By Roger P. Levin, DDS

In general, consumers have become more deliberate about how they spend their money – especially on something that costs as much as ortho treatment. Taking a more cautious approach, many prospective adult patients and parents of young ortho candidates won’t accept treatment after one consult. They plan to check out multiple orthodontists (ortho shopping), and may very well need more than a single consult with you and your treatment coordinator before choosing your practice. In other words, you should develop follow-up strategies to turn “maybe” into “yes.”

By Nancy Hyman

When it comes to orthodontic practice marketing, attracting the parents is just as important as appealing to children and teens themselves. Focusing on making your practice child friendly should be a priority, and so should parent outreach.

Giving flexibility in scheduling is one way you can please parents and attract new patients. Consider opening early several days each week, or staying open later. If you don’t normally have practice hours on Saturdays, consider a once a month day when all you do is quick adjustment appointments and initial exams for potential patients likely to start treatment. Another Saturday option is scheduling short adjustments in the morning and initial exams in the early afternoon. A suggested schedule may include adjustments between 8 A.M. to noon and initial exams between 12:30 and 2:30 P.M. with two exams per 45-60 minutes with two treatment coordinators and a records technician available for on-the-spot records. If you do not have two consult rooms designate an area in the clinic for back up.

By Roger P. Levin, DDS

No matter how well you and your treatment coordinator present the case to parents and adult patients, one barrier in particular can block acceptance of ortho treatment: the cost.

For the average individual or family, the decision to spend thousands of dollars—no matter how great the benefits—does not come easily. Especially in the post-recession economy, marked as it is by stagnant wages and financial uncertainty, paying for orthodontics can be daunting.

By Roger P. Levin, DDS

Pop culture changes fast – especially for young people like your patients. For the typical 12-year-old, what’s totally awesome today will get an eye roll next year. So if you want your practice to be exciting and fun for your young patients – if you want them telling their friends (potential patients) what a great place your practice is – you need to consider updating your office annually.

The following advice is based on Levin Group’s experience with thousands of successful ortho practices across the country.

Many of our ViewPoint customers ask what the differences between ViewPoint and Edge are, and why they should consider Edge. There are many factors to consider when making the move; here are some of the larger benefits of Edge.

By Nancy Hyman

Little works more effectively in persuading potential patients than the word-of-mouth, first-hand account of a review. And the proper response, especially to the negative, often proves critical to a practice’s ascent. Sure, if every comment about your practice was a testimonial rave, you could simply sit back soaking up the praise and press forward. If everyone was 100% satisfied, there’d be little here to expound upon. Contrary to the common assumption, the negative review provides that profound moment where you can absorb and diffuse it, making that quantum leap into new strata. Dissatisfaction can come in an array of forms, but preparation for such assaults is more likely to shell out dividends. Rehearsing and reviewing a tactical approach with room for variation will help.

By Roger P. Levin, DDS

As the orthodontist, you play the most important role presentation—deciding what treatment to in caserecommend, offering the doctor’s opinion to parents and adult patients, answering questions, and projecting a strong professional image. But all of this can and should occur within 10–15 minutes. Your treatment coordinator (TC) should be properly trained to take responsibility for the rest of the time in the presentation. Such training should include:

One of the most underused features in Edge is workflows. A workflow is a sequence of events or actions required by your office protocol. Depending on the type of workflow, you may be prompted to complete an action before you can continue with another task.

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Are you as excited about the AAO as we are?! If you're already in sunny Orlando, then you definitely need to stop by and visit us! We're really looking forward to showing you what's new with Ortho2! Whether you're wanting to learn more about our products or just stopping by to say hi, here are the top 3 reasons you should visit us in Orlando.

Now that you are thinking about the future of your practice, have you thought about moving your data to the cloud? Ortho2’s Edge is the perfect cloud-based solution for your practice. But wait, Ortho2 has a cloud option? Why, yes, we do! We have even heard people say, but it isn’t a “true cloud”. Oh, but it is. Below, we bust some of the most common myths.