Whether you’re a general dentist or a specialist, you’ve probably either used Invisalign® in your practice or have considered using it. For most dental practices, Invisalign works great and is a profitable addition with a high patient-satisfaction rate.
However, if not implemented correctly, Invisalign can be a time-consuming nightmare for a dental practice.
To make Invisalign integration go smoothly, it’s important to be aware of — and prepared for! — the challenges that come with adding this important new treatment option to your practice.
The Challenges of Integrating Invisalign
There are many challenges of successfully integrating Invisalign into a general or specialty dental practice. Here are a few of the most common bumps in the road that dentists encounter when first taking on Invisalign:
- It’s an expensive lab bill. If you get excited and do a lot of Invisalign cases, when that huge lab bill comes in, it can feel like a kick in the gut. Depending on how much money you take as a down payment, you can even have negative cash flow when the bill comes.
- It can be tough to learn the clinical side. Unlike their orthodontist counterparts, most general dentists haven’t had training in moving teeth — it can be daunting to learn proper case selection and treatment planning with Invisalign. Even orthodontists who have spent entire professional lives training to move teeth sometimes find that the Invisalign system can present challenges, especially in getting the predictable movements they want to achieve.
- Managing and finishing cases can also be challenging. You need to have a team that’s well-versed in how to monitor cases, and you need the clinical skills to achieve the beautiful results your patients expect.
- Invisalign comes with its own set of case acceptance challenges. If you’re a general dentist, it can be tricky for you to help your patients understand that you want them to take on orthodontic treatment. It can be hard to get patients to accept treatment, especially if they fail to understand the health problems that can occur if their condition isn’t treated.
Why Dentists Need Invisalign in Their Practice
We believe that all dentists need Invisalign in their practice.
For general and specialty dentists, the orthodontic market is one of the biggest untapped opportunities to grow your practice and expand your business. And for orthodontists, it’s essential to integrate Invisalign simply because more patients are demanding it.
The potential customer base in the orthodontic market is enormous. Nearly 3/4 of the North American adult population could benefit from straighter teeth - yet less than 1% actually seek treatment every year.
Now that we have a more realistic solution than braces for adults to seek orthodontics, it makes sense to educate patients on how the position of their teeth contributes to other dental problems. Integrating Invisalign into your practice will provide patients with an excellent preventative solution - and it’s a great way to grow your practice and be more profitable as well!
Tips for Successfully Integrating Invisalign into Your Dental Practice
To successfully integrate Invisalign into your dental practice, you’ll need to start by following some basic steps. Here are a few essential tips to help you get started:
- Plan for the lab fees. The best way to plan for lab fees is to ensure you’re taking a large enough down payment from the patient. Consider putting those funds in a separate account.
- Consider using a treatment planning service. A treatment planning service will make your cases predictable and easy. Or, if you enjoy learning, make clinical education a regular part of your schedule.
- Utilize all the help you can, especially from Align itself. You Align representatives are there for a reason, and they love to help! Your reps have a wealth of resources to share with you, and they are always willing to help you with implementation. One of the best things you can do is have your Align reps help train your team on managing and finishing your cases successfully.
- Believe in the product and its effectiveness. It goes without saying, but you truly have to believe in the benefits of Invisalign treatment for preventative long-term dental health. Your patients will never trust you if you don’t believe in this yourself.
- Have fun with it! This part is actually really important: if you dislike or dread using Invisalign, you’ll never successfully integrate it. Not only must you believe in the product, but you have to genuinely enjoy using it.
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As always, we are here to help!
We both had long, successful tenures at Align before branching out on our own, and we know how to successfully integrate Invisalign into any general or specialty dental practice.
Check out our Clear Aligner Integration program and learn how we can help you easily integrate Invisalign, grow your practice, and provide your patients an outstanding experience.
Also, check out our new Treatment Planning services, and get rid of your clinical headaches once and for all!
