Adding orthodontics to your dental practice offerings is a game changer!

There is no question that we see orthodontics everywhere today. We see it on social media, television, and in print ads. It is not surprising that orthodontics is in high demand because it prevents long-term dental problems and obviously creates beautiful smiles. Why should you consider it wise to add orthodontics to your practice, aside from the financial gain? 

Orthodontics is a major practice builder because treatment spans over a long period of time and helps you build a stronger relationship with your patients. If you haven’t thought about it before, here are the top three reasons you should strongly think about implementing orthodontics to your practice.

1. Young people benefit from orthodontics.

If you are a general or pediatric dentist treating children and adolescents, orthodontics should 100% be a part of your treatment regime. Nearly 45% of children can benefit from orthodontics to correct functional problems, and up to 75% of patients can seek improvement to straighten teeth or improve facial aesthetics.

Pediatric patients can be evaluated for orthodontics as early as 7 years old for issues like missing teeth, extra teeth, impacted teeth, crowding, cross-bites, and sleep related disorders. When you add orthodontics to your practice, you’re not just offering a new treatment, you’re also giving patients a chance to improve their overall health.

Orthodontics in young patients can mean using palate expanders, straight wire orthodontics, and appliances to help make space for their adult teeth and follow their orthodontic journey into permanent dentition. When you take orthodontic training courses with the American Orthodontic Society (AOS), they educate and prepare you to tackle early orthodontic cases. Parents will appreciate the knowledge and dedication you are providing your patients so they can avoid long-term problems, such as increased risk of tooth decay, impacted teeth, space issues, and sleep problems.

2. It keeps treatment under one roof.

Orthodontics is a hot topic in dentistry, and the truth is, if you’re not offering it, there is a good chance your competitor down the block is. Patients who need or want orthodontics to straighten their smiles may take their family elsewhere simply for the sake of convenience.

Providing orthodontics is providing comprehensive dental care for your patients. Parents and children are occupied with school and work-related activities and sometimes finding a dentist that offers all treatment under one roof is just more convenient and beneficial for a busy family. Becoming a multi-speciality office is not an overnight process. The American Orthodontic Society helps guide you with all practice management aspects so you can understand the best ways to market your new orthodontic services and train your team so they are on board with the new speciality.

Many patients prefer all their treatment at one practice because it also shows the dentist is capable of completely treating your dental health. If you begin referring out all speciality services, you’ll notice a decrease in revenue, but also some patients may leave because they may assume you’re not providing comprehensive care.

3. It does not require major start-up costs.

One of the perks about adding orthodontics to your practice is that it doesn’t take much to start. The good news is you already have the patient demographic in your practice, so marketing is really an internal effort. The equipment and supplies needed are minimal compared to the lucrative reimbursements for orthodontics, which typically range $5,000 – $8,000 per case. This means that if you only treat two new cases per month, you have the potential to generate an additional $120,000 per year.

Orthodontic courses for dentists are a great way to network with other dentists and see what is necessary to begin and what can wait. The American Orthodontic Society is also committed to helping you choose vendors and equipment companies that are reputable and priced fairly. When you start to see a return on your investment, you’ll quickly realize how beneficial orthodontics is for both you and your patients.

Learn more about how the American Orthodontic Society can benefit you and your patients.

The biggest investment is making time to attend orthodontic training courses, but remember that courses by the American Orthodontic Society offer continuing education credits that you must take to maintain your license. In a way, you are expanding your professional growth by taking orthodontic courses because you can tangibly use the skills you learn with an orthodontic education.

If you are looking to boost your practice revenue and transform the image of your practice, orthodontics is one of the best treatments to offer patients. It is necessary for the health of your patients, but it’s also an easy service to incorporate since most people can benefit from both functional and cosmetic changes to their smiles. The first step is committing to an orthodontics education with the American Orthodontic Society so you can efficiently add orthodontics without any stress. Visit their website today to learn the many ways in which incorporating orthodontics into your practice can serve you and your patients.