Creating Your Competitive Advantage with an Orthodontic Assistant

Dentistry in the United States is in a period of transformation. The population is aging and becoming more diverse. The health care delivery system is changing rapidly with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Consumer habits are shifting with Americans increasingly relying on technology and seeking greater value from their spending.” (American Dental Association, Diringer & Associates)

As this transformation occurs, there are multiple resources available to practitioners today involving how to create more value and productivity for their practice. Integrating orthodontics into your general or pediatric practice, is one of the most valuable and vital options available to you.

As you implement this into your service mix, a key element in making this successful for you, your team and ultimately your patients is maximizing a qualified orthodontic assistant. As Cathy Jameson, PhD, founder of Jameson Management, a management, marketing and hygiene coaching firm says “the assistant can have a powerful impact on the patient’s willingness to cooperate during treatment and through careful and caring education can plant a seed of value in the mind of the patient that will give him/her the desire to follow through— even on their own.”

Whether you have been offering orthodontics in your practice for several years or just getting started, you may wonder how having an orthodontic assistant would make a difference in your practicing life and how to even begin. Let’s explore the five keys to making an orthodontic assistant in your Gp/pedo practice a success.