Treatment Management: A Powerful Practice Management Tool!
From the opening paragraph of the article, “At any stage of an orthodontic practice, practice management strategies catch our attention. Progressive orthodontic practices all have appealing websites, pleasant-sounding front desk personnel and extremely competent cheerful dental assistants. And with the countless practice management experts, many progressive practices begin to look alike. Yet, with these strategies in place, an orthodontic practice may still experience a decline in new patient flow from the referring dentists. Why do dentists refer to certain orthodontists? Hall, et al asked that question and reported in the Angle Orthodontist, 2009. One thousand dentists were asked why they refer to certain orthodontists. The responses actually surprised me. Those dentists who responded said “that the orthodontic result was more important than orthodontist location, fee or reputation”. The respondents also stated they expected canine guidance, even contact on all teeth with no posterior interferences during various jaw movements. In addition, they equally expected patient/parental satisfaction.”