StraightSmile Solutions®

How to Implement a Clear Aligner Solution

Implementing a clear aligner solution in a general or pediatric dental office is an excellent revenue booster. Many dentists are concerned about high lab fees and low margins.

I recommend this basic algorithm to calculate the efficiency of orthodontic services:

1. Run a report of the last five orthodontic cases you’ve completed successfully (D8050-D8090). Calculate the collections and average them. Write the number here: _________

2. Calculate the overhead on each case. The overhead includes:
· The sum of lab fees for all the appliances, aligners, refinements, revisions, and retention
· The sum of all supplies used
· The sum of the overhead on the chair time throughout the lifetime of the case (from consulting to retention) for both doctor and staff chair time.
· Average the overhead on the 5 cases. Write the number here:____________

3. Subtract 2 from 1. Write the number here:______________
You should be profiting at least $1500-$2000 on each case.

How to Decrease Aligner Overhead

1. Utilize an off-label/white label aligner from a dental lab
By selecting and outsourcing to these smaller labs, you will significantly reduce your overhead and, consequently, your patients’ fees. By offering more affordable alternatives, your patient base will diversify, grow, and last, and your bottom line will skyrocket.

2. Develop an in-house lab within your own practice
Invisalign® cases take several weeks to design, print, and ship. For the pioneer-minded dentist, and even for those who aren’t, we strongly encourage investing in a small in-house lab.

Benefits of an in-house lab:
• A turnaround time of hours, rather than weeks
• Control over the manufacturing process
• Convenience for patients with minor tooth movement cases
• The potential of offering more appliances – like mouth guards and splints
• Happy patients
• Increased profits

3. Consider a hybrid option
Many labs will work with you on a hybrid option of outsourcing parts of the in-house workflow to save on cost, labor, or equipment. Which cases are appropriate for in-house aligners, and which cases are better for branded aligners? The answer comes down to both volume and biomechanics. You’re fooling yourself if you think that Invisalign® technology is required for an ideal outcome in all cases. It’s not. The vast majority of cases can be treated either without attachments or with more simplistic attachments that are available in the in-house/non-branded aligners. You don’t need G5 or G6 technology for the average case.

The Key to Success

The key to success is case selection. I would recommend treating only mild to moderate, adult dentition, Class I malocclusion cases with the in-house aligner option. If you need guidance on case selection, I always recommend that general and pediatric dentists have an orthodontic coach to help guide them through case selection and assist with some of the obstacles they may encounter through the duration of the treatment.

Setting your price point is also important. With the new Invisalign “brick and mortar” stores nationally selling the average case between $2500 and $3500, the sweet spot is $2999 and below.

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.

With the publication of my blog about the Invisalign GO! launch in the United States, there have been many questions about the difference between Invisalign Assist and Go.

The Invisalign Assist Package is an aesthetically-oriented treatment (aka anterior movements, not bite correction) option designed for GP’s to treat simple malocclusion of anterior teeth without the need for A-P correction.

Invisalign Assist, like GO! offers built-in tools/resources/support to help general dentists provide aligner treatment. Some key attributes of the treatment include:

Batch Shipping: Aligners are shipped in batches of 10, so doctors can proactively track treatment progress during the case. (This means you don’t get all the aligners at one time. They ship them in small amounts and when you give the thumbs-up that everything is going ok, they will send more. ClearCorrect® does this already as standard. I think it’s good because it’s more eco-friendly.)

Progress Tracking Tool: Doctors are prompted to take a scan/impression and submit for an online assessment between each batch. (This service is also offered by DM, Dental Monitoring for an additional fee but they do this with photos. Sometimes people think it’s a pain to have to take a new scan/impression every 10 aligners).
Automatic ClinCheck Modification: If the treatment is not tracking to plan, Align will adjust the ClinCheck before manufacturing the next batch of aligners. (They will modify your ClinCheck for you based on #2).

Detailed Appointment Plans: Customized instructions for every individual patient including details attachment placement and IPR staging. (They will simplify it for you. Note- Straightsmile Solutions already does this standard for our clients but for all cases and all systems.)

Compliance Indicators: To gauge the wear time of aligners (Note, these are available on the Comprehensive Invisalign system as well but for an additional fee).
Assist does not include some aligner features, like Precision Cuts, Eruption Compensation, or Molar tabs.

With Invisalign Assist, there is no limit to the number of aligners on each case and the Additional Aligner policy is 5 years. This is the same as Comprehensive. If an Invisalign Assist case requires 13 or fewer aligners, then the case is manufactured as a complete case and all aligners are shipped. In this situation, the doctor receives a discount on the invoice for the shorter treatment case.

Need More Guidance on Aligners? We Are Here to Help!

Dentists - Sign Up Today

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 StraightSmile Solutions®. Disclaimer: StraightSmile Solutions® is unable to support any direct-to-consumer operations or doctors at this time.

We didn’t learn any business skills in dental school. I do remember a professor putting on some Tony Robbins tapes, but that was the extent of our training. Like other new grads, I was woefully unprepared for the real world. I see new grads reaching out on Facebook forums and I also see a lot of predators out there. I try to offer advice and my contact information, but I am often kicked off forums for reaching out and offering to help.

One of my tips for new grads is to start creating content and building their Linkedin network. Even if you are happily employed or stable in your practice, the network really an an amazing resource.

I started building my network a few years ago when Linkedin was new and novel. Now I have almost 16000 followers, mostly all in the dental industry. At first I would try to reach out to at least 30-50 people a day in companies I found interesting. I offered everyone a complimentary consultation. Often you find incredible synergy when least expected. I never turn down a phone call. I book my schedule just like I did in my practice with a “production” column (for paid clients) and a non-production column. Sometimes I double book my non-production column in case phone calls flake out.

I read a lot: books, journal articles, other posts. I focus mostly on Linkedin but also on YouTube. I ask a lot of questions.

Aim high, never be afraid to reach for the stars. You would be surprised who is listening. Thanks to Linkedin, I had a great conversation with the Invisalign CEO, Joe Hogan.

Your expertise will slowly lead to paid opportunities: speaking engagements, travel, paid influencer compensation and explorative phone calls.

I don’t do paid advertising on Linkedin. I tried, but I found the process to confusing.

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.

Click here to watch the video.

Intra-oral or masseter Botox is an simple but valuable addition to your menu of services. Although not all states allow dentists to administer therapeutic intra-oral Botox, I believe they should. If you can give an IA injection, you can surely give therapeutic Botox.

The benefits are both cosmetic and functional:

Facial slimming
A reduction in bruxism (including clenching and grinding)
A reduction in TMD disorders
Although I’ve never been formally trained, I have been a recipient of this therapeutic treatment for many years and I consider it a very important medical procedure. There are many courses for dentists but I haven’t seen any yet that focus only on the oral cavity.

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.

click here to watch the video.

Today I had the honor of meeting with Mr. Raphael Pascaud, SVP of Business Development at Align Technology. ® His team has granted me permission to blog to my followers about the new Invisalign GO® product which, after some initial beta testing in Europe, is now being launched globally to general dentists.

I would like to thank Mr. Hogan and Mr. Pascaud for taking the time to listen to my feedback and to tell me more about their new program. Ultimately, their goal is to support the general dentists in their network and to encourage collaboration between orthodontists and general dentists. Since this goal is also one of the core values of StraightSmile Solutions®, it’s great to be in some synergy with their team finally.

In a nutshell, doctors can elect to be a part of the Invisalign GO® program. It’s a separate program than the traditional Invisalign Fundamentals™ course. There are a few key benefits to this program that are not available to traditional Invisalign providers:

1. You’ll be able to receive immediate feedback on cases through the Invisalign® Photo Uploader App. (Note- StraightSmile Solutions® already offers this feedback service to our clients through our own proprietary platform.)

2. If your case is accepted to Invisalign GO®, you’ll receive a customized treatment plan that only involves “green” (predictable) movements.

3. If a case is not accepted to Invisalign GO®, you’ll have the option to refer the case to an orthodontist in your network automatically.

4. Immediately, you’ll be able to toggle the set-up without sending the Clincheck® in for a modification to see the Clincheck® with/without attachments or with/without IPR. That’s four Clinchecks® at the beginning. This saves you at least a week of modifications and quite a lot of time.

If you are interested in opting into Invisalign GO®, please visit check with your TM or call Invisalign to sign-up. The pricepoint is similar to a Lite® pricepoint and is hundreds less than Invisalign Assist.®

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.

Click here to watch a video from our digital education series.

DIGITAL COURSES- TURNKEY, CUSTOMIZABLE ORTHODONTIC EDUCATION IN-A-BAG™!

As StraightSmile Solutions® celebrates its third anniversary, we are proud to announce our first hands-on course! This is a low-cost, customizable alternative to Six Month Smiles® and Fast Braces®. 

Click here to register DigitalCourseTOS or email us at [email protected] and we’ll send you an electronic version via Docusign® Please complete and return the signed document with your preferences and registration for the course. Following the completion, we will send you an invoice through Stripe® which can be paid by Debit or Credit. Once the payment is processed, we’ll assemble your custom course bag and ship it. Since the bags are totally customized, we appreciate your patience. This can take up to 14 business day for the US and 21 business days for international. We will notify you with the tracking once it’s shipped. Please email us at [email protected] with questions.

The world’s first customizable, digital, orthodontic education. Just pay for what you need!

* Basic Straightwire Mechanics

* IPR

* IntraOral Elastics

* Orthodontic Photography

* Case Selection and Treatment Planning

Customized, learn as you go, on your own time with a built-in feedback and accountability loop for team members. Please email us for details and for a customized proposal. Discounts for group practices.

Click here to watch the video.

I had a disturbing conversation today with Dr.Sherif Kandil (K-Line Europe GmbH) about aligners, aligner fabrication and the environment. I was not aware that neither aligners, nor the models that are utilized to create the aligners are recyclable. I didn’t know that this wasn’t a sustainable manufacturing process and is potentially leaching plastics into the soil and oceans. I encourage those of us the the aligner and orthodontic community to work together as “one team” to develop more efficient and more eco-friendly products for the orthodontic industry and reduce our global thumbprint. Sharif gave me permission to share this this article with my Linkedin followers. If you are interested in joining our mission, please e-mail me for next steps.

Click here to watch the video about SmileSnap.

My inbox is suddenly inundated with inquiries about the concept of the “orthodontic virtual consultation”.

VCs are nothing new for me. I’ve been doing them for years and helping orthodontic offices all over the world learn how to screen their patients more efficiently.

This is NOT DIY/DTC treatment at all. This is simply a tool to open communication with a prospective orthodontic patient more efficiently in a HIPPA-compliant matter.

With SmileSnap® in Beta release this week, I’ve been honored to be chosen to be a Beta Tester. If you want to play with this customizable widget, please visit www.straightsmilesolutions.com

For more information, please sign-up for one of our complimentary webinars by visiting www.straightsmilesolutions.com/media or schedule a complimentary phone call by clicking here.

Click here to watch the DM video.

I posted an article about measuring orthodontic efficiency in your practice. If you haven’t taken my challenge, please click here before you proceed with the rest of the blogs in this series.

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.

Dental Monitoring® (DM) is launching a myriad of programs to increase the ROI in your aligner, braces and functional appliance patients. I attended their symposium in Las Vegas this month, and we previewed some of the new products and features that will officially be launched at AAO in May. Today we’ll be focusing on DM AOD®

AOD™ (Appointments on Demand)

Those using DM® most efficiently are using the AOD™ feature. Gone are the time-consuming and often unnecessary, pre-booked orthodontic appointments. AOD™ patients are only scheduled an appointment when determined by the AI through the DM Scan Box. They have weekly, virtual check-ins from home. We all know that if an aligner treatment design or bracket placement is idealized, the cases just track as-planned. Revisions, refinements, mid-course corrections, wire bends, and bracket repositioning are now a thing of the past.

Many speakers at the DM® Symposium said their revision/refinement rate had dropped from 80-90% down to below 10% in their patients who were fully using DM®. This helps your bottom line immensely and also patient satisfaction. Their average aligner case duration also dropped by 50%. This frees up chair time and allows you to see more production patients. Again, I want to circle back to the quiz you did at the beginning of the blog. How much more production could you make from your orthodontic cases if you were more efficient?

If you’d like to learn more about DM AOD®, be sure to visit AAO in Los Angeles in May or connect with the Dental Monitoring® team. You can email me for an introduction.

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/

Don’t forget to check out our free webinars and digital classes here: https://www.straightsmilesolutions.com/media

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!

I posted an article about measuring orthodontic efficiency in your practice. If you haven’t taken my challenge, please click here before you proceed with the rest of the blogs in this series.

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.

Dental Monitoring® (DM) is launching a myriad of programs to increase the ROI in your aligner, braces and functional appliance patients. I attended their symposium in Las Vegas this month, and we previewed some of the new products and features that will officially be launched at AAO in May. Today we’ll be focusing on DM Stability®. DM now allows doctors to track not only their aligner patients but also their braces and functional appliance patients with DM®. Patients will scan at home at a regular, predefined frequency of 4-8 days. It will detect everything that could unravel or slow down a case using A.I. (artificial intelligence). You’ll be able to pick from a comprehensive list which has over a hundred different conditions for DM® to screen. Here are just a few:

· aligner unseats

· broken attachments

· poor OH

· inflammation

· passive archwires

· broken brackets

Doctors will receive a daily report on their patients with alerts they can follow-up on with their patients. They can also create a “master monitoring protocol” as a template to personalize communication and preferences. There are turn-key protocols for braces, aligners and phase 1 treatment.

If you’d like to learn more about DM Live®, be sure to visit AAO in Los Angeles in May or connect with the Dental Monitoring® team. You can email me for an introduction.

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!