I didn’t start offering aligners to make more money. I started because I wanted to feel excited about dentistry again. Adding aligners gave me a new sense of fulfillment. It made routine checkups more engaging. It opened the door to deeper conversations about health, esthetics, and preventive care. When I saw patients light up at the possibility of a better smile, it reignited my own passion. If you feel stuck or burnt out: Look for procedures that excite you and benefit your patients Start...
20 days ago • 1 min read
Most dentists think they need to learn everything before starting clear aligners. That belief keeps them stuck. I felt that way too. I didn’t touch a case for months after getting certified. Then a mentor gave me simple guardrails — and I started my first case the next week. That changed everything. If you’re not sure where to start, try this: Pick one patient who already asked about straightening their teeth Confirm they have healthy bone levels and mild crowding Look for cases with no...
27 days ago • 1 min read
If you’re too busy to learn aligners — you’re too busy to grow. That used to be me. I’d come home exhausted. Telling myself I’d “figure it out later.” Later never came… until I carved out 30 minutes a week to focus. Fast forward six months — I had 50+ cases under my belt. Here’s how to make real progress in 30 minutes a week: Block 30 mins every Tuesday or Thursday (before the day starts or after lunch) Start by learning just one topic: case selection, scanning, or scripting Implement what...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
When patients say no to aligners, it’s rarely about money. It’s about trust. Early on, I quoted fees and hoped they’d say yes. But once I started asking better questions and explaining why it mattered, things changed. That's when most of my consults ended with a yes. Try these two shifts to improve your acceptance rate: Ask better questions. Instead of “do you want to straighten your teeth?” ask: “Has anyone ever mentioned your teeth are in an unhealthy position?” Frame the benefits around...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Most docs try to get aligners going on their own. Then feel frustrated when the team doesn’t support it. I was there too. I tried to do everything myself — scanning, educating, managing trays. My assistant was confused, my front desk forgot follow-ups, and cases stalled. When I finally trained my team the right way, everything changed. Here’s how to get your team on board fast: Start with a 15-min huddle: Explain why aligners matter (not just for you — but for patients) Front desk = follow-up...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Every dentist has one fear when starting aligners: “What if this goes wrong?” I remember my first case with rotations and black triangles. It didn’t go as planned. The patient expected perfection. I expected simplicity. We both left disappointed. Then I changed one thing: the way I set expectations. Now I use one simple script at every consult to align goals and avoid future surprises. Here’s the script: “We’re going to make a big difference in your smile — and sometimes, the plan needs to be...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
It’s easy to look at DSOs and think: “They’ve got the team, the tech, the budget… I can’t compete with that.” But here’s what most don’t see: Solo docs have something DSOs don’t — time, trust, and the ability to implement fast. One of the docs I worked with started with 1 aligner case/month. Six months later, she was doing 6+ — no big team, no agency, no sales script. Just a simple workflow and a consistent message. Here’s how solo offices win at aligners: Scan every hygiene patient and flag...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Nothing kills momentum like back-to-back refinements. You think you’re done — and then another scan, another delay, another patient getting frustrated. I’ve been there. At one point, almost every case had a midcourse correction. I blamed the software… but it wasn’t that. It was me skipping steps upfront. Here’s how I reduced refinements by over 50%: Use attachments that actually do something — not just the auto-generated ones Set patient expectations: “This is a process. We’ll make...
2 months ago • 1 min read
A lot of docs start offering aligners… and then hit a wall. Some months you start a case. Some months you don’t. It feels reactive — not strategic. That was me for a while. Until I built in a simple system I called “Aligner Day.” One dedicated day a quarter for consults and case starts. It changed everything. How to build your own Aligner Day system: Pick 1 day/quarter (usually a light Friday or late-start morning) Promote it internally — tell hygiene, front desk, assistants to mention it to...
3 months ago • 1 min read
