By Francisco Eraso, DDS, MS, MS, MSD rthodontic practitioners are continually looking for ways to be more efficient. When the worldwide pandemic hit, the workflow in my practice included advanced appliances, 3D CBCT imaging, digital photographs and intraoral scanning so it was digitally based and quite efficient. Even with all that, I still found myself asking how I could maxi-mize the technologies I currently employed and/or what others I should add to meet my patient’s heightened expectations. With COVID-19 cases quite preva-lent, my patients who had already O been finding it challenging to fit appointments into their hectic sched-ules, were now reluctant to make in-office visits for fear of infection. Add inflation into the mix, particularly with gas prices what they are, and we had to ask ourselves, “How could we adapt?” What systems would allow us to “see” patients who felt uncomfort-able coming into the office and still care for them properly while provid-ing a positive and comfortable patient experience? A philosophy called Minimum Touch OrthodonticsSM (MTO) is one that makes sense to me. Henry Schein Orthodontics™ launched the concept under the guidance of its orthodontist advisors. The idea of MTO is to assist clinicians in focus-ing their efforts on delivering simpli-fied, predictable results in fewer and shorter appointments in minimal overall treatment time. The ultimate goal is to maximize convenience and enhance the overall patient experi-ence, capitalizing on advanced appli-ances and digital technologies. Same-Day Starts Satisfy Patient Needs A good place to begin discussing MTO is with Same-Day Starts. You likely have long-standing relationships with most of your prospective orthodontic patients so a Same-Day Start may not be as off-putting to you as it first was to many specialists. When I initially heard about the idea, I was concerned patients would feel rushed. When a patient mentions to you the prospect of undergoing orthodontics, accommodating them in the schedule for taking records that day—or at least getting a contract signed or a follow-up appointment scheduled—precludes their needing to return for another appointment, going for a second opinion or opting for a “DIY” (do it yourself) remedy. With the pandemic still lingering in places and gas prices what they are, Same-Day Starts make sense and are the founda-tion for a satisfying patient experience. OrthoFi 1 reports that for special-ists’ offices, conversion rates of Same-Day Starts—defined as records being taken or any appliance being bonded—drops only 1.4% if a contract is secured same day. Even if Fig. 2: The Carriere Motion 3D Appliance. The typical bonding and engagement configu-ration with Essix-type retainer in opposite arch. Fig. 1: Conversion rate drop-off for 1) contracts signed on examination day; 2) a start is scheduled on examination day and 3) when no start is scheduled on examination day. Research based on data from over 500 practices and 750,000 patients (OrthoFi, Inc. Denver, CO). Fig. 2a: Treatment time for the Carriere Motion 3D Appliance. Dr. Luis Carriere found use of the Motion Appliance to achieve a CL I Platform prior to treatment using aligners resulted in 66% fewer Reveal trays. 8 Winter 2022 JAOS
Journal of the American Orthodontic Society Winter 2022: Page 8
