By Roger P. Levin, DDS

COVID-19 has been a game changer. Practices have had to shut down, use new technologies such as teledentistry, and reopen with new regulations, anxious team members, and concerned patients. As many people have observed, we have officially moved into a new normal.

The good news is that the business model for a successful orthodontic practice remains both unchanged and uncomplicated. Orthodontic practices that have enough people calling for potential consults, making appointments after the consult, and accepting treatment to be successful. It’s really just simple math. Leads + Consults = Starts.

By Roger P. Levin, DDS

When something isn't right in your practice you can usually tell. Even if you haven’t gotten a chance to crunch the numbers, more free time in your schedule or less people in the waiting room usually means there’s a dip in production. So what do you do when you begin to sense that your orthodontic practice isn’t performing well? Don’t wait; take action immediately by looking at these three things:

By Roger P. Levin, DDS

Orthodontics is under competitive pressures unlike anything we’ve seen in the past. Emerging trends are making it more challenging for orthodontic practice production and practices that don’t understand these trends will fall victim to them.

Emerging Trends
The rise of the following emerging trends is rapidly affecting orthodontic practice production:

• DSOs or corporate dentistry
• Aligner dentistry
• Direct-to-consumer orthodontic care
• Patients shopping for orthodontic services
• More orthodontists

By Roger P. Levin, DDS

When I lecture to orthodontic teams throughout the country, I often hear them express frustration about the fact that more referring doctors are doing their own orthodontic treatment. Understandably, this frustration can cause them to abandon focusing on general dentists as referrals sources. Why court the very people that you’re in competition with? However orthodontists must think of their referral marketing efforts in this way: The more things change, the more they stay the same. While it’s true that general dentists are increasing the amount of orthodontics that they provide, most orthodontic treatment is still supplied by orthodontic practices and referrals from general dentists are still very strong. So turning away from general dentists can be detrimental to maintaining a high-level of practice revenue.

By Roger P. Levin, DDS

“It’s not whether you win, but how you play the game.”

This is a nice sentiment that we’ve all heard about sports but it doesn’t apply to orthodontics, especially when it comes to your practice’s future. In an excellent business book entitled Playing To Win: How Strategy Really Works, a simple method for evaluating the future is boiled down to one brilliant concept: Where will you play and how will you win?

By Roger P. Levin, DDS

Orthodontics is under new competitive pressures. There are emerging trends that are making it more and more difficult to increase orthodontic practice production. Practices that don’t understand and address these trends will operate blindly, unable to plan for the challenges ahead.

Emerging Trends in Orthodontics

If you want your practice production to be strong you must thoroughly grasp the following emerging trends occurring in orthodontics:

By Roger P. Levin, DDS

Orthodontics has seen many changes throughout the past years. From changes in how referrals are made, to changes in technology, and marketing. Keeping on top of all of these trends is Dr. Roger P. Levin of the Levin Group. The Levin Group and Ortho2 have worked together since 2009 to ensure orthodontists are up to speed not only in the technology they use, but also in the trends and markets.

By Roger P. Levin, DDS

The orthodontic practice as a business model is actually rather simple. The more new patients you have and the more of those patients that you close, the higher your practice production. So it stands to reason that one of the keys to orthodontic practice success is and will always be acquiring new patients. And getting off on the right foot with new patients requires making a great first impression.

By Roger P. Levin, DDS

Orthodontists are experiencing increased competition and it’s not just coming from other orthodontists. More and more aligner treatments are being offered from general dentists and direct-to-consumer companies. This is having an effect on many orthodontic practices, but there are specific ways to protect the practice and maintain a highly successful future. Consider these five strategies to help protect your practice:

By Roger P. Levin, DDS

After you’ve been a practice leader for a number of years, it becomes clear that your best referral source is your patients. Getting patient referrals is an inexpensive and relatively easy way to ensure that your practice has a steady stream of new patients. So what will get patients raving about your practice? From the time a patient walks in the door until they leave, you have the opportunity to impress them and make them feel great. Dentistry is a service industry and how you treat patients is crucial to your success. But providing great customer service isn’t just simply about being nice. In fact, you should start to view customer service as a management system that has a process with clear objectives, which include increasing referrals from current patients.