Ortho Tribune U.S. No. 5, 2012

OrthoVOICE: It’s about ‘education - fun - giving back’ / What does it mean to ‘do research’? / PCSO to host its 100th annual meeting in Monterey - Calif. / Handling problem employees / Industry

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ORTHO TRIBUNE
The World’s Orthodontic Newspaper · U.S. Edition

PCSO/ORTHOVOICE 2012 — Vol. 7, No. 5

www.ortho-tribune.com

OrthoVOICE: It’s about
‘education, fun, giving back’
Annual October
event set for Paris
& Bally’s Resort
in Las Vegas
Enhanced social events and a focus
on presenting outstanding clinical
and entrepreneurial ideas in a fresh
environment have attendees and
event organizers preparing for another dynamic “social meeting” experience at the OrthoVOICE 2012, which
takes place Oct. 11–13 at Paris & Bally’s
Resort in Las Vegas.
Leading off with a sure-to-be entertaining and educational talk with Dr.
Lysle Johnston, OrthoVOICE attendees
are in for a wild ride of mind-stretching ideas for practice growth, according to organizers.
With a unique take on building the
speaker lineup and creative social
events, OrthoVOICE is set to be orthodontics’ most innovative and socially
interactive meeting of the year, its organizers say.
“For OrthoVOICE, it’s about education, fun and giving back,” according

The Paris &
Bally’s Resort
in Las Vegas
will provide an
exciting
backdrop
for the
OrthoVOICE
event
in October.
Photo/

” See OrthoVOICE, page 3

www.sxc.hu

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[2] =>

From the Editor

Ortho Tribune U.S. Edition | PCSO/OrthoVOICE 2012

What does it mean
to ‘do research’?

As Part I left off, the following outline
and categories explain the differences
between various research approaches:
I Quantitative research
II Qualitative research
• Phenomenology
• Ethnography
• Case study
• Grounded theory
• Historical
III Mixed research
• Quantitative research — is research
that involves an investigative approach
that is often used in science, medical
and dental milieu; it refers to the systematic and empirical investigation
of a social phenomenon via statistical,
mathematical or computational techniques and developing or employing
mathematical models, theories and hypotheses pertaining to phenomena.
The process of measurement is vital to quantitative research because it
provides the fundamental connection
between empirical observation and
mathematical expression of quantitative relationships. Quantitative data is
any data that is in numerical form such
as statistics, percentages, etc., and relies
primarily on the collection of quantitative data and typically follows all the
paradigm characteristics of quantitative research, which is either experimental or non-experimental research.
The basic building blocks of quantitative research are variables. Variables are
the opposite of constants (something
that cannot vary, such as a single value
or category of a variable).
• Qualitative research — is research
that relies on the collection of qualitative data by seeking out the “why,” not
the “how,” of its topic through the analysis of unstructured information, such as
interview transcripts, open-ended survey responses, e-mails, notes, feedback
forms, photos and videos. It doesn’t just

Publisher & Chairman
Torsten Oemus t.oemus@dental-tribune.com
Chief Operating Officer
Eric Seid e.seid@dental-tribune.com
Group Editor
Robin Goodman r.goodman@dental-tribune.com
Editor in Chief ORTHO Tribune
Prof. Dennis Tartakow
d.tartakow@dental-tribune.com
International Editor Ortho Tribune
Dr. Reiner Oemus r.oemus@dental-tribune.com

Part two
By Dennis J. Tartakow,
DMD, MEd, EdD, PhD, Editor in Chief

ORTHO TRIBUNE

Managing Editor ORTHO Tribune
Sierra Rendon s.rendon@dental-tribune.com

rely on statistics or numbers, which are
the domain of quantitative researchers.
A qualitative research study is an investigative approach or method of inquiry
employed in many different academic
and social sciences disciplines that are
concerned with society and human behaviors.
These include: anthropology, archaeology, criminology, economics, education, linguistics, political science, international relations, sociology, geography,
history, law and psychology. A qualitative research study is used frequently in
market research, which is any organized
effort to gather information about customers or markets and often a very important component of business strategy.
Qualitative researchers aim to gather
in-depth understanding of human behavior and the reasons that govern such
behavior, investigating the why and how
of decision-making and not just what,
where or when.
Qualitative research is used to gain
insight into people’s attitudes, behaviors, value systems, concerns, motivations, aspirations, culture or lifestyles.
It’s used to inform business decisions,
policy formation, communication and
research. Focus groups, in-depth interviews, content analysis, ethnography,
evaluation and semiotics are among
the many formal approaches that are
used, but qualitative research also involves the analysis of any unstructured
material, including customer feedback
forms, reports or media clips.
Collecting and analyzing this unstructured information can be messy and
time consuming using manual methods. When faced with volumes of materials, finding themes and extracting
meaning can be a daunting task.
Below are examples of five different
types of qualitative research approaches:
• Phenomenology — The researcher attempts to understand how one or more
individuals experience a phenomenon.
For example, interviewing 20 widows
and asking them to describe their experiences of the deaths of their husbands.
Phenomenological research investigates
various reactions to or perceptions of
a particular phenomenon. It assumes
some commonality to the perceptions
of human beings and how they interpret
similar experiences, seeking to identify,
understand and describe these commonalities.
• Ethnography — The researcher focuses on describing the culture of a
group of people. Note that a culture
is the shared attitudes, values, norms,
practices, language and material things
of a group of people. For example, decid-

ing to live in Mohawk communities and
study the culture and their educational
practices.
• Case study — The researcher focuses
on providing a detailed account of one
or more cases. For an example, studying
a classroom that was given a new curriculum for technology use.
• Grounded theory — This is an approach to generate and develop a theory
from data that the researcher collects.
For an example, collecting data from
parents who have pulled their children
out of public schools and develop a
theory to explain how and why this phenomenon occurs, ultimately developing
a theory of school pull-out.
• Historical — These are research
events that occurred in the past. For
example, studying the use of corporeal
punishment in schools during the 19th
century.
• Mixed research — is research that
involves the mixing of quantitative
and qualitative methods or paradigm
” See RESEARCH page6

Managing Editor Show Dailies
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Marketing director
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Dental Tribune America, LLC
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Phone (212) 244-7181
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Published by Dental Tribune America
© 2012 Dental Tribune America, LLC
All rights reserved.
Dental Tribune strives to maintain the utmost accuracy in its news and clinical reports. If you find a
factual error or content that requires clarification,
please contact Managing Editor Sierra Rendon at
s.rendon@dental-tribune.com.
Dental Tribune cannot assume responsibility for the
validity of product claims or for typographical errors. The publisher also does not assume responsibility for product names or statements made by advertisers. Opinions expressed by authors are their own
and may not reflect those of Dental Tribune America.

Editorial Board

Image courtesy of Dr. Earl Broker.

Corrections
Ortho Tribune strives to maintain the utmost
accuracy in its news and clinical reports. If
you find a factual error or content that
requires clarification, please report the details
to Managing Editor Sierra Rendon at
s.rendon@dental-tribune .com.

Tell us what you think!
Do you have general comments or criticism you
would like to share? Is there a particular topic
you would like to see articles about in Ortho
Tribune? Let us know by emailing feedback@
dentaltribune. com. We look forward to hearing
from you! If you would like to make any change
to your subscription (name, address or to opt
out) please send us an email at database@
dental-tribune.com and be sure to include which
publication you are referring to. Also, please note
that subscription changes can take up to 6 weeks
to process.

Jay Bowman, DMD, MSD (Journalism & Education)
Robert Boyd, DDS, MEd (Periodontics & Education)
Earl Broker, DDS (T.M.D. & Orofacial Pain)
Tarek El-Bialy, BDS, MS, MS, PhD
(Research, Bioengineering & Education)
Donald Giddon, DMD, PhD (Psychology & Education)
Donald Machen, DMD, MSD, MD, JD, MBA
(Medicine, Law & Business)
James Mah, DDS, MSc, MRCD, DMSc
(Craniofacial Imaging & Education)
Richard Masella, DMD (Education)
Malcolm Meister, DDS, MSM, JD (Law & Education)
Harold Middleberg, DDS (Practice Management)
Elliott Moskowitz, DDS, MSd (Journalism & Education)
James Mulick, DDS, MSD
(Craniofacial Research & Education)
Ravindra Nanda, BDS, MDS, PhD
(Biomechanics & Education)
Edward O’Neil, MD (Internal Medicine)
Donald Picard, DDS, MS (Accounting)
Howard Sacks, DMD (Orthodontics)
Glenn Sameshima, DDS, PhD (Research & Education)
Daniel Sarya, DDS, MPH (Public Health)
Keith Sherwood, DDS (Oral Surgery)
James Souers, DDS (Orthodontics)
Gregg Tartakow, DMD (Orthodontics) & Ortho
Tribune Associate Editor

[3] =>

Ortho Tribune U.S. Edition | PCSO/OrthoVOICE 2012

events

3

PCSO to host its 100th annual
meeting in Monterey, Calif.
By Sierra Rendon, Managing Editor

The Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists
will host its annual session in Monterey,
Calif., from Oct. 4–7.
This year’s meeting will be the group’s
centennial celebration, “A Century of
Smiles.” Founded in 1912, the group was
created to serve members in the region
through educational programs, professional publications and advocacy. The
group is one of the oldest and largest constituents of the AAO and serves members
from Alaska to Hawaii, in the United States
and Canada; it includes more than 2,800
members in 11 states and provinces.
“As we celebrate ‘A Century of Smiles,’ we
will be honoring all those members and
great leaders who came before us,” said
PCSO President Dr. Robert Merrill. “The
2012 PCSO Annual Session in Monterey is
an event every PCSO member and staff
will want to attend.”
Dr. Bryan Williams, PCSO president-elect,
is the general chair for the meeting, and
under his direction, the team of Dr. Glenn
Sameshima (doctor’s program) Drs. Jahnavi
Rao and Aaron Molen (staff program) and
Drs. Tim Auger and Chad Cassady (local arrangements) put together a program that
will feature current topics in orthodontics
and an insightful look back at the group’s
100-year history, as well as changes in orthodontics during the last century.
PCSO organizers anticipate a large exhibit
hall showcasing many vendors and special
offers for attendees. Additionally, the planning committee has included new features
— including the launch of a digital version
of the PCSO Bulletin, which was recently approved by the PCSO board of directors.
Another highlight of the meeting will be
the president’s lecture on Friday afternoon.
Dr. David Turpin, past editor of the PCSO
Bulletin and the AJO-DO, will present a retrospective view of the last 100 years of PCSO
and of the orthodontic profession. Also, that
afternoon, PCSO awards will honor current
leaders and also recognize the contribu-

“ OrthoVOICE, Page 1
to the event organizers.
Plan to attend the meeting’s second
charity golf event on Thursday morning,
Oct. 11. This year’s event will be held at
Desert Pines Golf Club to benefit Smile
for a Lifetime Foundation (S4L).
The $229 registration is open online
at www.orthovoice.com and includes a
donation to S4L, breakfast and lunch,
round-trip transportation, green fees,
carts and range balls.
To learn more about the full range of
events and lectures at OrthoVOICE 2012,
visit www.orthovoice.com.
Twelve C.E. credits are offered and
doctor/team registration is only $399
per person, through Sept. 30. Registration is open now at www.orthovoice.
com.

tions of Phil Rollins, PCSO executive director
from 1985-2007.
Immediately after the president’s lecture, PCSO will hold a beach party in
which attendees will eat, dance, play, share
memories and celebrate the rich history of
PCSO together.
“Celebrating — and learning — together.
That is what the PCSO Annual Session is all
about,” Merrill said. “I look forward to seeing you in October!’”
For more information and a program
schedule, visit pcsortho.org.

Head to the coast
of California to
join the PCSO for
its 100th annual
meeting from
Oct. 4-7 in
Monterey, Calif.
Photo/www.sxc.hu
AD

[4] =>

pr actice m at ters

Ortho Tribune U.S. Edition | PCSO/OrthoVOICE 2012

Handling problem employees
By Scarlett Thomas

roblem employees. Their performance is unsatisfactory. They
consume your time and create
dissatisfaction for you and their
coworkers. They show little commitment
to the job and often appear bored. Employee entitlements interest them more
than the team goals. Counseling sessions
always end in the same manner; they
agree to change but have little follow
through.
Some problem employees can be helped
through coaching or training to correct
performance shortfalls. Others can do the
job, but for one reason or another, they

need constant supervision and reinforcement to perform at an acceptable level.
Whatever the situation might be, the key
to handling employees with behavior
problems is strong and effective communication skills.
Make sure that the work expectations
and performance objectives are clear. The
only way to verify the existence of a performance problem is to state the expected
level of performance and measure the employee’s actual performance against it.
1) Review all the details before you
have a meeting with the employee. Evaluate all your previous records, including job descriptions, notes and documented conversations that relate to the

specific behavior. Don’t try to wing it!
2) Give the person advance notice and
specify the issue or concern. For example,
for a person who is consistently late for
work, you might say to them: “I’d like to
speak with you tomorrow regarding your
starting time.”
3) At the time of the discussion, start
the conversation off in an upbeat manner.
Doing so will set the tone for a productive
meeting. You can express your concerns
in a friendly manner without being overbearing.
4) Describe the problematic behavior
and its impact on you and the staff. For
example, “You’ve been coming to work a
half-hour late several days a week for the

past month. This is making it difficult for
your coworkers to get their work done.
And I’m very concerned it’s starting to set
a bad example for everyone else.”
5) Refer to the history and reoccurrence
of the problem. “This is not the first time
we’ve had to talk about this. According to
my records, we discussed this issue six
weeks ago, and once more prior to that in
March, and yet the problem continues.”
6) State the actual effect that the employee’s behavior has on you and the staff.
For example, “I recognize that you make
up the missed time by either staying late
or working through lunch, but that’s not
a solution. Because we operate as a team,
having one person unavailable can create
major disruption in the practice.”
7) Listen actively to the employee’s response. Don’t get distracted with thinking about what you’ll say next. Be open to
what the employee says.
8) Make a suggestion or a request to
change the behavior. For example, “What
I’d suggest is that you rearrange things at
home so you can be punctual.” Then check
to make sure that the person understands
your suggestion. For example, “Do you
understand why I’m insisting that you be
on time?”
9) Make sure that the employee is committed to the change. For example, “So
you agree that you’ll be here at 9 a.m. every morning.” Keep a record of what was
said and any agreements that were made.
Have the employee sign the agreement
and pick a future date to revisit the discussion and any improvements that may or
may not have taken place.
At some point in your career, you will
have to dismiss an employee. To do it right
and in a professional manner, make sure
that you’ve done your homework with
respect to legal issues and have written
documentation of the employee’s performance or behavior and the steps you’ve
taken to help. You want to feel confident
that dismissing the person is the right
thing to do — for him or her, for your
team and for your practice.

About the author
Scarlett Thomas is an orthodontic practice
consultant who has been in the field for more
than 23 years, specializing in case acceptance,
team

building,

and

marketing.

(858)

office
You

435-2149,

may

management
contact

her

scarlett@ortho

consulting.com or visit www.orthoconsulting.
com.

[5] =>

Ortho Tribune U.S. Edition | PCSO/OrthoVOICE 2012

industry

5

[6] =>

Industry
industry

Ortho Tribune U.S. Edition | PCSO/OrthoVOICE 2012

Low-price, online payroll
services now available
OrthoBanc has leveraged its buying power in order to offer
low-cost payroll services to orthodontic offices

rocessing payroll and payroll
taxes is a tedious and timeconsuming task that requires a
thorough understanding of federal, state and local payroll tax laws. However, most small business owners have
a limited understanding of these laws,
and they often rely on inefficient methods — in-house, manual, or accounting
software — to process their payroll and
payroll taxes.
Orthodontic practice owners who manage their payroll in-house are tasked with
responsibilities such as totaling hours,
performing gross-to-net calculations for
each employee, calculating and depositing payroll taxes and preparing and filing
tax returns accurately and on time. Given the complexities of each step and the
fast-changing regulations that affect tax
law, outsourcing can provide you with an
opportunity to save time and money and
ensure compliance.

Run payroll on your schedule with
OrthoBanc Payroll Services
OrthoBanc Payroll Services provide a
simple, affordable online alternative to
expensive, traditional payroll services.
You just enter, review, and approve payroll online anywhere, anytime — they
take care of everything else.

Clock in, clock out and process
payroll
You can also simply import payroll information from your time and attendance
system into your OrthoBanc Payroll
Services account. This saves time and
vastly reduces the potential for data entry errors. Time clock integration works
in conjunction with many existing time

“ RESEARCH, Page 2
characteristics. The mixing of quantitative and qualitative research can take
many forms; the possibilities for mixing are almost infinite. There are two
broad classes of research studies that are
currently being labeled “mixed methods research”: single approach designs
(SADs) and mixed approach designs
(MADs). These are additional qualitative and/or quantitative strategies that
are employed to enhance research quality. These classifications require that a
distinction be made between research
strategies and research approaches.
A research strategy is a procedure for
achieving a particular intermediary
research objective such as sampling,
data collection and/or data analysis.

phone, e-mail and online
help. Whether you are processing payroll yourself or
using a third-party payroll
service, OrthoBanc Payroll
Services can help you.

‘Every year, more
than $8 million
penalties are
assessed because
of incorrect or
delinquent
remittance of
federal payroll
taxes.’
clock software programs or systems to
incorporate employees’ time and attendance information. It allows simple, perpay-period exports that take seconds to
complete, and the integration supports
both hourly and salaried employees’ payroll hours.

About OrthoBanc

Photo/Provided by OrthoBanc

roll Services account, offers customized
compliance posters, a complete library of
pre-populated business forms, valuable
best-practice guides and helpful alerts
and reminders.

Eliminate the risk of costly fines
with free compliance and human
resources tools

OrthoBanc services priced lower than
traditional payroll management

This simple online tool can eliminate
your risk of incurring hefty labor law
non-compliance fines while cutting your
time spent searching and creating HR
forms and procedures down to a few minutes. HRAdvisor, a free suite of online
HR and compliance resources already
integrated with your OrthoBanc Pay-

Because OrthoBanc Payroll is managed
online, it can offer the same payroll management features as traditional providers
for up to 50 percent of the cost. But online payroll management doesn’t mean
watered-down service.
The Payroll Services Team has awardwinning customer service including

Sampling strategies or data analysis
strategies are also important factors in
research and information gathering.
Multiple strategies are used to enhance
construct validity, which is a form of
methodological triangulation and is now
routinely advocated by most methodologists. Mixing or integrating research
strategies such as qualitative and/or
quantitative approaches in any and all
research activity is now considered a
well thought-out and common feature of
good research design.
A research approach refers to an incorporated set of research philosophies and
general practical guidelines. Approaches
can be holistic procedural guides or
broad methodologies that are associated
with particular research analytic inter-

ests or motives. Examples of research approaches include surveys, correlational
studies, experiments, ethnographic research and phenomenological inquiry.
Examples of analytic interests are population frequency distributions and prediction. Each approach is ideally suited
to speak to a particular analytic interest:
(a) experiments are ideally suited to address explanations or probable cause; (b)
surveys address population frequency
descriptions, correlation studies and
predictions; (c) ethnography addresses
descriptions and interpretations of cultural processes; and (d) phenomenology
address lived experiences or descriptions
of the essence of phenomena.
In a single approach design, only one
analytic interest is pursued. In a mixed

OrthoBanc LLC (DBA OrthoBanc, DentalBanc, and
PaymentBanc) is a payment management company that has been serving orthodontists and
other medical practices
since 2001. OrthoBanc offers a suite of financial
products including credit
recommendations,
payment plan management,
collections, practice management analytics and
payroll services.
OrthoBanc currently serves more than
4,000 providers nationwide and manages more than half a billion dollars in
patient payments annually. It has been
on the Inc 5000 List of Fastest Growing
American Companies for the last four
years. This growth can be attributed to
its customer service and solutions that
are cost-effective yet valuable to practices offering an office payment plan.

To learn more
Stop by the OrthoBanc booth at any of these
fall shows to learn more: SAO (booth No. 108),
PCSO (booth No. 304), OrthoVOICE (booth No.
209), SWSO ( booth No. 300) or NESO ( booth
No. 130)

approach design, two or more analytic
interests are pursued. However, a mixed
approach design may include entirely
“qualitative” approaches, such as combining an ethnographic and a phenomenological inquiry, or entirely “quantitative” approaches, such as combining a
survey and an experiment.
It has become routine to use the terms
“method” and “methodology” synonymously, but there are philosophical reasons for distinguishing the two. The term
method connotes a way of doing something, as in a procedure. The term methodology implies a dialogue concerning
methods, i.e., an exchange of ideas regarding the competence and correctness
of a particular combination of research
philosophy and actions.

[7] =>

Ortho Tribune U.S. Edition | PCSO/OrthoVOICE 2012

industry

Let the Boyd design team help
you design your ideal ‘stericenter’
Some patients
may view the
sterilization
area as a symbol
of your practice’s
‘standard of care’

At the PCSO
Stop by the Boyd Industries booth, No. 323, at
the PCSO to ask about your own sterilization
center for your orthodontic practice.

Photo/
Provided
by Boyd
Industries
AD

By Boyd Industries staff

he effective processing of instruments has long been a
critical part to any successful
orthodontic practice. Patients,
parents and staff have become very
aware of the need to use proper protocol in processing dirty instruments to
clean.
Many successful orthodontic practices include a tour of their sterilization areas as a part of their new patient
introductions to their practices. Being
able to present effective procedures
for the safety of patients and staff reassures everyone associated with your
practice that this is a safe, efficient
practice that provides quality orthodontics. For some, the sterilization area
has become a symbol of your “standard
of care.”
Given the importance of the sterilization area to the overall success of
your practice, doesn’t it make sense to
invest in a system designed to the way
you practice? Being able to “custom”
design your sterilization center maximizes your overall efficiency and puts
everything where you want it. There
are many “cookie-cutter” sterilization
centers available from the dental dealer
that make you conform to the design,
versus you dictating the design.
Boyd Industries has a solution for you.
By utilizing our almost 60 years serving
orthodontists, let the Boyd design team
work with you in the creation of a custom stericenter that meets your needs.
The “Boyd System” uses a five-station
approach to instrument processing.
The instruments progress through
the five work centers, moving along the
same plane, in the same direction (no
“transgression”) from dirty to clean. At
the end of the process, there is efficient
accessible storage and delivery of the
instruments to your team.
For more information on a custom
solution for your practice, please access
our website at www.boydindustries.com
or call (800) 255-2693.
Please note: The purchase of a Boyd
stericenter is eligible for Section 179, accelerated depreciation under the current
tax code.

[8] =>

industry

Ortho Tribune U.S. Edition | PCSO/OrthoVOICE 2012

Age of digital orthodontics is here
After having radically transformed
dental restorations, the CAD/CAM
revolution is finally reaching the orthodontic market. 3Shape, a world leader
in digital dentistry, is bringing its technology and development power to the
orthodontic market with a digital-age
solution for orthodontic labs and clinics.
Ortho System™ brings together accurate 3-D scanning, archiving, intuitive treatment planning and analysis,
efficient patient management, communication tools and appliance design
— all providing streamlined workflows
that increase efficiency and productivity for labs and practices, the company
said.
The introduction of 3Shape’s TRIOS
AD

intra-oral scanner marks a new era for
digital orthodontics.
This ground-breaking technology
offers a more productive, accurate
and comfortable way to capture the
patient’s impressions at the start of
or during the orthodontic treatment,

3Shape is
bringing
digital
options to
orthodontics.
Photos/Provided
by 3Shape

while reducing chair time compared to
traditional impression taking.

Digital study models captured with
the TRIOS, or with 3Shape’s R700 desktop 3-D scanner, become ready for further processing and manufacturing in
3Shape’s Ortho System, thanks to tight
scanner and software integration. With
OrthoAnalyzer, orthodontists can perform full treatment planning and fully
customized analysis protocols using
advanced 2-D and 3-D tools.
Simulation of extractions, interproximal reductions, full treatment planning with detailed movement overview and realistic virtual articulators
are all possible in a very user-friendly
environment, the company said. Full
analysis or validation protocols, such
as PAR or ABO, can also be implemented, allowing consistent and more efficient workflows. The unique insight
provided by 3-D study models make the
assessment of treatment results both
easy and accurate.
Appliance Designer is the first complete digital toolbox dedicated to all
types of orthodontic appliances. A host
of intuitive and accurate tools enables
users to create even the most demanding designs.
Appliances such as nightguards, retainers, customized bands, splints,
surgical bites, palatal expanders, bionators, Twin blocks, Herbst appliances,
Planas tracks and much more can easily
be created on screen and made ready for
computer-driven manufacturing.
Appliance Designer’s open STL format guarantees complete freedom of
choice in relation to materials and 3-Ddriven equipment, such as 3-D printers
or milling machines. 3Shape’s solutions also allow full integration and file
preparation for the equipment chosen.
All tools and design parameters can
be combined in any way, and these
can be stored as reusable and unique
workflows to ensure consistency and
efficiency. A tight integration between
the treatment planning tools in OrthoAnalyzer and the use of realistic virtual
articulators allows optimal CAD design
and maximum efficiency of the orthodontic treatment, the company said.
3Shape Ortho System is the only fully
integrated CAD/CAM system dedicated
to orthodontics, which allows full freedom of choice in terms of equipment,
material and manufacturing partners
—thanks to its open format. It is easy
and fast to transfer digital files, and the
communication tools offered by 3-D
study models enable tighter cooperation between orthodontic professionals.
The applications of CAD/CAM in orthodontics offer a host of new opportunities for more efficient treatments and
follow-up. The technology also enables
improved communication between orthodontists, technicians and patients,
higher accuracy and repeatability, better control of costs and material consumption, and increased patient comfort. Through improved consistency
and efficiency in manufacturing, CAD/
CAM technologies allow the orthodontic professional to concentrate his or her
resources on value-adding activities.
For
more
information,
visit
www.3shape.com.

[9] =>

Ortho Tribune U.S. Edition | PCSO/OrthoVOICE 2012

industry

Creating a win-win in the changing
landscape of orthodontic treatment
By Davin Bickford, VP for practice
development, WildSmiles Braces

Today, braces are a must-have for
tweens and teens. The fact that getting
braces is a big step, and often daunting
for most kids, can easily get lost in the
conversation. Statistics from many of the
industry’s leading organizations show
that providing treatment focused on
patient participation and “buy in” leads
to happier and more compliant patients
throughout treatment.
Take, for example, your expectation
for personal life outside of orthodontics.
Society demands a choice in the cars we
drive, clothes we wear and shoes we sport.
Everyone desires to be different and
unique. Body art and piercing have become more and more popular in the past
decade and are prime examples of societal beliefs to be different and unique.
In orthodontics, it is important to create a win-win experience for the patient
and the practice. Popular choices of
mini twins, clear brackets, WildSmiles
Braces and clear aligners are an expression of these societal beliefs taking hold

WildSmiles offers unique options for children and adults. Photo/Provided by WildSmiles Braces

in orthodontic treatment.
Just like Nike, Lexus, Louis Vuitton, Walt
Disney or Titleist, you are a brand in your
community. These brands have learned
how to create a win-win experience for
their customers, offering options that create customer loyalty and brand ambassadors. The company wins through brand
loyalty and referrals. The customers win
because they have a choice to build a customized user experience with a quality
brand. Simply, they get what they want!
You are a service provider, and you
should be exploring every opportunity
to build your brand as the go-to practice.
This is only achieved though offering options that create win-win experiences,
thus creating positive brand ambassa-

dors. Patients seek out the opportunity to
customize and participate in their treatment in a caring, full-service environment.
Imagine going to a high-end car dealer
and being told the features you desire
(leather seats, CD or DVD player, etc.) were
not available. Additionally, the salesperson suggests the base model offered on
the lot should sufficiently meet your
needs. While it might meet your need, getting you from point A to point B, choosing
the base model is not what you desired.
This experience almost definitely would
encourage you to continue your search
for your next new car, right?
Well, the patient expectation for his or
her orthodontic experience is no differ-

ent from this scenario.
In the new economy, consumers demand options, such as clear braces, WildSmiles Braces and clear aligners. As a
service provider, you must be willing to
create these win-win situations. Offering
these options in your practice does not
cost you anything but gives you the ability to meet customer expectations and
create brand loyalty. It’s a win-win.
Brands offering great customer experiences and a wide variety of choice seldom
worry about cost on the front end, often
sparing little expense to enhance the customer experience. These investments allow the brand to charge higher prices for
products, retain a higher percentage of
customers and facilitate greater customer
loyalty and referrals.
Orthodontic customer expectations
and demands are changing with the new
economy. What kind of brand are you
building in your community? Are you
cultivating a win-win experience by offering your patients a variety of choices
with a full-service experience?
To learn more, visit wildsmilesbraces.
com or call (402) 334-7171.
AD

[10] =>

industry

Ortho Tribune U.S. Edition | PCSO/OrthoVOICE 2012

Mobile applications:
What is ‘app’-ening?
By Orthopreneur Marketing
Solutions staff

At the PCSO & OrthoVOICE
To learn more about Orthopreneur Marketing
Solutions, visit PCSO Booth No. 522 and

In 2010, mobile marketing was on the
periphery of an Internet marketing program. In 2012, mobile has become a central pillar of your Internet strategies. If
your practice still has yet to “go mobile,”
then you’re already losing ground when
it comes to building your practice.
Dell, Gateway and HP computers have
been upstaged by iPhone 4S, Samsung
Galaxy, Kindle Fire, HTC EVO, and iPad3.
Will mobile devices render laptops and
desktop PCs irrelevant? Too soon to tell,
but the writing is on the Facebook wall:
mobile has forced its way into your marketing strategies.
A sleek, precise mobile site enhances your chances of converting mobile
browsers into NP calls. A mobile user’s experience makes a powerful first impres-

Orthopreneur’s session at OrthoVOICE, or you
may visit www.orthopreneur.com.

sion about your practice, good or bad. So
which will it be?
A convenient, efficient mobile setup offers the consumer a positive experience
in a reasonable time frame and will have
them eagerly anticipating those same
qualities in your orthodontic practice.
Conversely, if your site is not mobileready (i.e., slow, difficult, dull or unavailable), one might infer that your practice
and, more specifically, your orthodontic
treatments are outdated.
One term you’ve undoubtedly heard
frequently is “app.” It is short for “application,” and it has myriad possibilities and

Photo/Provided by Orthopreneur Marketing Solutions

uses. Mobile apps have been created for
software, social media, games and GPS
programs, to name a few. The app has
mass appeal and a novelty about it. But
as an orthodontic practice, don’t miss the
boat!
Parents/patients are not tapping into
the app store to look for an orthodontist.
What people are doing is web browsing
from a phone, and there are applications
that don’t require downloading an icon.
Therefore, every orthodontic practice
should consider a mobile application for
its website.
If a parent stumbles upon your website on a smartphone, what will they
see? Without mobile optimization, they
will see microscopic text and blank
white spaces as your graphics struggle to
download.
It does not take long for first-time visitors to decide whether they like being
on your site. If they can’t see or tap what
they want quickly, they’ll be gone before

you finish reading this sentence.
FYI, Google split out mobile search results from local search results and is indexing the two separately. Translation:
Google search results from a home or
office IP address can differ from Google
search results on a 3G or 4G mobile network.
Search engine bots (or “crawlers”) visit
your website once or twice a month;
probing, searching, ranking and indexing your written content so the search
engines can provide faster, more accurate results to its millions of users. Now
the “bots” are looking for mobile content,
too. Do you have mobile content?
The first practices to “go mobile” will
reap the recurring benefits of a strong
mobile search history, higher mobile
search rankings and also have first crack
at the prime search engine optimized
.mobi domain names.
Don’t sit idly by as your competitors
speed away with your new patients!

[11] =>

Ortho Tribune U.S. Edition | PCSO/OrthoVOICE 2012

Industry

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[12] =>

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Ortho Tribune U.S. Edition | MASO 2012

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[cover] => Ortho Tribune U.S. No. 5, 2012

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