In this episode, Dr Matthew Ng talks about getting involved in leadership at the state, regional, and national level—from the benefits to the time commitment—and how to get started. 

Join us as Biolase’s Chief Dental Officer, Dr. Russell Morrow, discusses the growing relevance of dental lasers in orthodontic care. As these tools become more affordable, Morrow highlights their potential in treatments such as addressing impacted canines directly within an orthodontist's office.

Morrow also touches on the role of soft tissue lasers in clear aligner therapy and their ability to enhance procedures for better patient outcomes. From accelerated tooth movement using lower wavelength lasers to reducing healing times for oral ailments, laser technology promises improved efficiency and results. Emphasizing the significance of before-and-after photography, Morrow underscores its utility as a tangible record of patient progress. And for practitioners considering this tech? Comprehensive training sessions, like those from Biolase, ensure a smooth transition.

Tune in to learn how lasers are gradually transforming modern dentistry with Dr. Morrow.

What kind of leader are you? Self-motivated? Growth-orientated? Highly successful? Overwhelmed? As Roger P. Levin, DDS, of the orthodontic practice consulting firm Levin Group, puts it, most orthodontists and office managers identify as the latter: overwhelmed.

In this episode, Levin joins host Alison Werner to talk about leadership in the orthodontic practice and how overwhelmed orthodontists and office managers can move from that frustrating stage to that of the highly-successful leader—where the practice is fun, the days are easier, and the practice is at its most lucrative and employees are most satisfied.

As Levin puts it, an orthodontist’s #1 job after clinical orthodontics is being a great leader.” If you do that, he adds, “everything else will fall into place.” So how do you become a great leader and create an environment where everyone wants to work? Levin breaks it down in this episode:

• Levin explains his Four Levels of Leadership—the self-motivated leader, the growth-orientated leader, the overwhelmed leader, and highly-successful leader—and helps orthodontists and their staff identify which type of leader they are. He also explains how you can transition through each of those levels to get to the highly successful leader stage.
• A key aspect of growing as a leader is delegation, and by extension trust. Levin explains why you need to trust your staff and stop micromanaging. But that doesn’t mean you are turning a blind eye. Instead, de explains why you need to shift from managing your staff to measuring results. And if staff miss a measurement, it doesn’t mean they violated your trust. “It means they need mentoring and training—which is what great leaders are happy to do,” says Levin.
• To move through the Four Levels of Leadership, Levin shares his 10 Principles of Leadership and explains how to implement each one. OP

It’s one thing to onboard a new technology into your orthodontic practice; it’s another to make it really work for you and maximize your return on investment. In this episode of the Orthodontic Products podcast, sponsored by Dental Monitoring, host Alison Werner talks to Michelle Shimmin, owner, consultant, and business analyst at Shimmin Consulting, about how to do just that.

• The pandemic exposed consumers to the benefits of virtual appointments and remote monitoring across different facets of their lives, including orthodontics. And as Shimmin explains, they don’t want to give that up. 
• Shimmin discusses the importance of going all in if you are going to invest in a technology. “The most painful and challenging place to live is in that dabbling phase,” she says. 
• When implemented correctly, Shimmin says, practices can experience “remarkable growth” without having to hire more staff, work more doctor days, or build a larger facility. And all this can be done while experiencing less stress, improving the patient experience, and setting the practice apart. 
• Shimmin talks about how the artificial intelligence built into Dental Monitoring and how that gives practices actual data and metrics they can use to not only grow their business, but also improve both management and clinical workflows. 
• Shimmin acknowledges that onboarding a new technology can be daunting, but there are ways to do it successfully. And the first step to success is good communication. She explains how a full-team meeting to discuss the “why” of implementing any new technology is key to getting staff buy-in.  Too often staff members worry a new technology is going to create more work. As Shimmin points out, that doesn’t have to be the case here. 
• As practices implement Dental Monitoring, they’re quickly going to see that they need to adjust their schedule template to maximize the benefits of the platform. Shimmin explains how to do this, and why it needs to start with building a digital workflow. 
• Practices still tend to use remote monitoring technology solely for their clear aligner cases. Shimmin explains the benefits of using it with patients in brackets and wires and how to create a workflow and schedule these patient appointments. 

Innovation is rampant in orthodontics—to the point that we’re seeing innovation within innovation. Take 3D printing, for example. The 3D printer alone—just the printer itself—has been revolutionary. It has allowed the orthodontic practice to take control and fabricate aligners in-office, on their own schedule. But it wasn’t the 3D printer alone that facilitated this. Along the way, additional innovations were needed—chief among them the thermoforming plastic material. And now, these materials are further evolving with a new material that allows for direct 3D-printed aligners. Orthodontic Products Chief Editor Alison Werner spoke to Ki Beom Kim, DDS, PhD, the Dr Lysle Johnston Endowed Chair in Orthodontics, and the program director in the orthodontic department at the Center for Advanced Dental Education at Saint Louis University, on a recent podcast episode about a new material that allows for direct 3D-printed aligners.
Kim and his colleagues have spent the last 3 years testing the Direct Aligner photopolymer material from the South Korean 3D printing material company Graphy. Their findings were recently published in Progress in Orthodontics. The team found that controlling material dimensions, structure, and properties of aligners directly—compared to thermoforming plastic sheets—has the potential to make the process of tooth movement faster, less wasteful, and more precise.

• “If you have a 3D printer, you can now directly print this aligner without having [a] model, without going through the thermoforming process,” said Kim, adding that, with this new FDA approved material, the in-office lab can skip several steps in the current manufacturing workflow, including cutting out the aligners and polishing before delivery to the patient.
• What’s more, according to Kim, with a direct printed aligner, the clinician can more precisely control the thickness and insert bumps as needed. Kim shared that he and his team found that when the orthodontist can control the thickness they can “control the geometric inside of the aligner.” That, and the ability to add bumps, creates a huge opportunity for the orthodontist because it helps reduce the need for attachments, he said.

For Kim, the shape memory polymer used to make the material is very interesting.

• He says it somewhat mimics the behavior of NiTi wire. The difference being that a NiTi wire can be exposed to cold temperature to become more flexible, while this Direct Aligner material becomes totally flexible when placed in warm/hot water. The advantage of this shape memory, according to Kim, is that the patient can maintain the shape—and thus the forces—of the aligner at home. Kim points out that patients remove their aligner up to 10 to 20 times a day to eat. “So think about the plastic deformation” every time they remove the aligner, said Kim. But with this material and some warm water, the shape can be restored. Kim uses the analogy of a deformed plastic Coke bottle. Once it’s deformed, it’s not going back to its original shape. But with this material, he can advise patients to put their aligner in warm water at the end of the day if they notice it’s not tight enough. “It will go back to the original shape so they can maintain [a better fit] every day,” he added.

Now when it comes to forces, Kim shares he has been able to apply bigger activations per aligner, thus saving time in treatment and decreasing the number of aligners over the course of treatment. With traditional thermoforming plastics, Kim points out, something like a .5 mm activation per aligner can create a force level that causes the patient too much discomfort and even pain. But with this material, Kim can do that.

• “I’m constantly putting .5 mm activations and even 5° rotation per aligner, and then have patients wear [the aligner] just a little bit longer—maybe 2 weeks. Sometimes we go longer,” said Kim, adding that with a standard activation of .25 mm per aligner, to move 1 mm you need four aligners. “But if I can put .5 mm activation per aligner [and] have them wear [it] for 2 weeks, then I need only two aligners.”

In this episode, Kim also talks about the hardware requirements, including 3D printer compatibility with the material needed, and the need for a specific type of curing machine. He also talks about the staging software needed to plan cases using direct 3D-printed aligners. What’s more, he talks about retention and his plans to test an on-site retainer-bending machine from YOAT, a medical technology manufacturer based in Seattle. OP

Infection prevention expert Jackie Dorst, RDH, BS, is back on the Orthodontic Products podcast to talk to host Alison Werner about the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency and what is means for the orthodontic practice.

The COVID-19 public health emergency, issued on January 31, 2020, by the U.S. government put in place temporary measures to increase the federal government’s ability to detect and contain the virus. On May 11, 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services allowed the public health emergency to expire. This will bring an end to a number of programs, including those that gave access to free vaccines and treatment for COVID infections. But, as Dorst explains in this episode, the sunsetting of the CDC’s COVID data tracking efforts will have the most impact on the healthcare sector. As Dorst explains, that data provided information on community infectivity which could be used to guide the sector’s infection control protocols. 

In this episode, Dorst breaks down what the end of the public health emergency means for orthodontic practices and her recommendations going forward. She points to the end of staff and patient health screenings for COVID, but reminds practices that basic health screening is still important to protect staff and other patients from other infections. Dorst also talks about the importance of having a return to work policy for staff members who are ill, whether it’s COVID or not and the role masking can still play in the practice beyond those procedures that result in splatters and splashes. And from there, Dorst reminds listeners that OSHA’s respiratory protection standard, which predates the COVID-19 pandemic, and vaccine guidelines are unaffected by the end of the public health emergency. She talks about best practices and shares resources for practices.

To close out the episode on the public health emergency, Dorst addresses the CDC’s recent announcement regarding ventilation in buildings and public spaces. And while it doesn’t pertain to healthcare spaces, she reminds listeners of the CDC guidance for healthcare spaces, including orthodontic offices. OP

Resources mentioned in this episode: 
Immunize.org—Healthcare Personnel Vaccination Recommendations

In this podcast, American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) President Myron Guymon, DDS, MS, joins host Alison Werner for the Orthodontic Products podcast on the Medqor Podcast Network. Guymon, who just started his 1-year term as AAO president, shares his priorities for his term and talks about the ongoing work of the AAO.

Guymon, who is a graduate of Baylor Dental College (now known as Texas A&M School of Dentistry) and went on to open his practice in northern Utah, started in leadership at the component level with the Utah Association of Orthodontists before moving on to leadership roles within the Rocky Mountain Society of Orthodontists. As he was closing out his presidency of the Utah state association, he had his first opportunity to become involved with the AAO with its Council on Communications.

In this episode, Guymon talks about the benefits of being involved in state, regional, and national orthodontic associations. As Guymon says, “We are so much better together as a group.” At the same time, he acknowledges that not every orthodontist wants to get involved in leadership; but there are still a myriad of opportunities to still get involved and make a difference—whether it’s serving on a committee or task force, or simply sending a text to a legislator.

Guymon, who stepped into his term as AAO president for 2023-2024 at the close of the recent AAO Annual Session in Chicago, shares that his number one priority for his term is to be help shepherd the many initiatives that have been launched in recent years—such as TechSelect and the New Product Showcase. As Guymon puts it, the AAO seeks to support and encourage innovation in the profession.

From there, Guymon talks about the latest campaign from the AAO Consumer Awareness Program—or CAP—and the association’s advocacy work. At the federal level, the AAO remains focused on such issues as student load relief and the RAISE Act. But it’s at the state and regulatory level, that Guymon says the AAO has been able to have a more immediate impact. He talks about the AAO’s approach and how its team has been able to monitor and react quickly to ensure the health and safety of the profession and patients.

In this interview, Guymon also shares his thoughts on how the profession has evolved, the AAO’s diversity and inclusion work and upcoming Winter Conference in San Antonio and next Annual Session in New Orleans, and how the AAO can work with DSOs/OSOs. OP

In this podcast, sponsored by DentalMonitoring, Orthodontic Products Chief Editor Alison Werner is joined by Blake Davis, DDS, an orthodontist in private practice at Kirkland Redmond Orthodontics in Washington to talk about remote monitoring, the role it plays in practice growth, and how it fits into the digital workflow of today’s orthodontic practice.

When Davis started his private practice 6 years ago, he was limited on space; the only spaces available were under 1,200 feet. But within this space, Davis built out four chairs and relied on technology and a digital workflow to make that small space as useful and productive as possible. 

Three year’s later, Davis’ practice went a step further and went fully digital—adopting customized treatment for both aligners and brackets, and with that remote monitoring—all in an effort to grow the practice.

As Davis describes it, the decision to go fully digital was a big one, but it was also purposeful and intentional. And a key component of that was choosing the right technologies. On the bracket front, that was LightForce’s custom 3D-printed bracket system. And for remote monitoring, it was DentalMonitoring. That platform, he says, allowed him to “exponentially grow and change” his practice’s capacity. 

In the 2+ years since implementing DentalMonitoring, Davis says his practice has seen increased production, starts, and volume, all while not growing the team—and having more time to spend with family. 

Davis, who didn’t implement DentalMonitoring until the latter half of 2020, talks about he relied on a self-created app in the early days of the pandemic to monitor patients virtually. But he and his staff could only manage 50 to 60 patients at a time. Knowing he needed a more robust system to expand, he turned to DentalMonitoring and with its AI tools now monitors close to 1,000 patients in his practice. DentalMonitoring, he says, has allowed him to increase his practice’s capacity without adding additional salaries or infrastructure costs. 

In this episode, Davis not only shares the advice he was given when implementing DentalMonitoring—to go all in and use it with both his bracket and aligner patients—but also how DentalMonitoring has been key to growing his practice while keeping his fixed costs in check. He also talks about the data he looks at to know that this platform is helping him grow and giving him the ROI he needs to know this is a worthwhile investment. What’s more, he talks about how his practice manages patients using DentalMonitoring, including the staffing and scheduling considerations. OP

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

In this episode, sponsored by ClearCorrect, Orthodontic Products Chief Editor Alison Werner talks to Mark Lowe, DDS, an orthodontist in private practice in Fresno, Calif. A frequent lecturer on aligner therapy, he joins the podcast to talk about aligner treatment, why he’s opted to use ClearCorrect aligners in his practice, and the features the brand brings to the table.

In practice since 1991, Lowe is an early adopter of clear aligners, and has watched the treatment modality evolve over the last 25 years. Digital technology has been a key driver of the evolution in aligner treatment, he says, even more so in the last 5 years. But it’s not just intraoral scanning, treatment planning, remote monitoring, and AI technology that have moved the treatment modality forward; the thermal plastics have increased the range and predictability of movement. As Lowe puts it, there has been “tremendous change” in the last 5 years.

Lowe has been a ClearCorrect user for much of his career. He shares how he initially came to the brand with the intention of treating mild malocclusions with aligners, but after using it for some time, he saw how the ClearCorrect aligners could be effective with moderate and then more complex malocclusions. What’s more, he talks about patient response to the aligners. At times, Lowe has used other aligner brands in his practice—and has even used multiple aligner brands with the same patient, which allowed him to receive some unique patient feedback. One point they made, they preferred ClearCorrect’s high trimline over the scalloped trimline found on other brands. That increased comfort translates into better retention and more predictable movement, according to Lowe.

As Lowe talks about the more predictable movement that comes with better retention, he makes the point that more predictable movement allows him to avoid using a lot of attachments. Lowe believes much of aligner therapy today is over engineered, with an over reliance on attachments. From a clinical standpoint, for him, ClearCorrect’s high trimline allows him to treat the way he wants to treat.

In this episode, Lowe also talks about ClearPilot 6.0, ClearCorrect’s latest treatment planning platform and its global footprint. ClearCorrect accepts scans from multiple intraoral scanners when planning aligner treatment. In addition, the company has the ClearCorrect Clinic app which the team can use to communicate with and educate patients. He also shares how he appreciates his relationship to ClearCorrect and the fact that they listen to experienced clinicians as they seek to improve the product. As he says, “They understand that the orthodontist is truly their customer.”

Lowe also shares his experience growing his solo orthodontic practice and working with a pediatric dentistry group practice. He talks about the benefits and challenges of each, balancing his clinical and business owner roles, and the dynamics of the two practices. In addition, he talks about how he has embraced remote monitoring to make treating patients who are on the go easier and more efficient. OP