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Hey Friends, So as you know Smile Direct Club has shut down and a bunch of dentists have started to run ads to try to get a piece of this juicy aligner pie. They are letting patients know that they can come see them if they were left stranded by SDC. This is smart - and if you aren't doing it you should. If your next thought was "damn but I don't really know how to do it..." Then you should NOT be advertising your practice as a place for people to get help with aligners. Only docs who are comfortable and know how to select cases and understand their limits should be doing aligners. Because if you don't know what you are doing then you should not be putting people in harms way. "I don't really know how to do aligners" should not be an excuse anymore. There are resources readily available to help support you. It's up to you whether or not you want to prioritize it. We make fun about how we are certified to do it but still cross our fingers when we submit the clinchecks/treatment plans and "pray the teeth move the way the computer simulates" This needs to end. And it will end - i'm sure of it. You already know about my brand agnostic aligner training program - Aligner Launchpad and how I created it to help general dentists get the confidence they need to START. But outside of my program a bunch of companies are creating HYBRID aligner services. You may have heard of some or been approached by them... but they are here and they are coming. They usually like to use the GP's office and they either use your staff member or provide one and scan patients - then they have remote orthodontists do your clincheck/treatment plan - they promise to handle billing/insurance - you just deliver trays do ipr and put attachments on. Then they pay you a split fee of the treatment. Quite frankly they are taking action and seizing this opportunity a lot faster than most general dentists are because they see the how big of an opportunity doing aligners is in 2024 + beyond. They see the GAPING HOLE that SDC left in the market and it's all there for the taking. Does this mean general dentists are going to miss out? Maybe. However - even NOW - general dentists are the guards at the gate. They need us. Patients need us - hybrid aligner companies need us - orthodontists need us. Without us - they got nothing. I will go on the record and say that I think SOME hybrid aligner companies are a GENIUS way for general dentists to bring aligners into their practices and scale it. The GP can outsource a lot of the "headache" and have a trusted ortho setting up their cases (as long as an actual human orthodontist is doing this... unlike SDC) However - if this is in your practice you need to have foundational knowledge about the procedure and there is no way around it. You need to know how to do it - even if you aren't doing some of the steps. Because that is what theses hybrid companies are doing - they are just taking some of the steps off your plate. But if something goes wrong with treatment - is the orthodontist going to fly in to your practice and save the day? No. It is going to be you and your team. I've worked in a practice where a local orthodontist had a similar model and the owner was essential the puppet in the aligner experience. They had no idea what they were doing and the cases were a mess. Turns out he wasn't doing IPR properly so a bunch of the cases had tracking issues. I used the protocols that I learned and was able to fix most of the cases but it made me realize that at the end of the day if a GP doesn't know the basics nothing will work. I felt so bad for the patients and I also felt bad for the dentist. He was probably too embarrassed to admit that he didn't know what he was doing (being dental school doesn't teach us) and he probably just trusted the orthodontist that things would be ok. This is a problem. I want to help fix that and fill that void. I want to support my colleagues. If you are looking to dive into this amazing world of aligners - I want you to know I got your back. Something You Should Know...An endodontist I follow, Dr. Sonia Chopra, has a course I think you’d really like. It’s called E-School, and it’s a CE course for general dentists who want to improve their endodontic diagnosis, reduce their chair time, boost their outcomes, make more money, and save more teeth. I just found out that Dr. Chopra is closing enrollment for E-School on Sunday 1/21, and the price is about to go up, so I thought of you. Check it out here
Podcast FeatureI was on the Tooth or Dare podcast with Dr. Irene! In this episode, we got vulnerable on the topic of 'Redefining Success' - I also share my journey with therapy and how prioritizing mental health changed my life. Give it a listen below and feel free to respond to this email with any thoughts you have!
Did you know that your dental product/services could reach over 3,500 dental professionals through our newsletter? 🦷✨ If you're interested in giving your business a spotlight, drop us a line at info@clearaligneradvisor.co. Let's spread the word together! Straight TalkTip for Dentists: Effective Treatment Planning When designing treatment plans for your dental patients, focus on these key principles:
By adhering to these principles, you'll provide patient-centered, effective dental care with a focus on long-term success. Video of the Week In this video, I'm going to share 3 common reasons why people are afraid of the dentist. We all have fear buried deep down inside of us, and it's important to talk about it and work through it so we can keep our teeth and oral health healthy! If you enjoy dental content and you are not already - subscribe to my youtube channel - I drop a new video every week! Your Friend, Dr. Avi Have you ever wondered what makes instagram reels go viral? My friend Joyce The Dentist has a DOPE newsletter called ViralPOP! ViralPOP is a free newsletter that helps dentists grow on social media with weekly insights into what is trending so that they can go viral. https://join.joycethedentist.com/107a3425-426a-491e-8c49-6ecd9ccd9b88/ P.S. Want to learn more from me? Free Strategy Call For: 1 on 1 Online Business/Social Media Coaching Clear Aligner Masterclass (free) Aligner Launchpad (Comprehensive Aligner Course) Clear Aligner Advisor Website P.P.S. - If you have any questions about Aligner Launchpad (clear aligner training program) feel free to book a no obligation - 1 on 1 discovery call with me here: https://calendly.com/doctoravi/aligner-launchpad-discovery-call Did you enjoy this edition and want to read previous editions of Clear Insights?
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Hey Friends, I’ve noticed that some team members ask for incentives or bonuses for aligner cases, but here’s the thing—aligners are a regular part of your treatment offerings, just like fillings or crowns. Do you offer bonuses for every crown or implant case? Probably not. Before jumping to offer incentives, think twice. Offering bonuses for something that’s regularly offered can set the wrong precedent. It can create short-term wins but lead to long-term expectations that could backfire. I’m...
Hey Friends, I’ve seen so many dentists blame patients for not being able to afford treatment. But here’s the truth—offering 3rd party financing changes the game. Too many dentists get stuck complaining about the small fee the lender takes and miss the bigger picture. By not offering financing options, you’re leaving treatments (and money) on the table. Patients don’t always have the cash upfront, but giving them an option to spread out payments lets them say “yes” more often. You get paid...
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