If you are interested in becoming an Orthosnap provider, follow this helpful checklist for clear aligner success in your dental practice. When you follow this guide step by step, you will be treating plenty of patients in a snap!
If you have already treated a few patients, you can skip ahead to where you are currently at with your Orthosnap treatment.
Step #1: Register
The first step in becoming an Orthosnap provider is to register as one!
Being an Orthosnap provider does not require any CEs, certificates, or special training, but there are plenty of helpful resources on our website. We do suggest you spend some time learning more about how OrthoSnap clear aligners work.
If you have any specific questions now or in the future, you can reach out to our support team at support@orthosnap.com. For your convenience, we are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Step #2: Prepare Your Practice
Becoming an Orthosnap provider is not complex. It does not require any new software or equipment.
Most general dentist office’s already have everything needed. However, some dentists find they want to improve their ability to take good clinical photos.
The first step to getting a patient started on clear aligners is the pre-evaluation. For this, we need photos of your patient taken at eight specific angles. These photos help our technicians set the initial articulation properly.
Suggestions for good clinical photos include:
A good digital camera. For intraoral photography, a dedicated ring flash and macro lens produce optimal results.
Full arch and lateral view intraoral mirrors.
Cheek retractors.
A solid wall or white background. This helps ensure clarity of the patient’s facial features.
A vertically adjustable chair or stool.
Optional but preferred, we suggest a backlight equipped with a “slave flash.”
Impressions
For our lab technicians to fabricate the clear aligners, we will need impressions. Even if you are only treating one arch, the perfect fit of our clear aligners requires both arches and a bite registration.
Please note, we cannot produce aligners from plaster models or alginate impressions.
Instead, we need Polyether, PVS, or VPS impressions. As for trays, you can use any trays you prefer, just please keep in mind we will not send them back to you, so you may want to use disposable trays.
IPR (Interproximal Reductions)
While Orthosnap clear aligners require far fewer IPRs than other aligners, you may have to perform IPR at some point. Our suggestion, however, is to start with simple cases. Once you get more comfortable and experienced, you can begin to treat more complex cases.
Therefore, the needed equipment for IPR can most likely wait.
For IPR, you will need abrasive strips (extra-fine, fine, and medium), a 0.1 mm one-sided disc, and 0.15 and 0.2 mm two-sided discs. You will also want an IPR thickness gauge.
Decide on Your Pricing
For pricing, you will want to consider the cost of materials, such as for impressions, the complexity of the case with expected treatment planning and chairside time, and our lab fees.
Consider Attending our Seminar
While not required to be an Orthosnap provider, many dentists have found our seminar extremely helpful. We hold our Clear Aligner Technology seminar, which also includes a hands-on-workshop, at our Westbury, NY lab. This does provide CE credits.
Step #3: Treat Your First Patient
Start simple.
Find a patient without major crowding who does not require any of the more difficult movements. Posterior teeth are more difficult to correct than anterior teeth. Extrusions and rotations are much more difficult than tipping.
Consider starting with a friend, family member, or team member. Or maybe even yourself!
Step #4: Make Aligners a Priority in Your Practice
Once you get comfortable with clear aligner treatment, put practices into place that will bring you more aligner patients.
Some ways to get aligner patients include:
Talk with your current patients when they come in for cleanings or restorative work. Ask them if they are happy with their smile. Explain the health benefits of treating malocclusion that go beyond cosmetics.
Put together a before-and-after photo book you can show to patients.
Have a sample aligner so patients can see how clear and thin they are.
Advertise Orthosnap in your practice. Consider placing brochures and posters throughout your office.
Step #5: Assign Responsibilities to Your Team
Involve your entire team. Get them excited about offering patients beautiful smiles. Let them know how much you value their input by asking them for their ideas to promote aligner treatment.
Educate your team about the basics of clear aligner treatment. Make sure they all know how to get in touch with our support team. Encourage them to browse our website and learn more. Consider having your hygienists and dental assistants attend our seminar with you.
Discuss progress at regular team meetings. Continually ask for feedback and offer encouragement.
Receptionist can ask patients to fill out a questionnaire or survey.
Hygienists can initiate conversations about clear aligner treatment when cleaning the teeth of a patient with malocclusion. When educated properly, hygienists can be your number one salesforce.
Dental assistants can offer a lot of help when treating aligner patients. They can take the clinical photos, set up equipment, encourage and educate the patients about compliance and how to care for aligners, document notes, order aligners, and maybe even fill out the necessary information for you on our website.
Step #6: Market Your OrthoSnap Treatment Services
When you are serious about providing orthodontic treatment and feel ready to advance to more complex cases, it is time to do outside marketing.
Update your website with information about Orthosnap clear aligner treatment. Be sure to utilize search engine optimization (SEO). You may want to consider hiring a marketing consultant for maximum benefits with online marketing. They can also help you with increasing your social media presence and online/social media advertising.
Send out promotional materials, such as postcards, flyers, and emails, to current and potential new patients.
Consider offering a promotional special, such as a free initial consultation, a discount, or free whitening with aligner treatment.
Promote clear aligners by creating an on-hold message.
Treat your team members one at a time. This way, when patients have questions, they can talk with the team member currently wearing aligners.
When you have a happy patient (even if it’s your spouse or a team member!), have them write reviews about their experience with you and how happy they are with their beautiful new smile.
Hold raffles, giveaways, and contests to generate leads for potential aligner patients.
Related Topics and Information:
Click to learn more about Starting a New Case and Special Instructions When Creating a Case.
If you have questions or need to speak with someone at Orthosnap, please reach out to us at support@orthosnap.com.