic sleep, airway, tele-medicine and aligner companies are the hottest tech startups and StraightSmile Solutions® has the experience to to help you scale! Check out some of our domains that are for sale to get you started. We offer anyone currently in the dental industry a 20 minute complimentary consultation. Visit www.straightsmilesolutions.com to schedule your phone call by clicking in the top, right corner. Venture Capitalists, our rates start at $500 an hour for a phone call up to 50 minutes long. Email us to schedule at [email protected] .

You asked and we listened, gone are the days of ugly, metal bonded retainers! The Peek® Retainer is here from Retain3r!

What is bonded lingual retention? This retention help with the prevention of relapse of crowding, rotations or spacing in the maxillary and mandibular anterior segments following orthodontic treatment.

Main Types:

1. Lab Custom Cast or 3D Printed

2. In-Office Fabrication

For this review, we’ll be discussing creating your bonded retainer in-office. This saves on time and lab fees.

3 Major wires used:

Stainless steel braid wire.

Titanium Single strand.

Titanium braid wire.

SS Braid wire

Permanent retention is greatly enhanced using a flattened, dead soft 8-braided wire. Intra-arch splinting with this thin ribbon arch prevents torque control problems that can occur using a round braided wire of these procedures.

When bonded on the lingual of the upper incisors, a very thin rectangular wire can be adapted with little lower incisor interference.

The soft wire is easy to adapt and prevents inadvertent tooth movement associated with active force wires.

It’s excellent for semi-permanent orthodontic splinting of the upper or lower incisors. It can be used to hold diastemas closed, maintain difficult extraction sites and solving various other tooth-splinting dilemmas.

Excellent for splinting periodontally compromised teeth.

Titanium Single Strand

Single strand NICKEL FREE titanium flat metal ribbon with increased interproximal strength is ideal for semi-permanent splinting and maintaining difficult extraction sites.

Titanium wire offers reduced wear rates and is nickel-free, eliminating potential patient allergy issues. The wire can be easily formed, and its flat dimensions are ideal for retaining final torque positions.

Braided Titanium Wire

NICKEL FREE Braid construction enhance strength to avoid snapping and increase surface area.

Unique strand construction allows a slight degree of physiological movement yet retaining the post treatment smile arch.

StraightSmile Solutions® supports doctors with all orthodontic treatments, including but not limited to functional appliances, braces, hybrid treatment, habits, lab selection, airway and of course- aligners! Our goal is to find you the right solution for your case and your treatment philosophy and budget. We support you with everything you need: case selection, treatment planning, team training, staging, compliance, operations, outcomes, and retention. We also help to train doctors and teams with hands-on courses that are both digital and destination. For more information visit www.straightsmilesolutions.com. Disclaimer: StraightSmile Solutions® is unable to support any direct-to-consumer operations or doctors at this time.

Aligner white-labeling is here. StraightSmile Solutions® is the ultimate aligner matchmaker. We help doctors select ideal cases for white labeling aligners to save on average 50-75% on lab fees and still obtain ideal outcomes.

Remember, there are four main steps to the alternative aligner workflow and the Design is just step #2. For ideal outcomes, all four steps must be executed ideally and your SOP and workflow must be optimized.

Give us a buzz to learn more or to be connected to one of these excellent aligner design companies: [email protected] or schedule a phone call by clicking on the link on www.straightsmilesolutions.com

Copyright StraightSmile Solutions® 2019

Hand Wrist Radiograph in Orthodontics

StraightSmile Solutions® uses a variation from the Hand Wrist Radiograph from The Atlas of Greulich and Pyle (1959)

Why is Growth Prediction Important in Orthodontics?

 

*To understand the potential direction of facial development

* To predict growth potential left

* Too stage the onset of treatment timing prior to treatment in a Class II or III Skeletal malocclusion patient

* To select the most effective treatment plan

* To clarify a major discrepancy between dental age and chronological age

* To time Orthognathic surgery

What Data Can be Used for Growth Prediction in Orthodontics?

 

* Growth Charts

* Secondary Characteristics

* Skeletal Development

* Chronological Age

* Dental Development

Anatomy Markers:

 

To keep it simple, we recommend just focusing on 3 bones:

1. The Epiphysis and Diaphysis of the Middle Phalanges in the 3rd Finger.

They are small bones forming the fingers. They are three in number in each finger, except the thumb, which has only two phalanges. They ossify in three stages. The Diaphysis is the middle section of a bone. The Epiphysis refers to the ends of a bone.

2. The Sesamoid Bone

The Sesamoid bone is a “Dot-Shaped” bone in the thumb

3. The Radius

The wrist bone.

Pre-Puberty:

 

The middle finger, middle phalanges has a diaphysis that is smaller than the epiphysis

3 Years Before Peak Puberty:

The epiphysis and diaphysis of the middle finger and middle phalanges are equal

Puberty is Starting:

The sesamoid bone presents in the thumb.

Puberty is Peaking:

The epiphysis of the middle phalanges of the middle finger caps the diaphysis by surrounding like a cap.

Puberty is Almost Complete

Fusion occurs between the epiphysis and diaphysis of the middle phalanges of the middle finger in absence of the fused radius bone.

Puberty is Completed

The complete union of epiphysis and diaphysis of the radius. This is the last bone to ossify.

The ossification of all the hand bones is completed and skeletal growth is finished.

StraightSmile Solutions® supports doctors with all orthodontic treatments, including but not limited to functional appliances, braces, hybrid treatment, habits, lab selection, airway, and of course- aligners! Our goal is to find you the right solution for your case and your treatment philosophy and budget. We support you with everything you need: case selection, treatment planning, team training, staging, compliance, operations, outcomes, and retention. We also help to train doctors and teams with hands-on courses that are both digital and destination. For more information view our services here. Disclaimer: StraightSmile Solutions® is unable to support any direct-to-consumer operations or doctors at this time.

 

Note: Please join our IPR webinar on July 11th where we will be giving away a free FitStrip® Kit, value $199! Visit https://www.straightsmilesolutions.com/media/ to register.

IPR stands for interproximal reduction. It is the process of creating very small amounts of space between teeth to improve crowding, midlines, or overjet.

This blog is intended to serve as a general guide and is in no way a comprehensive instruction manual for performing IPR. As always, doctors must rely on their own best judgement. When you create your treatment plan, be mindful of interproximal restorations, bridges, crowns, implants, and veneers that may be damaged if modified with IPR.

Before you do anything, check your treatment plan for the staging and localization of your IPR. Some doctors prefer to stage all of the IPR at the beginning of treatment, while others prefer for the teeth to align first (round-tripping).

Armamentarium:

1. Garrison IPR Fit Strip Kit with IPR gauge and 2 serrated saws

*remove the single sided if you have them

2. Unwaxed Dental Floss

3. Fluoride (optional)

IPR PROCEDURE

Isolate the tongue, lips, and cheeks. Protect the patient’s soft tissue with a mirror and cheek retractor.

· Tie one end of the floss to the Strip handle for safety and let it hang outside of the patient’s mouth.

· Check for fully broken contact using unwaxed dental floss. Keep track of IPR performed by using an IPR Chart.

Start with the serrated saw locked in the straight position to open the contact. For anterior teeth, you can use the handle, if you prefer.

Once you open the contact, gently work your way up the sequence of files in the locked and straight position, and STOP when you are at least 1 file smaller than the size you actually need. Gently move the strip backward and forward between the teeth along the contact area in a sawing motion. It takes roughly 8-12 motions, but the precise number is ultimately dependent upon each individual patient.

Verify the size with the IPR gauge. Note: not all IPR gauges are calibrated. We recommend using only the Garrison Dental Fit Strip Gauge for ideal accuracy.

Once you obtain the size of the space that is 1 size smaller than you need, curve the strip and lock it in the curved position. Then, work your way BACKWARD down the file sequence from coarse to fine around the contacts in order to round them. Measure the space again. The finishing and polishing process will remove a very small amount of enamel too, so it’s important to save at least -.1mm for finishing and polishing.

Make the gauge one size smaller than you need, and place it in between the two teeth to verify the correct amount of space. If the gauge does not fit in between those teeth, continue to file between the surfaces of the teeth until the desired result is reached.

The Fit Strip IPR kit is the only one that actually locks in the curved position to prevent hand fatigue.

FAQ

Is there a limit to the amount of IPR that can be done?

Yes, there is a limit to the amount of IPR we would do on any one interproximal space during the course of a treatment, except if a revision was submitted and the doctor asked for more IPR. As a rule, we recommend no more than 0.5mm per interproximal space.

Instructions for cleaning and sterilization:

1. The FitStrip should be brushed clean with water and soap or a cleaning solution of your choice.

2. The FitStrip is suitable for ultrasonic baths if appropriate clamping implements are used to prevent instruments from touching.

3. Avoid excessive touching of the strip, and ensure all debris is removed prior to use. Each strip must be washed and disinfected before every use.

4. Strips can be vapor-sterilized in an Autoclave with steam at 273°F (134°C) for 5 minutes.

StraightSmile Solutions® supports doctors with all orthodontic treatments, including but not limited to functional appliances, braces, hybrid treatment, habits, lab selection, airway and of course- aligners! Our goal is to find you the right solution for your case and your treatment philosophy and budget. We support you with everything you need: case selection, treatment planning, team training, staging, compliance, operations, outcomes, and retention. We also help to train doctors and teams with hands-on courses that are both digital and destination. For more information visit www.straightsmilesolutions.com. Disclaimer: StraightSmile Solutions® is unable to support any direct-to-consumer operations or doctors at this time.

Bonded Lingual Retention

The prevention of relapse of crowding, rotations or spacing in the maxillary and mandibular anterior segments following orthodontic treatment.

Main Types:

1. Lab Custom Cast or 3D Printed

2. In-Office Fabrication

For this review, we’ll be discussing creating your bonded retainer in-office. This saves on time and lab fees.

3 Major wires used:

Stainless steel braid wire.

Titanium Single strand.

Titanium braid wire.

SS Braid wire

Permanent retention is greatly enhanced using a flattened, dead soft 8-braided wire. Intra-arch splinting with this thin ribbon arch prevents torque control problems that can occur using a round braided wire of these procedures.

When bonded on the lingual of the upper incisors, a very thin rectangular wire can be adapted with little lower incisor interference.

The soft wire is easy to adapt and prevents inadvertent tooth movement associated with active force wires.

It’s excellent for semi-permanent orthodontic splinting of the upper or lower incisors. It can be used to hold diastemas closed, maintain difficult extraction sites and solving various other tooth-splinting dilemmas.

Excellent for splinting periodontally compromised teeth.

Titanium Single Strand

Single strand NICKEL FREE titanium flat metal ribbon with increased interproximal strength is ideal for semi-permanent splinting and maintaining difficult extraction sites.

Titanium wire offers reduced wear rates and is nickel-free, eliminating potential patient allergy issues. The wire can be easily formed, and its flat dimensions are ideal for retaining final torque positions.

Braided Titanium Wire

NICKEL FREE Braid construction enhance strength to avoid snapping and increase surface area.

Unique strand construction allows a slight degree of physiological movement yet retaining the post treatment smile arch.

StraightSmile Solutions® supports doctors with all orthodontic treatments, including but not limited to functional appliances, braces, hybrid treatment, habits, lab selection, airway and of course- aligners! Our goal is to find you the right solution for your case and your treatment philosophy and budget. We support you with everything you need: case selection, treatment planning, team training, staging, compliance, operations, outcomes, and retention. We also help to train doctors and teams with hands-on courses that are both digital and destination. For more information visit www.straightsmilesolutions.com. Disclaimer: StraightSmile Solutions® is unable to support any direct-to-consumer operations or doctors at this time