Sign up for Clear Insights β your weekly source for all things Clear Aligners! I share exclusive insights, practical tips, and industry news that will help you take your Clear Aligner game to the next level - delivered straight to your inbox every week! Sign up below!
Share
My brother knows more about money than most dentists...
Published over 1 year agoΒ β’Β 4 min read
β
β
Hey Friends,
It is memorial day weekend here and my family flew in to visit!
β
That's my brother Rajan with my daughter Naira! It is the first time they are meeting and they've been having a blast with each other.
So as you can see my brother is pretty young - but don't let that fool you.
He got a job with align earlier this year and is in their sales associate program.
He is on track to be a future territory manager.
He was 1 of 100 applicants for a 10 person program and he got the job.
In February he moved to Raleigh, NC by align HQ and has been learning the ins and outs of the aligner industry.
What shocked me is after 2 weeks he called me and started talking to me about TEETH.
When I say that I mean he was asking about dental anatomy... using words like "cusps, mesial, distal..."
I was like dude are you in dental school or learning sales?
Apparently they are giving their reps a crash course on all things dental, testing them on the material AND making them prepare presentations on it.
I was very impressed and now after 3 months he took everything to the next level.
When I picked him up from the airport I asked what was the latest thing he's been learning about.
The other week he had to put together a research presentation on a topic that most dentists are unfamiliar with...
Third. Party. Financing.
Some of you are reading this and don't even know what that means...
I know when I was in my early years of practicing I didn't really understand it either.
Then as I learned a little more about it when I started doing aligners and implants I still didn't REALLY understand it.
In my mind it was a magical way for patients who didn't have a lot of money right now to be able to get someone else to pay you all the money then they owe them the money spread out over a period of time.
So I'm a dentist and that was my level of understanding of something SUPER IMPORTANT... how to get paid for services.
I'm not ashamed to share it because I know i'm not alone.
My brother went on to breakdown exactly how these financing solutions work.
They go based off credit scores, then if the patient falls within a credit range they get access to better interest rates or longer periods of time to re-pay the money.
Regardless of that... YOU get paid UPFRONT within 2-3 days. Amazing.
The company handles collecting the money from the patient.
This is HUGE because alternative options are either YOU have to break up payments and have your front desk track down people for money
OR
The patient doesn't move forward with treatment because they don't have enough money to pay the $5-6k upfront.
So this is a no brainer right?
Well some of you are thinking - well they 3rd party financing company takes a percentage from the money they give you.
This is true.
But on average it is right around 8%.
So I asked my brother how he breaks this down with dentists.
He said "Well if you are having patients pay in full - you are most likely giving them a 5% discount... so what is an extra 3% discount to ensure you get paid up front and don't even have to worry about collecting any money? This way you can help MORE patients because they can actually afford $200 a month for 24 months vs giving you all $5k upfront."
My mind was blown.
It's so true.
With this mindset you lower the barrier of entry for MORE patients and all you have to sacrifice is.... 3% of $5000? That's $150. lol
Now if you couple 3rd party financing with my "EZ Start Method" you can 10x your case acceptances.
Basically you ask for $250 to start treatment with patients - easy right?
If you want to know more about the EZ start method and a proven strategy to offer aligners profitably and predictably while decreasing chair time.... register for my new free masterclass here ππ½
In this video, I break down the earnings of dentists, exploring different factors that influence their income, such as specialization, location, years of experience, and type of practice.
Whether you're considering a career in dentistry or are just curious about the financial aspects of this profession, this video provides insights into what dentists can expect to earn throughout their careers.
Don't want to be part of the newsletter community anymore? No worries! Unsubscribe hereβ
β
β
β
β
600 1st Ave, Ste 330 PMB 92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2246
If you do not want another email from me ever again - unsubscribe below. I will be sad to see you go as I plan to continue to bring as much value as I can for you - but I understand if you don't find any of this valuable. Best of luck with everything and thanks for your time! βUnsubscribe Β· Preferencesβ
Get Clear Insights Straight to Your Inbox
by Dr. Avi Patel
Sign up for Clear Insights β your weekly source for all things Clear Aligners! I share exclusive insights, practical tips, and industry news that will help you take your Clear Aligner game to the next level - delivered straight to your inbox every week! Sign up below!
Read more from Get Clear Insights Straight to Your Inbox
If you have more than one priority, they are not priorities. They are a wishlist. I used to write down 10 or more things I wanted to accomplish every day. By the end of the day, I felt busy. But I did not feel accomplished. Now my list usually has two or three things. That is it. Why? Because I am clearer on my goals. We think we need to be doing all the things. We do not. Being busy is easy. Being productive is harder. hink about it like this. Doing 20 fillings in a day feels busy. Starting...
If you want to grow, you have to say no. Going into 2026, you will need to say no to more things than you say yes to. If clear aligners are not the area of your practice you want to grow, you should not watch my free training. You should not sign up for courses. You should not even be thinking about it. That might sound harsh, but clarity creates speed. If your goal is to improve schedule efficiency, then the only content you should be consuming and implementing is content that helps you do...
Most practices look the same. They take insurance, modify treatment to fit coverage, and neglect what is truly best for patients. That is why so many dentists get compared to the office next door. If you want to stand out, you need to differentiate. Here are 3 simple levers for differentiation: 1. Offer what you believe in. Even if it is not popular. Patients can feel when you truly believe in your treatment. 2. Hyper focus on the patient experience. From the first phone call to the moment...
β