Dr Roger P. Levin, founder and CEO of the practice management consulting firm Levin Group, joins the podcast to discuss the findings of the Third Annual Orthodontic Practice Survey. The joint project between Orthodontic Products and Levin Group looks at how practices fared in the last year—surveying everything from production, practice overhead, patient volume, referral sources, starts and orthodontic fees, appointment intervals, remote monitoring, and the challenges facing orthodontic practices. 

Five key takeaways from this discussion: 

1. Orthodontic production dropped slightly in 2023 but the industry remains relatively stable.

2. Rising overhead costs, especially related to staffing, need to be offset by increasing production through better systems and strategies.

3. Staffing challenges are a major issue for orthodontic practices and retaining existing staff is important.

4. Referral sources are diversifying and practices need varied marketing approaches targeting different referral channels.  

5. Remote monitoring will likely play a larger role in orthodontics going forward, changing patient visit intervals and practice management.

Orthodontists will walk away from this conversation with insight into the issues and trends facing their industry and Levin’s advice on how to proactively organize the orthodontic practice for future economic growth. As he puts it, take advantage of today’s relative stability to set your practice up to thrive amidst any future instability.