In this podcast episode, host Alison Werner is joined by Deborah Solomon, DDS, an orthodontist in private practice in Beverly Hills and Los Angeles to talk about her boutique practice, which includes an at-home concierge service, and why she recently implemented a Retainers for Life program into her practice.

To get started, Solomon talks about how she spent the first part of her career as an active-duty general dentist with the U.S. Air Force and then worked for a corporate practice after finishing her orthodontics residency. It wasn’t until the pandemic hit, when she had time on her hands, that she decided it was time to start her own practice from scratch. Solomon shares how two local dentists—one a general dentist, the other a pediatric dentist—helped her start her boutique practice, offering her space within their practices. The two doctors seeing her work were soon referring their patients to her.

The pandemic was also the reason Solomon built out an at-home concierge service. The city of Beverly Hills had stricter rules than the city of Los Angeles around orthodontists seeing patients in-person in those early days. To keep seeing patients in her boutique practice, Solomon took advantage of the fact that she had an iTero Flex intraoral scanner from Align Technology and a portable dental unit and hit the road. In this episode, she shares what the set up looks like for her and her assistant; why this is a great way to connect with the rest of the patient’s family, and how this service can be a great way to connect with and serve immunocompromised patients and those with anxiety.

From there, Solomon talks about how she recently implemented a Retainers for Life program into her boutique practice. Solomon’s goal is to make the program affordable for her patients and to make it something they sign up for when they sign up for orthodontic treatment. She breaks down her fees and how her treatment coordinator includes it as part of the initial consultation. As Solomon puts it, “No patient starts treatment without understanding that you need to do retainers after.”

Finally, Solomon talks about the orthodontic technologies and products that have her attention—from uLab Systems and Brava by Brius to 3D printing; and how she has carved out a niche for herself in the very saturated Los Angeles orthodontic market with a boutique practice that stands out with its unique at-home concierge and retainers for life offerings. OP