You Can’t Build a Practice of Tomorrow on the Protocols of Yesterday
Challenge: Invisalign® patient acceptance stagnation
Jeffrey Chustckie, DMD
As a 3rd third generation iTero scanner owner, I’m passionate about the benefits that digital impression technology brings to my practice. Digital technology allows easier, faster, more predictable results. Digital scans are comfortable for the patient and better for the environment than traditional polyvinyl siloxane impressions. In addition, digital impressions are a great way to enhance patient communication. One way I accomplish this is with the Invisalign® Outcome Simulator on my iTero® Element™ Scanner (Align Technology, Inc.). It allows me to show my patients, chairside, in a simple and easily understood way, what their smile may look like after successful Invisalign treatment.
Although I have been using iTero scanners for Invisalign cases since the technology has been available, I recently made a change to my office workflow for potential patients who could benefit from Invisalign treatment. The change was relatively small, but it resulted in a 200% to 300% jump in case acceptance rates.
As the leading general practice Invisalign provider in New Jersey, I love the impact my work has on my patients’ lives. Seeing the transformational experience that a new smile has on my patients continues to be the most rewarding part of my practice.
In the past, I would block out 30 minutes for initial consultations for those patients interested in Invisalign treatment. I would spend this time discussing the clinical elements of their case, potential treatment options, and details regarding the Invisalign process. I thought I was being thorough; as it turned out, I was overexplaining. Rather than empowering patients to make a well-informed decision, I was overwhelming them with information. As a result, they often left my consultation thinking Invisalign would be too complex for them.
My “aha” moment happened a few months back when I was speaking with some veteran sales professionals. The conversation touched on the importance of listening and letting the buyer say exactly what was important, and then shaping the sales presentation to focus directly on those concerns. I wondered if the same logic would hold true with a patient considering Invisalign treatment.
When I got back to my practice, I decided to try to put those concepts to the test during my initial Invisalign consults. I would stop thinking like a dental professional and start thinking like a patient. Instead of telling them what I thought was important, I’d let them tell me what they needed to hear. There would be no more explaining their options as if they were a case study. Less is more.
For more on step-by-step Invisalign treatment acceptance, read Jeffrey Chustckie’s Web Exclusive article at dentalaegis.com/go/id1170.
For more information, contact:
Align Technology, Inc.
800-577-8767
www.aligntech.com
About the Author
Jeffrey Chustckie, DMD, is the leading general practice provider for Invisalign in New Jersey, having completed over 1,000 cases. He is also an Invisalign Faculty Speaker who presents throughout the United States and participates in Invisalign clinical research studies and consulting services.
