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Let’s face it, without patient compliance, we are doomed… is that overstating it??? Maybe, maybe not… Class II malocclusion is everywhere. There are many removable, banded, bonded, and surgical options available for correction. Many of which we try, give up on, and try again. If there was a perfect solution, we would all be doing it! When it comes right down to it, I believe that the simplest solution is often the best. This brings me straight to elastic wear… in a compliant patient (we have those, right?) this is a simple and straightforward solution… noncompliance, however, puts a whole new spin on it.

In an article in the July 2017 AJO-DO, a systemic review was done of patient compliance with removable appliances, including elastics. The authors concur that compliance can have a significant impact on both the short and long term success of orthodontic treatment. The primary focus of the review was to evaluate compliance with removable appliances, and secondly to evaluate the effectiveness of the methods used to improve compliance.

Orthodontic Patients Who Reported 12 Hours of Elastic Wear Were More Likely to Have Gotten 6 Hours

The most interesting finding in the studies reviewed, is the fact that the difference in measured wear versus reported wear was 5-6 hours! In other words, patients who reported 12 hours of wear, were more likely to have gotten 6 hours. Half of what was reported! These same patients were unlikely to be influenced by the argument that if elastic wear is improved, treatment will be completed faster. One that I must admit to using routinely. Why do patients respond this way, even when they were aware that the time of wear was being objectively recorded? The authors conclude that is it simply an effort to try to please their orthodontist and avoid negative feedback.

So, we need compliance, but patients have difficulty giving it to us, and end up giving us even less than they tell us they are giving. If we stick with the premise that the simplest solution (elastics) is probably the best (for class II correction,) how can we help our patients give us their very best? What I did for my practice, and what Docs With Apps can do for you, is an Orthodontic Compliance App. Patients and parents both report that using my custom compliance app greatly improves consistency in elastic wear. And that is music to my ears…

Get a Quote for Your Practice => Let’s get started! 🙂

Does it say what you want it to? Does it attract new viewers? Does it make them want to become patients? If you answered no to any of these questions, let’s see what we can do to change that. The answers we provide here will center both on the technical and content driven aspects of web design to make your orthodontic practice stand out from the crowd!

These are some of the questions you should be asking yourself from a technical perspective:

Q: Is your web presence up-to-date?

A: If you haven’t updated your website within the last 3-5 years, the answer is no. Being up-to-date is what allows search engines to “find” you, rate your content, and rank you high in the search results. Your goal is to be on the first page of any search. It doesn’t matter how good you are if your potential patients can’t find you in an online search. You only get one opportunity to make a good first impression.

Q: Does your site have a responsive design?

A: A responsive design is one that allows your site to perform optimally no matter what device it is being viewed on. Our Docs With Apps site was designed with this feature. You can view it on any device/screen size and it will be optimized for the best viewing experience. There is nothing worse than going to view a website on your phone that only shows a part of the page you are looking for.

Q: Does your site have a patient portal?

A: A patient portal allows your patients to easily manage their orthodontic treatment, appointment, and financial information in a HIPAA compliant environment directly from your website. Your physical office may be closed, but your online office is open for business 24/7. Patient convenience is your number one priority.

Q: Is your site compliant with the updated Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0?

A: WCAG 2.0 provides information on how to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities. It focuses on four areas of concentration: 1) Perception, 2) Operation, 3) Understanding, and 4) Compatibility. The need to address this issue was raised in “Court: Business violated Americans with Disabilities Act with inaccessible website” in the June 23, 2017 edition of the ADA News.

These are some of the questions you should be asking yourself from a content perspective:

Q: Is your site welcoming?

A: Prospective patients decide whether or not they will like you and your team before they have even met you. Your site is your representative online. Make sure it is a good one and that it sets the tone for what each person can expect when they seek treatment at your office.

Q: Do you have your own customized compliance app to help patients personally with their elastic wear?

A: That is our raison d’etre here at Docs With Apps! If you are looking for a way to stand out from your competition, look no further. A customized compliance app tells your patients that you put them first, by having an app designed to help them with elastic compliance.

Q: Now that you have the app, do you have a video on your website announcing this fantastic innovation?

A: Yep! Docs With Apps does that too! Below you see the video that was developed for my Smile-tastic! App. It is front and center on my website for all to see!

While these lists are certainly not exhaustive, any changes made to your site that fall in line with these recommendations will certainly boost your online presence by being technologically at the top of your game, while at the same time, offering content that will blow your competition out of the water.

Docs With Apps is here to help! Let us make you that practice that everyone is buzzing about!

How do we, as orthodontists, encourage trust in orthodontics?

Harvey Mackay, the author of five New York Times bestsellers including “Swim with Sharks without Being Eaten Alive,” was recently interviewed by Claudia Eisenhuth for The Progressive Orthodontist. What does Harvey Mackay have to say about the word trust? “There are one million words in the English language and the most important five-letter word in business is TRUST.”

Google the word trust and you get the following:
trust
noun
1. firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something
“relationships have to be built on trust”
synonyms: confidence, belief, faith, certainty, assurance, conviction, credence, reliance
“good relationships are built on trust”

Let me repeat that last phrase, “good relationships are built on trust.” Now let’s go back to what Mr. Mackay said, “there are one million words in the English language and the most important five-letter word in business is trust.” Now let’s combine those two for our own purposes… good relationships are built on trust, therefore, the most important word in the business of orthodontics is trust. Without it our practices wither and die.

Building trust, therefore, is one of the most important things we do on a daily basis. Trust leads to success. How do we build the trust necessary to achieve that success? Mr. Mackay argues that today’s orthodontists must be salespeople. What are we selling? We are selling ourselves. If we do a good job, trust is created, and success is ours. What is required to create trust? First, we must be good at what we do. We must have exceptional people skills, likeabililty, and a terrific chairside manner.

According to Mr. Mackay, the best salespeople possess the following characteristics:

• consistency
• product knowledge
• phone skills
• good listener
• ability to build relationships
• sincerity
• sense of humor
• deal with rejection
• strong communicator
• good on your feet
• good presenter
• flexible
• fanatical attention to detail

I don’t know about you, but I think this list describes pretty much every orthodontist I know. If that’s the case, how do we set ourselves apart? How do we say to our patients, we are the person that you should put your trust in, not the other guy? I believe that it comes from truly caring about our patients, not just their teeth, but their lives. We have the opportunity to impact those young lives in a positive and lasting way. How are we going to do it?

Do you provide patients with the tools they will need to be successful?

First and foremost, of course, we are creating beautiful and healthy smiles that last a lifetime. Unfortunately, sometimes our adolescent patients are not at a place in their lives where they can really appreciate that. So how can we reach them in other ways? It comes back to caring and generating trust. What do they do other than come to your office? Do they play a sport or an instrument? Do they love the arts? Do they want to be an orthodontist someday? If you don’t ask the questions,  you’ll never get the answers. Become involved.

Dr. Remington has been supporting her patients with her own compliance app and wants you and your practice to get the same successful compliance results that her team enjoys. As the co-founder of Docs With Apps, she is here to help guide your team to overcoming compliance issues with your own compliance app. Contact us for more details, we do all of the work so you can care for your patients. 👍