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How to Slash your Invisalign Lab Fees
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Are you tired of lab fees for Invisalign®? Without volume discounts, a comprehensive case is almost $1900, and this doesn’t even include retainers. The great news is that now there are a couple of alternative options:
1. Utilize an off-label/white label aligner from a dental lab
StraightSmile Solutions® specializes in helping dentists find premium, non-branded IDB and aligner companies that manufacture the highest level of quality while charging much less than big-name companies. 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. Our coaching expertise at StraightSmile Solutions™ includes tips and techniques on the best ways to assemble a small operation within your practice. Our consulting services keep the process simple for you, presenting you with affordable, innovative, top-notch vendors who supply cutting-edge technology that scans, designs, prints, and thermoforms aligner cases and IDB cases/braces almost instantly. We connect you with established companies that help with setting up treatment planning, guide you through details like case selection, and assist you with overcoming any obstacles that may arise.
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
• Instant gratification
3. 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. As the original dental director of SmileDirectClub® and now founder of StraightSmile Solutions®, I’ve seen a lot of aligner treatment plans come my way. 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 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.
For more information on becoming a StraightSmile Solutions® client, check out our services!
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