Within the practices of dentistry and orthodontics, we tend to view relationships linearly.
A patient goes to their dentist twice a year, maybe comments on their smile at one point, and how they’re not happy with it. The dentist takes a look, maybe makes some suggestions, and either takes on the case or refers the patient to an orthodontist for further consultation. The patient may see the ortho, they may not, but once they do, the conversation around their smile shifts to that clinician, presumably ending the conversation with their dentist.
However, the practice of improving someone’s smile is really a collaboration of clinical experience with the inclusion of technology and up-to-date practices. Feeling tied to wires and brackets as the only treatment plan prevents patients from really seeing the full gamut of options they can have.
So, how do we take a linear relationship and make it collaborative? How do we ensure up-to-date practices factor into the conversation?
Ask the experts at On Demand Orthodontist (ODO). They know.
What is ODO?
The first concierge-assisted orthodontic platform, On Demand Orthodontist helps progressive clinicians look after patients in need of assistance with their smile in a whole new way. With fewer in-office visits, and remote monitoring, ODO makes things simpler and better for the patient by supporting clinicians in a way that makes malocclusion treatment efficient.
Through a treatment plan customized for each patient, crafted in conjunction with both the patient’s clinician and the ODO team, an aligner-based strategy is at the ready. This strategy for treatment improves patient accountability and revolutionizes monitoring for an effective process that’s truly collaborative.
With ODO, the relationship between the patient and the clinician gets stronger, while the clinician enjoys the full-backing of an experienced orthodontist who has led the field in aligner treatments, Dr. John Warford.
The efficiency of dental monitoring technology
Among the many impressive aspects of ODO is the use of dental monitoring. This newer piece of technology addresses the number one issue aligner users face — if you don’t wear them, they don’t work.
Dental monitoring technology allows patients to scan their teeth and gums with the use of their mobile phone, then send the image results directly to their clinician. You can request and review images as frequently as necessary for that particular patient.
The benefit to this added piece of tech, besides four in-office visits or less during treatment (in most malocclusions), is patient accountability. Efficacy of the treatment plan remains high because patients are more likely to participate when they know they’re getting checked from home. Not only that, but with additional opportunities to check on patient progress, adjustments can get made much faster if necessary.
Dental monitoring also improves communication between the patient and the clinician. As Dr. Warford says, “it keeps the train on the tracks.”
Cosmetic dentistry and orthodontics
Dentists have never been totally out of the game when it comes to adjusting a patient’s smile. Those who’re interested in this area can provide cosmetic dentistry services alongside their regular cleanings and cavity fillings. The periodic orthodontic case is usually on the table as well.
Cosmetic dentistry is like a smile makeover. Services can improve the appearance of your smile, but may not always give you a “functional occlusion.” Treatments like whitening, veneers, bonding, crowns, inlays and onlays, bridges, and even implants are all considered part of cosmetic dentistry.
Orthodontics also impacts the quality of your smile in a similar way, but through traditional braces or aligners, teeth actually move into a more optimal position rather than working within the space that is already there.
Many patients may require a little from column A and a little from column B to complete their treatment.
Traditionally, that could have meant having two clinicians working on a single patient’s smile at the same time. That’s not always easy, especially if each clinician is in their own office. It could mean twice as many in-office visits and challenges around communication, a vital component to an efficient process.
ODO changes the game by supporting the cosmetic dentist to combine orthodontics and cosmetic dentistry under one roof. The full series of steps can happen with minimal in-office visits without sacrificing the resources of multiple doctors. Since ODO introduces the support of an orthodontist, a dentist can effectively create and implement a full treatment plan that may involve orthodontics and veneers or orthodontics and implants, etc.
What Is The Experience Like For The Patient?
Paul and Azrael Slope, a father and daughter team, are real patients benefiting from ODO.
Working with their dentist, Dr. Nomi Mujahid, this pair is seeing results. It was something that Paul had always wanted for himself, but saw too many roadblocks to getting aligners previously. Once his daughter was in need, he saw a golden opportunity for himself.
ODO greatly reduced the number of in-office visits for the pair, and remote monitoring fits into Paul’s high expectations on the quality of the work being done. He considers it the best of both worlds, with multiple expert clinicians working on his smile. He specifically cites how easy it is, with the ODO system, to ask a question and get a quick response from his Dentist (Dr. Nomi) as he utilizes Dental Monitoring technology.
Azriel just wants to beat her dad to getting her teeth straightened first.
The benefits of introducing ODO
into your dental practice
For Dr. Nomi, ODO was another way for him to embrace the future of dentistry. He’s passionate about using technology to make amazing things happen for his patients and finds it exciting how much can happen with a patient’s picture and a 3D scan of their smile.
ODO proved attractive for Dr. Nomi because the workflow addresses the uniqueness of each patient, allowing him to incorporate both cosmetic and orthodontic changes into a patient’s smile makeover. ODO meets the needs of the busy lifestyles of his patients and lets him feel like he has an orthodontist directly on his team.
Bringing ODO into his dental practice makes it possible to craft the right treatment plan for each patient and implement it in an effective way.
