Trends Archives - Page 3 of 4

Orthodontics is Like a Circus

May 1, 2017 by Sean Holliday Leave a Comment

Orthodontic practice can feel like a circus some days. A series of patients are late to their appointments, one of your clinical assistants called in sick, and your phones are off the hook calling in for emergency appointments. We have all been there, but the circus I’m really talking about is the circus industry. Specifically, about the changes to the circus business that led to the closing of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

At its prime, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus was a popular family outing. Over time, expenses grew, ticket prices did not, and concerns over the use of animal acts led to public concerns over the industry. This year, after 146 years of performances, this American icon has hung up its big tent.

The competitor in many ways is time. It’s a different model that we can’t see how it works in today’s world to justify and maintain an affordable ticket price. So you’ve got all these things working against it.” Kenneth Feld – CEO

15xp-circus-master675 — Todd Heisler/The New York Times

As market trends continue to change and other players enter into the orthodontic space, is the private practice of orthodontics headed in the path of the traditional circus?

Where most circuses were competing with each other over market share of a decreasing demand of traditional acts, a lack of change in the circus experience was leading to a downward spiral of the industry. By contrast, the circus has been reinvented and successfully invigorated by Cirque du Soleil. Their focus was on changing the experience: taking the popular and cost effective strategies of a circus act, and raising the experience to the level of theater. This tapped into a client base that saw the circus act from Cirque du Soleil more as a broadway show, than a sideshow act.

In less than twenty years since its creation, Cirque du Soleil achieved a level of revenues that took Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey (the once global champions of the circus industry) more than one hundred years to attain.

What can we learn from Cirque’s success?

The key factor in their success is differentiation. Create an uncontested space where competition is irrelevant. Cirque du Soleil has learned to generate and capture new demand. They also broke the value and cost trade off that plagues many business models. In many ways, we can still create great value to patients and decrease practice costs with the efficiencies patients expect.

It’s generally believed that the way to beat your rival is to outperform or outpace them. But in business, the better way to win is to create uncontested new market space where no competition exists…Cirque du Soleil designed the classic symbol of the circus with a glorious external finish and a higher level of comfort, making its tent reminiscent of the grand old circuses. Gone were the sawdust and hard benches. Acrobats and other thrilling acts retained, but their roles were reduced and made more elegant by the addition of artistic flair and intellectual wonder to the acts.” – Mauborgne & Kim – This is how Cirque du Soleil reinvented the circus

We are at a crossroad, where we are moving from an industrial economy to a service economy. Patient experience is king, and straight teeth and quality outcomes are no longer a differentiator, but the price of entry. Through technology and economies of scale, delivering the product of straight teeth will reach a large scale where orthodontists can no longer compete by cost and sustain a viable business. The key differentiator is delivering unparalleled patient experience by offering those aspects that are difficult to replicate by achieving an incredible office experience, unrivaled customer service, shorter treatment times, greater comfort, and better convenience. Ultimately, take the best aspects of orthodontic treatment and reinvent the experience. Seems tough? If it was easy, everybody would be doing it… and that’s the whole point.

Want to learn more about Cirque du Soleil’s philosophy for success? Check out: The Spark

DIY Dental Monitoring Solution

April 29, 2017 by Scott Frey Leave a Comment

Teleorthodontics for Patients

The Dental Monitoring Software is based on the principle that because patients all carry their smartphones they can update you on their orthodontic progress at any time without having to take time off work or school to come to your office. This is certainly true; however, smartphones already provide this capability without the need for additional software.

There is certainly still value in the 3D monitoring service offered by Dental Monitoring, but you can implement a simple means of photographic patient monitoring today at almost no cost by scheduling FaceTime appointments or by simply having patients send you updates using the camera on their phone. Today we are going to go step by step with how to build a simple remote monitoring system using Google Forms.

Implementing Remote Monitoring

Items Required:

C-shaped cheek retractors (can be bought cheaply on Amazon)
A GSuite account with Google Forms
A designated treatment concierge to review submissions and contact patients
Patients who own smartphones

Step 1: Record Example Photo Monitoring Videos

Record with a team member some example videos that demonstrate exactly treatment progress information should be captured on a smartphone. You should record 3 example videos: one with teeth apart and aligners in, one biting down with aligners removed, and one teeth apart and aligners out. Videos work better than individual photos because data capture is continuous and the video can then be paused during viewing. To capture the videos, the patient can either hold the camera in front of a mirror of have a friend help, and they simply turn their head while keeping the camera still. It helps to keep traction on the cheek retractors with a free hand to visualize the side bite more effectively.

Step 2: Upload Example Videos to GSuite Youtube Account

Once you have your 3 example videos recorded, you will then upload them to your office GSuite account as ‘unlisted’ videos. Unlisted means that the videos do not show in search results and only people with the link are capable of viewing them. You will embed these uploaded videos into your Google Form.

Step 3: Create Google Form

Google forms within GSuite are HIPAA compliant and very easy to use so they are ideal for these purposes. They also allow users to upload files; however, this is limited just to people within the office network at the current time. When they change this feature, it will become even simpler to use for these purposes.

Start by filling in an appropriate title and description for the Photo Monitoring Google Form. In the settings require that an email address be entered and create a short answer section for the patient’s full name. This will allow you to link the survey results with the videos sent from the patient.

Next create a linear scale question allowing the patient to self-assess their level of compliance.

Add a multiple choice question to gather information about the patient’s progress (i.e. is this a routine progress update, did the bite correction with elastics get completed, is something broken or loose, etc.). You can also upload photos to accompany the choices to help guide the patient.

Next enter a text section with written instructions for the patient on how to capture the videos you require to perform remote monitoring of the patient. Below these instructions is where you will embed the videos that you previously uploaded, so your patients have an example of a good video capture.

Currently patients will still have to email you the videos (cannot upload directly to the form if they are not on your office network), so you will need to provide an email address and instructions on where to send the photos following form submission. Under settings you can have a confirmation message appear after submission with this information. I also like to add a message at the end of the form to remind them.

Link the form to a spreadsheet in GSuite and adjust your notifications settings so that your treatment concierge is notified about submissions and is able to contact the patients for follow up.

Once your form is complete you can use a short-link to share with patients on remote monitoring via email or text.

Step 4: Set Up Recurring Emails When Needed

Once your Google Forms are complete you are ready to implement your remote monitoring program to help patients who are traveling, patients in retention, or simply want the convenience of telemedicine. Setting up recurring emails within GSuite by installing any number of plugins from the Google Marketplace is simple and allows you to set it and forget it.

Remotely Monitoring Patients

This do-it-yourself teleorthodontics system is extremely useful for accommodating patients who might find it challenging to come to the office and certainly can make traditional orthodontic care more convenient for all patients. In addition to the simple photo monitoring, I highly recommend that everyone add an appointment code in their practice management software to accommodate FaceTime appointments. Facetime appointments work just like any other appliance check visit, but are simply done using a computer or smartphone in a private area to video conference with the patient.

Once you are up and running with these new appointment codes and systems, the following situations are ideal for offering more convenient options for your patients:

Better communication regarding loose/broken appliances, wire pokes, and other patient concerns so that your team can schedule repair appointments more effectively
Reduced appointments when using appliances that do not require doctor activation (Invisalign, elastic bite correction, jack screw expanders, habit appliances, etc.)
Improved monitoring during retention
Better coordination of care for patients who travel a distance or have challenging schedules

If you happen to be patient reading this article, know that orthodontists are generally a very forward thinking and flexible bunch so even if your doctor hasn’t presented this as an option, I am sure they would be more than happy to accommodate you. Hope you all found this post helpful!

Technology Can Be A Catalyst To Grow Your Practice

April 28, 2017 by Sean Holliday Leave a Comment

By definition, a catalyst is a substance added to another substance, to accelerate the rate of a reaction. The catalyst is not consumed in this process and may be used many times before it loses its effectiveness. The issue with a catalyst, is that it does not cause a reaction by itself.

Consider practice growth as the result of a reaction. Technology is a catalyst that will not lead to a result unless a base reaction is present. Simply using scanners, 3D printers, cone beam, or Invisalign will not guarantee success. Toys are just that, unless they add value to patients, and lead to return on investment to the practice.

By itself, technology will not grow your practice. There are many toys and applications to chose from these days. In most circumstances, there is a sales team that will show you how that new device, application, appliance, or equipment will lead to practice growth. There are key things that must be in place to maximize the benefit of a technology add.

The base reaction to practice growth is the right type of practice culture. Your team culture, outstanding service, and the right practice model for your demographics are key steps that need to be in place to facilitate growth. Once the base reaction is in action, it is important to have processes that are congruent with technology.

If you integrate a piece of technology in your practice, consider ways to enhance how the technology adds value to patients and make that message a standard script in your office.

Have a team culture that promotes the benefits of technology.
Use technology to improve the patient experience.
Highlight your team’s special experience with the technology.
Emphasize how your skills with the technology benefited the patient’s treatment.

For many of us, we invest in technology to improve our practices. It becomes more important what you do with that technology, than simply buying it. The key to grow is taking that digital tool and use it to enhance what already makes your practice unique.

The Future in Orthodontics is not 3D, it’s 4D

April 26, 2017 by Sean Holliday 1 Comment

Orthodontic treatment continues to evolve. Our digital future means additional diagnostic tools and treatment modalities that augment and expand the application of our specialty. The application of 3D printing into orthodontics was introduced by the Invisalign product. By using 3D printing technology which was developed by Charles Hull in 1983, and sold by 3D Systems, Align Technology added a niche into the orthodontic market.

The current technology in 3D printing has been evolving in manufacturing functional parts and expanding the applicability of this process. As patents have expired in the 3D printing processes, we are seeing the commoditization of 3D printing. This is one of the reasons why this process has become so popular. The next evolution in the process has been in the expanded consumer access to lower cost solutions to enter the space. What was once only available to large manufacturing corporations and commercial laboratories, can now be owned and operated by orthodontic practices, schools and even the average consumer.

The challenge with 3D printing, is that it is a static process. In the dental industry, this digital process facilitates static restorations and provides an opportunity to improve the efficiency of laboratory workflows. When it comes to orthodontic treatment, our treatment is dynamic. 3D printing serves an immediate benefit for growing study models for traditional lab fabrication. This benefits offices in removing the alginate or PVS impressions, but leaves the untapped potential of the digital tools. When making a series of aligners, movement can be staged and adjusted in sequence to turn a static model into a series of models with a progression of movements. In order to change a static process into a dynamic appliance, the future for orthodontics is in 4D printing.

4D printing is a digital process that takes 3D printing materials and adds the 4th dimension of time. This is accomplished by adding movement into the 3D printed parts and manufacturing appliances that change in shape over time. The stimulus for such movement is a change in temperature, a charge or kinetic process that alters the shape of the 3D printed object. Think of it as adding a Niti wire to move a tooth vs. a series of wires with progressive bends to achieve the desired tooth position. When you think of it in that dynamic, you can realize that in the same way Nitinol wires revolutionized bracket systems, 4D printing can revolutionize the future of digital orthodontic treatment. Whether they are fixed or removable, 4D printed appliances would improve the efficiency of treatment and utilize digital workflows to incorporate many of the imaging and diagnostic tools we have available today.

Think that 4D printing is science fiction? Take a look at some of the projects today developing the science of 4D printing and shapeshifting architecture.

When investing in those new 3D printers, be cautious of making large capital investments in a fluid and highly evolving industry. Material science and new methods will continue to change the way we practice and get me excited to think of what the future holds.

The Art of the Presentation

April 20, 2017 by Sean Holliday Leave a Comment

There is a lot of anticipation of all the great information available at the AAO meeting. Vendors will be launching their new thing, and a select group of presenters will rise above the fear of public speaking and put their information for all to view and critique. Being there myself, I can attest it takes many of hours of preparation to put a presentation together. Going public on a topic of interest, and speaking in front of a room of your peers takes a whole other skill and a lot of courage.

Facility with public speaking is not a gift granted at birth to a lucky few. It’s a broad-ranging set of skills” – Chris Anderson, Author, TED Talks

Presentations are both an art and a science. At the risk of sounding like a presentation snob, have you thought about the things that make presentations memorable? The design, the delivery, and the subject are all critical. A presentation appeals to a classic form of human communication: Storytelling.

When you are sitting in the lecture hall listening to that next presentation. Think about the special tools that presenter put together to keep you entertained, and consider what made the lecture drive you to take action on what you learned.

The Passion

Charismatic speakers don’t just happen. The charisma that they instill into their presentation is often a result of the passion they hold for the subject matter they are presenting. It is often palpable when a presenter is passionate about the message they are delivering to the audience. Passion can surpass experience, since the audience can accept nervousness from the delivery for the fact that the presenter’s message is delivered with compelling emotion.

The Length

My grandfather once approached his preacher after Sunday service and let him know he appreciated the sermon, “but”, he said, “you did not talk about, what I wanted you to talk about.” The preacher looked puzzled, and asked my grandfather: “What did you want me to talk about?” “About ten minutes”, answered my grandfather. So what is the right length of a presentation? That depends on the subject matter, but if you take the TED stage as a consideration, they have limited presentations to 18 minutes. Some presentations are well suited for sixty minutes, but longer becomes more perilous. Shorter presentations can be more challenging that longer rambles since it forces the presenter to distill the most critical information down to the maximum impact for most people to absorb that information.

The Slides

Ever wonder how much text should be on a slide? Most presentation coaches will recommend the less writing, the better. Some presenters use the slides as a crutch to deliver the message which could be better received as a memo or a handout. Text on slides distracts from the verbal message, and bores the audience. Part of the art of presentation is putting great slides together that support the speaker’s words, instead of replacing them. The visual appeal of a presentation is a key component of the slides being a visual aid vs. a report on data.

Communication is about getting others to adopt your point of view, to help them understand why you’re excited (or sad, or optimistic, or whatever else you are). If all you want to do is create a file of facts and figures, then cancel the meeting and send in a report” – Seth Godin, Author, Really Bad Powerpoint

These are a few areas that presentation gurus highlight as critical to an effective presentation. Next time you sit in the lecture hall, focus on not only the message from the speaker, but take a look at the skills they have set on display for delivering a message in front of all those attentive eyes and ears in the audience. You may notice that the most memorable lectures from this upcoming meeting truly deliver on the art form of storytelling.

The Guru is Dead. Long Live the Guru

April 19, 2017 by Scott Frey Leave a Comment

False Arguments from Authority

There are entirely too many business gurus out there claiming to be in possession of “special knowledge” which is evidently denied to everyone else. The more unpredictable the changes within the specialty, the more people appear who claim to have all the answers about how to run a successful practice.

There is just one problem….. In an increasingly uncertain marketplace, existing business models offer little value, regardless of who is ‘selling’ them. Who out there feels that with the flow of venture capital into the dental space, crushing student loans levels among new graduates, and rapidly shifting technology that the practice of orthodontics is becoming more certain?

Building an orthodontic practice that treats patients well takes hard work. If you are looking for a proxy-parent to tell you how to do it, I hate to break it to you, but there is no such thing as an authority. Furthermore, those offering advice must be subjected to greater scrutiny.

The best way to excel in an uncertain market is to learn faster than your competition. By testing your intuitions quickly and inexpensively, you can help minimize risk, and build a model for practice that best suits your patients today.

The Power of Data in Orthodontics

April 18, 2017 by Sean Holliday Leave a Comment

Data is critical to make the right decisions. “What gets measured gets done” is a key business principle. Across industries and professions, decisions evolve from limited observations, to shared evidence that improves outcomes. Businesses who use data and analytics to drive decision-making continue to outperform their peers.

Orthodontic treatment has improved and will continue to evolve because of shared data and evidence that pushes the specialty and the dental profession forward. The way data is being collected and distributed has changed significantly over the last few years. The power of data was often limited to academics, consultants and industry “insiders” who had the opportunity to review multiple practices, data sets, and research projects. With new digital tools and the development of big data, information that was limited to a few, is now much more accessible.

As Orthodontists, it is important to realize that the digital tools, services, and appliances we are using are contributing to a powerful data set never seen before. Whether you realize it or not, these data sets are growing the value of many leading companies.

Cognitive Data

The decisions made by people are valuable pieces of information. As an example, anyone who has used Facebook boosts to market their practice can realize that your personal Facebook account does not make you their customer. You are actually their product. The content we freely upload to their servers offers invaluable data on buying decisions, items of interest, and very specific demographics that can be purchased for targeted ads. Sharing data is making a huge impact in our personal lives and the most valuable assets of companies such as Facebook, Google and others. Although playing with a smaller subset of data, there are several players in the orthodontic industry who are gaining ground with the power of data.

Business Analytics

Business consultants use metrics from their clients to evaluate market trends and use this data to make best practice recommendations. Each consultant was limited to how many clients they had, and the diversity of the data collected. Third party financial services are now gathering a tremendous amount of data that dwarfs what consultant surveys could do in the past. Currently, two large contributors to business data are OrthoFi and Gaidge.

OrthoFi offers a set of tools for managing financial systems in an orthodontic practice. As this company grows in managing hundreds of thousands of patient contracts, we are starting to see results of their data analytics. Their data will continue to show consumer trends and insight into the orthodontic financial systems.

Gaidge has been collecting data metrics from orthodontic practices for several years. Practice data is well organized to tap into daily updates from orthodontic practice management software. Bar graphs and graphics display the data for review of what is happening in the orthodontic practices enrolled in their service. As this data grows, Gaidge offers comparison groups based on regional groups and practice models. Since they collect data directly from practices on a daily basis, these trends offer many opportunities to evaluate the orthodontic business model and areas of improvement.

Data Mining and Machine Learning

One of the biggest players in this area is Align Technology. The innovations in attachment optimization, SmartForce, SmartStage and outcome simulation are products of the data their Invisalign product has been gathering. Align Technology’s biggest asset is the data it has been collecting from the millions of patients who have been treated with Invisalign. With digital scanners, clincheck, and iOSim, the amount of data gathered is growing exponentially and will continue to grow their product development and commitment to augmenting orthodontic treatment.

Treatment Data Pipelines

The digital age of orthodontics now offers an easier collection channel of treatment data. Intraoral scanners, CBCT data and even smartphone photos offer the opportunity to collect treatment images that can be superimposed and evaluated to reveal the results of treatment decisions.

Dental Monitoring uses the smartphone camera to capture tooth movements and allow orthodontists to monitor patient progress remotely. As this data is collected with their proprietary app and tracking system, a large amount of treatment progress data will also become available to review the effects of compliance and different treatment modalities. As the data is collected, the potential for correlations and treatment data will be revealed.

Orthoscience is a new forum that promises to gather treatment data from CBCT technology for the potential of better treatment decisions. By collecting data from the digital treatment card and 3D data from full head CBCT, much can be gained in learning the impact of treatment decisions. A data set of diagnoses, various treatment plans, and superimposed pre to post treatment data certainly aims to grow objective treatment data.

The Risks of Data Sets

The growth of big data sets will continue to offer many opportunities for us. The future will hold many business models that will grow the influence and power of data. It will be important for all of us to remember that although data sets can help up make solid business and treatment decisions, the source of data and the conclusions from that data are not always crystal clear.

The right approach to data is skeptical, not cynical––it understands that, while powerful, data science tools often fail. Data is nuanced, and “a really excellent skeptic puts the term ‘science’ into ‘data science.'” The big data revolution shouldn’t be dismissed as hype, but current data science tools and models shouldn’t be hailed as the end-all-be-all, either.” – Cathy O’Neil

As doctors, we will have to weigh the data trends and remember that we are ultimately responsible for patient care and treatment results.

There is increasing alarm that the complexity of machine learning may reduce the justification for consequential decisions to “the algorithm made me do it.” Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency in Machine Learning.

When a digital treatment plan suggests a modality that does not make biologic sense, consider that our ultimate role in the treatment of patients will still depend on our ability to discern between data sets and experience to make the final decision.

A Quick Look at Dental Monitoring

April 17, 2017 by Scott Frey Leave a Comment

What is Dental Monitoring?

We are constantly looking for innovative treatment methods and products that can help make treatment more convenient and comfortable for patients. Recently, we had the Dental Monitoring folks come by the office and I think the 3D monitoring product has good potential to help practices; however, they will need to adjust their business model slightly to achieve maximum impact.

Dental Monitoring is a software service that allows patients to use their smart phones to capture tooth movements and communicate them to their orthodontist. This comes in the form of simple 2D photo/video monitoring of tooth position and full 3D monitoring and rendering of tooth movements.

They currently offer three separate plans, which are billed per patient on a monthly basis and you can cancel at any time:

Photo Monitoring ($7.90/mo, 24hr turnaround) – Intra-oral pictures are automatically organized and evaluated by their technicians for broken appliances, poor hygiene, whether established treatment goals have been met and can be used in retention to check for tooth movement.
- DM GoLive (12hr turnaround) – Same as photo monitoring, but designed for Invisalign patients, and additional photos are taken with aligners in place. Based on the position of the teeth relative to the aligners and their aligner fit, the patient is given a ‘Go’ or ‘No Go’ to advance to the next aligner. You can specify whether the patient must take photos before each aligner change or at set intervals.
3D Monitoring Lite ($9.90/mo, 48hr turnaround) – The doctor must upload an .STL file of an initial intra-oral scan (can also upload CBCT to show roots). With the photos and the locators on the the cheek retractors, the software and technicians are able to generate a 3D model of the current tooth position to within 7-9microns (company data). 3D Evaluations can only be done once a month.
Full 3D Monitoring (15.90/mo, 48hr turnaround, volume discounts) – The Full plan is the same as the Lite, only with unlimited 3D evaluations that can be performed during treatment. Both the Lite & Full 3D monitoring allow for quantification of dental movements.

How is this Useful to Your Practice?

The Dental Monitoring service is built on the premise that everyone now carries a smartphone; however, that also means that photo monitoring and FaceTime appointments can be implemented without purchasing additional software. We routinely do this for international and out-of-state patients already so I don’t see the photo monitoring plans offering much value to the practitioner.

The DM GoLive, is an interesting concept, but weekly photo submissions add additional compliance burdens on patients and in my view would be counterproductive to treatment. The patients compliant enough to complete these weekly evaluations aren’t the ones need the service to help titrate their aligner wear effectively. Additionally, all of this can be implemented in-house with a team member assigned to review Invisalign compliance without additional costs.

As opposed to the 2D photo monitoring products, I think there is huge potential in the 3D monitoring plans. Since the 3D modeling is quite accurate (on par with intra-oral scanners) and quantification of individual tooth movements can be performed, as you can see in the chart below:

Remote 3D modeling, opens the door to a few important applications:

Scheduling Optimization – By using 3D monitoring over a specific time period with carefully selected cohorts, you can refine appointment intervals and your mechanics to optimize your schedule.
Reduced Appointments? – Promises of reducing the number of appointments fall a little bit flat because only appointments that don’t require the orthodontist for activation can be eliminated for the patient; otherwise, you are already over-scheduling. Where you will save appointments would be with elastic correction, self-activated appliances like Invisalign, specific space closing mechanics, etc., but this can all be done with in-house photo monitoring.
Streamlining Repositioning Appointments – Combining the 3D monitoring with a low-dose CBCT you have the ability to track roots, allowing you to pre-plan your reposition appointment prior to the patient arriving in the chair. This saves clinical time and allows you to evaluate root position without having to take a radiograph.
Virtual Retention Visits – With 3D monitoring, the stability of alignment can be evaluated without an official visit (ex: while patients are away at college). However, they need to implement pay-per-monitoring pricing for this to be most effective.
Treatment Research & Data-Mining – The ability to quantify individual tooth movements is going to be a huge benefit to researchers, and will help independent practitioners evaluate new products in a more objective fashion. One of the biggest problems in assessing treatment acceleration modalities is that many of the studies lack interim data between wire intervals so the exact impact on the rate of tooth movement is unclear.
Appliance Fabrication – The service will become exponentially more valuable when the 3D modeling can be used to fabricate appliances and retainers while saving the patient a visit. Retainers to recapture slight shifting for out of town patients can be fabricated and sent without a visit, customized finishing archwires can be fabricated in advance of appointments, refinement scans for additional clear aligners with Invisalign, and digital removal of brackets or attachments from patient scans can be used to make final retainers are just a few of the possibilities.

The current verdict on this service is that there is big potential, but it’s main value is in the remote 3D monitoring. If you want photo monitoring only, patients already have a smart phone and the means to provide this data. Additionally, I would love to see them implement a pay-per-scan option, since many of the applications above are better suited for a single use than a monthly plan. This is especially true for retention patients and use for reposition appointments.

All Hail Our Robot Overlords

April 7, 2017 by Scott Frey Leave a Comment

The Impending Robot Apocalypse

The Promethean Myth that we will end up creating a technology that will destroy us appears to be deeply engrained in our human psyche. More and more I am beginning to hear orthodontists say, “the machines are getting smarter, and pretty soon, they’ll come for us.” I prefer not to operate on superstition.

If we are being honest, automation is a problem that we all love to have because it frees us up to do more vital and productive things in our businesses and lives. Greater efficiency through automation is the essence of why we train our orthodontic teams and develop our own clinical systems. It seems to me that the intuitions we have about machine learning, Invisalign, algorithms, automation, etc. are somewhat poorly formed. Technology exists to augment our abilities, not to replace them.

In orthodontics, and in just about every industry, we will need to learn to embrace our non-human co-workers, who will be gathering data and helping us direct patient care. Humans and computers are good at very different things, and a healthy give and take between man and machine will become standard operating procedure.

Artificial intelligence is not the end of the specialty, it is a source of empowerment. However, it is our responsibility to adapt and take advantage of the opportunities ahead.

Beyond the Plastic: What is Behind Clear Aligner Systems

April 3, 2017 by Sean Holliday 1 Comment

With the advent of digital technology in orthodontics, clear aligner therapy has become a large growing segment of orthodontic treatment. In the modern-day orthodontic practice, clear aligner therapy has opened the door to the treatment of many patients who would never have sought out orthodontic treatment. As you consider all the options available for patients, it’s important to consider clear aligner therapy goes beyond the plastic.
The plastic aligner is a delivery device to a much more sophisticated process. Before that aligner is fabricated, there is a full workflow that determines what those aligners will achieve. It begins with the impression of the dentition. Today, this impression is fully digital, and captured by an intraoral scanner. That digital data is sectioned and separated into each component tooth. CAD software then allows for 3D controls that place the teeth in their desired position.The placement of teeth on the CAD software does not guarantee that the actual teeth will respond into that desired outcome. This is where the best practices of tooth movement come into play. An experienced orthodontist will modify the movements that are drafted to maximize the predictability of the final result, plus maintain a healthy outcome. This is where the skill of the doctor determines the success of the patient’s treatment. The staging of the movement, the speed, direction and supporting attachments are the true secrets to success. A proper treatment plan is the critical component.

Are all clear aligner systems the same?

Clear aligner therapy started with sectioning plaster casts and manually placing teeth into position. Some aligner systems still use a digital version of the same technique. The most versatile clear aligner products offer more effective tools in the diagnosis and design of the treatment. These allow the doctor to better control the movements and represent the desired forces into the aligners worn by the patient. The better the software is in designing the treatment, the better the aligner system. The better the available force systems to move teeth, the better the aligner system. And the better the transfer of digital data into the fabrication of the plastic aligner, the better the aligner system. Even rudimentary clear aligner systems can treat simple crowding issues. Only the best clear aligner systems combined with an experienced doctor can achieve the best results treating a full range of simple to complex malocclusions.