by Pat Rosenzweig

Years ago, when most offices still ran on paper, and computers were just being introduced, we saw a lot of doctors and staff members who preferred to continue to do all their scheduling and chart notes on paper. They just used the computers for patient accounts and billing. We've come a long way from those days and our software has become much more useful. We now have great software (such as those from Ortho2) available that can keep the office flowing, maintain all patient information, and keep everyone communicating. We know this great software is available and most of our practices currently own one version or another, so what's my point? My point is that while the doctor spent a decent amount of money on the software, most of our offices are currently using half of it...at best!

By Roger P. Levin, DDS

As a process that typically lasts for 18–24 months, ortho treatment can easily fall behind schedule if parents or adult patients aren’t diligent about keeping their appointments. You’ll always have overdue patients, but the following techniques will help you minimize the problem:

By Roger P. Levin, DDS

When Levin Group surveys orthodontists about their pain points, stress ranks second only to inadequate production (which, of course, contributes to stress). Even if you’re doing well in every other regard, daily stress and tension at the office can make work life very unpleasant for you and your staff.

Contrary to what you may think, staff conflict, missed appointments, parent complaints, and aggressive competitors do not cause the greatest amount of stress. The real culprit? Outdated, inefficient practice management systems.

by David Harris

I speak to orthodontists daily about embezzlement, so I have a pretty good idea what they misunderstand about the topic. I'm going to highlight a couple of the things that are often misunderstood, and I’ll explain a bit about the misconceptions.

by Nancy Hyman

Observation kids are an expected stream of future patients. However many orthodontists report a lack of loyalty when it comes time to consent to treatment. It is very disappointing to guide a child and parent through the lengthy observation process only to be informed by Mrs. Johnson that “I will now shop around for the best fit for us”. (Translation: best price.)

by Pat Rosenzweig

Right before a production begins in any theater, the stage manager does a walk across the stage to be sure everything is in its place, and nothing has been left askew from the last performance. This not only helps assure the production will run smoothly, but also ensures the audience will not see anything that may jar their sense of how things should be in the production. In that same fashion, every good office manager (or doctor) should walk the office every morning to be sure that new patients who come in see a fresh, clean, uncluttered office.

"Let your game be your marketing tool." - Michael Jordan

Our game is orthodontic treatment. However, treatment does not start with bands and brackets, it starts with the new patient experience. Our game is about taking care of the person, not just the patient. This begins with the first phone call and continues into the final days of retention.

by K. Ryan Alexander

A well-designed doctor time scheduling template is vital to the efficiency and bottom line of any orthodontic practice. However, your templates are only half of the solution. A well-organized, disciplined team is the glue that holds your scheduling system together. Here are three ideals that, if followed, will take your practice to a new level of efficiency regardless of what kind of template you currently have in place.

Morning Meetings, By the Numbers

By Roger P. Levin, DDS

The morning meeting, which I refer to as the Daily Business Meeting, plays an essential role in a successful ortho practice. The entire staff benefits when practices consistently hold effective morning meetings, spending 10–­15 minutes to prepare for the day ahead. Productive meetings allow for communicating ideas, sharing information, identifying potential problems, and finding solutions.

What should the team accomplish during the Daily Business Meeting? Focus on making your ortho practice a stronger business by reviewing your progress toward production targets. What can the team do today to move the practice forward?

This year marked my very first AAO. Not only that but my first time in New Orleans, and what an experience it was. It was great to meet everyone and work alongside some people I haven’t worked with before. The convention center was massive, and it was interesting to see the various orthodontic offerings from all over the world. There was so much interesting technology on display, and coupled with the spectacle of the booths it was fun just to be there.