Why should a dentist outsource aligners?

The dental profession has been tagged by platitudes that associate with high levels of expertise, skillfulness, and virtuous ethics. Today, dentistry may be considered as much a high-skill technical profession as it is a lucrative business enterprise. Given the history and evolution of the dental industry, the ‘happy medium’ attribute can be justifiably explained. In ancient times, dentists were essentially barber surgeons who were widely publicized as businessmen.

With the advent of professional training and skill development, dentistry began to later emerge as a profession that focused on the service of the community as its primary intention and profits only as the secondary. Likewise, there has been a momentous change within the orthodontic workspace, much obliged to the development of technology. Once performed on plaster models, the orthodontic treatment planning can now be taken completely digitally. Even the production part is fiercely evolving.

Orthodontic appliances, especially clear aligners can now be supplied through a variety of different mediums contrary to the traditional path of orthodontist-to-patient.

Patients demanded a more convenient and less time-consuming technique of clear aligner acquirement – vendors gave them Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) aligners that were shipped directly to their homes.

Then, dentists expressed concern over these unsupervised treatment plans – therefore, they developed the in-house aligner supply chain, whereby dentists fabricated aligners in-office to cut down costs of shipping through a third-party vendor.

Dentists were obligated to follow through with specified training and personnel recruitment for in-house aligner fabrication. It also didn’t help that they’d have to make an upfront investment in the purchase and annual maintenance of a 3D printer along with printing solutions. This ultimately led to a brand-new model of business – one where dentists outsource their aligners to a smaller laboratory.

The power of outsourcing aligners

Dentists in partnership with aligner providers are constantly advancing to offer the latest technologies and services to a demanding and increasingly time-starved clientele. Just like any other business, when a dental practice is able to save money on materials, software, and production, they can then go on to pass these valuable savings on to their customers. Outsourcing aligners to laboratories can significantly help reduce overhead and consequently, costs on the patients’ end.

Option 2 – outsource design, manufacture in-house

Most dentists, if given the time and resources, would most likely prefer to supply clear aligner to their patients from their own backrooms. However, when you’re considering in-house aligner model, you’ll also have to consider the implications or rather the attachments that come with it.

Here are some questions you need to ask yourself to decide if your dental establishment is fit to accommodate services like in-house aligners or if outsourcing can be the saving grace you need.

• Does your in-house team have the required expertise required to produce aligners directly in the office?

First and foremost, you’ll need a software for treatment planning. The most popular programs usually cost around 3000 EUR per year. Next, you or the staff in-charge will be required to go through rigorous software training to be able to operate the software. When all is said and done, a desktop 3D printer and required raw materials will be the next on your purchase list.

Dentists will also often get other accessories like

• An intraoral scanner to take detailed digital impressions of the patients’ teeth.
• A vacuum forming machine to manually heat, stretch, and model the aligners to their desired geometry.
• A micromotor for trimming off the excess material.

The operator must also undergo thorough training to use a 3D printer and other necessary equipment for the fabrication of clear aligners.

• Does your dental practice have the time to create virtual treatment plans?

On average, an experienced operator will spend 1.5 to 2 hours to create a virtual plan. For a dentist who would rather allocate this time attending to his patients, creating treatment plans from scratch and aligning them with the design and manufacturing of the aligners would be too much work.

Some cases will also require a second or a third refinement, based on the complexity of the malocclusion or the acquired results. Needless to say, there will be a lot of planning to add to your calender to be able to master this digital expertise and skill.

• Is it more affordable for you to hire additional staff or to outsource the services to another company entirely?

Training and skill development requires time and patience. When you’re shorthanded in your clinical practice, you may need to hire a skilled profession to do the “behind the scenes” work. You need to ask yourself if recruiting (and retaining) an employee for the sole purpose of aligner design and fabrication fits in your practice’s budget. If so, you’ll have to be prepared for a series of trials and errors and the additional costs that go that way. Additionally, you may not have as much of a freedom to feed into the treatment process as the lead clinician.

Or, perhaps you would benefit from a painsfree working environment by simply outsourcing a vendor to create aligners for your patient. In this process, you’ll still be able to maintain your control and personal integrity in the treatment process of your patient. Plus, by cutting out a brand-name middle-man you are also eliminating high shipping prices and adjustment fees. You can make as many refinements as you’d like without having to squeeze every penny from your patient.

White labeling aligners to a reliable company allows the dentist to quit compromising with the services they provide. If you’re looking for a long-term solution, outsourcing may be the business model for you. Assign a company to make high-quality aligners for your patients without having to settle for less.