A doctor came to one of our coaching calls frustrated.

He was diagnosing aligner cases. He just couldn't close them.

So one of our mentors asked him to walk through a consult, start to finish. Exactly how he'd say it to a patient.

Four cavities. A crown with some recurrent decay. Wear. Recession. Then, finally, aligners.

By the time he got to aligners, the patient's head was spinning.

And an overwhelmed patient doesn't choose the most important thing. They choose nothing.

His clinical exam was right. His conversation was too long.

Her fix is simple.

Pick three things.

What's causing the most damage? Lead with that, plus one or two more. Everything else gets sequenced around it.

Fillings can happen during aligner treatment. An MO or DO won't change how the trays fit.

A crown with slight recurrent decay can often wait until after.

If a crown truly has to happen now, do it first, then start aligners.

And she consolidates. Her aligner patients come every three months for their cleaning, their trays and any fillings, all in one visit. Nobody wants to come back four times.

A complete exam. A short conversation.

So try this Monday morning:

Before your next consult, write down the three findings that matter most. Rank them by damage, not by what's easiest to explain.

Present those three. Tell the patient the rest will be handled along the way. Then watch how differently the conversation goes.

Not sure how to sequence restorative work around an aligner case? That's exactly what our orthodontists help with. Send us the case and they'll review it before you start treatment.

Video of the Week

Why are dentists so hard on each other online?

Post a case, and someone in the comments tears it apart.

Dr. Mikenah Joy Vega, a cosmetic and general dentist, sat down with me to talk about why it happens, and how to keep it from stopping you from sharing your work.

If you've ever held back from posting a case, start here.

Watch the Full Episode.....

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-Dr. Avi

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