Set your practice up for sustainable growth. 

Are you currently considering taking a GP orthodontics course, but you’re unsure if you can or should fit it into your budget? If so, you are most likely a good candidate for adding orthodontics to your practice. 

GP orthodontics courses do require an investment of your time, money, and energy, and taking it lightly is the first step toward it not working out for you. This means that the fact that you are concerned about how to afford CE courses means you’re on the right track. 

To create a successful financial plan for your first GP orthodontics course, try these 7 tips. 

1. Take stock of your budget.

Assessing where both your personal and practice budget currently stand should always be the first step when you’re considering financing for GP orthodontic courses. You should have a solid amount set aside to pay for CE courses—not only for you, but for your team members as well. 

If you don’t have these funds set aside, we recommend saving at least 30% of your paycheck each month, and not spending more than 5% of your yearly salary on courses.

2. Make sure it’s the right time.

You may be set on taking a GP orthodontics course at some point in your career, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that right now is the best possible time to do so. For example, if you’ve added another service to your practice’s offerings within the past year, it’s probably not ideal to add another service so quickly. 

That doesn’t mean you can never add orthodontics services to your practice, however. In fact, this is the perfect time to develop a plan on how to afford CE courses. Start setting aside money now, and you’ll have one of the biggest hurdles out of the way when the time is right to add more services to your practice.

3. Consider what type of treatment you’ll offer.

There are a few different avenues you can take with the treatment you plan on specializing in, and the path you choose is going to determine the GP orthodontics courses you’ll need to take. Ask yourself: will you be focusing on early Phase I treatment—tweens and early teens—or mainly college kids and adults?

Considering your current client base can make answering this question easier. While you hope to bring in new clients with your expanded services, it is also important to make sure you cater to your current client base.

4. Keep the needs of your team in mind.

Adding orthodontic services to your practice is not something you can do all on your own. You’re going to need your team to be on board with you, and you’ll need to consider that your dental assistants, hygienists, and front office staff are going to require some training as well.

These are key factors that shouldn’t be ignored when it comes to financing for GP orthodontic courses. If you feel the price is too high to bring everyone up to speed, it may not be the time for you to take these courses on.

5. Select quality courses.

Not all GP orthodontic courses are created equal, so you want to make sure you’ve carefully vetted the courses you’re taking to ensure they’re comprehensive and will afford you the knowledge you need to make your investment worthwhile. 

Paying less money for a subpar course will cost you more money in the long run.

6. Consider a membership with an orthodontics organization.

Membership with an orthodontics organization is one of the more overlooked tips on how to afford CE courses, but it can make a substantial difference in your financial planning and other areas of your practice as well. 

If you’re a member of an orthodontics organization that offers CE courses, you can not only get discounts on their course offerings, but you can also gain access to a wealth of other benefits, such as networking opportunities and up-to-date information via journals.

7. Look into a financing plan.

The American Orthodontic Society helps dentists who are aspiring to add orthodontics to their service offerings by providing financing plans that can break down their expenses into regular payments. For many, this flexibility can mean the difference between affording the courses and foregoing them indefinitely.

Don’t forget the ROI.

When you’re weighing all of these factors in trying to determine whether GP orthodontic courses are the right move for you and your dental practice, make sure to consider the return on your investment. 

If you can weather the financial storm now and commit yourself to marketing your new services, it shouldn’t be long before your investment starts paying dividends.

Interested in adding orthodontics services to your dental practice?

The American Orthodontic Association offers a range of GP orthodontic courses with affordable financing options. Call us today to learn more about how we can help you grow your practice.