What are your thoughts on Invisalign? Or other ortho treatment (clear aligners, etc)?

[Mauricio45]

I work in Canada and I've noticed especially in bigger cities, it is pretty much expected for dentists to be Invisalign-certified. Especially within the last few years, it's really booming amongst general dentists. Many patients do not want to pay extra fees to orthodontist and would prefer getting it done "under one roof". In smallerish cities where I live, not many GPs here offer them. Instead, most refer to ortho.

I take absolutely ZERO interest in ortho. I just don't want to take a course just because it's "expected". I really feel if I move to a bigger city, I would be seen as a "disadvantage " as an associate for refusing to take Invisalign-training. Especially now that I'm 5 years out. It's one of the reasons why I want to stay in a smallerish town as a dentist.

Anyone else feel the same way? Do you offer ortho at your practice and do you feel it's profitable and worth it? Pros and cons?

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[ElCubanito]

Aligner therapy is good for smaller cases/movements, but the real advantage you will have is do be able to do bracket and wire cases. I can finish a whole bracket and wire case for under $50 with more consistent results than aligner therapy. Also, aligners are a pain to wear, they get full of saliva and stain. Also the lab fees are pretty high, which will cut into your profit. You should take CE for Endo, Ortho and Oral Surgery. If you are in school you can shadow your residents. Learn how to bond brackets and put wires on...just like an ortho assistant. There plenty of ortho assistants doing ortho out of their garages, trust me its not that hard.

 

[Traag]

You should take CE for Endo, Ortho and Oral Surgery. If you are in school you can shadow your residents. Learn how to bond brackets and put wires on...just like an ortho assistant. There plenty of ortho assistants doing ortho out of their garages, trust me its not that hard.

I've seen you post on specialty threads several times now and each one of your posts is more ignorant than the last. The sad thing is I think you genuinely believe everything you say, which frankly says a lot about how knowledgeable you really are in all of these "easy" disciplines.

 

[ElCubanito]

I've seen you post on specialty threads several times now and each one of your posts is more ignorant than the last. The sad thing is I think you genuinely believe everything you say, which frankly says a lot about how knowledgeable you really are in all of these "easy" disciplines.

I have my take, you have your take. This is what we do on forums. GPs should be able to do basic Endo, OS and Ortho if they so choose. Ortho IS easy to me.

 

[Big Time Hoosier]

I've seen you post on specialty threads several times now and each one of your posts is more ignorant than the last. The sad thing is I think you genuinely believe everything you say, which frankly says a lot about how knowledgeable you really are in all of these "easy" disciplines.

70% of children are seen by general dentists. Are these GPs doing a disservice to these kids by not referring them to a pediatric dentist?

Big Hoss

 

[Wahoowah]

One of the advantages of being a GP is picking what procedures you want to do. May be different where you are, but most pts expect invisalign to be provided by an orthodontist and are pleasantly surprised when we can do it for them. Profitability is hit or miss, some cases take a while and eat up chair time if you have re-scan, re do attachments. It can work really well if you have a well trained team. I've been in some offices where most of work is assistant-driven. I'd say start with some easy cases and if it's not working out move on. If you think you'll have a lot of patients seeking ortho just hire an orthodontist.

 

[TanMan]

I think it's important to know the limitations of each treatment modality. Invisalign and other clear aligner systems can perform certain movements well, and some, not so well. I find that the biggest reason that aligners don't work is due to compliance and not understanding the limitations of these systems. Invisalign is not a panacea for all things orthodontics.

If you care about treatment outcomes and the practice of orthodontics, it's important to gain a deeper understanding of biomechanics, tooth movement, skeletal/dental relationships, limitations of the treatment modalities, and so on... If all you care about is "doing" invisalign and billing out for it (which a lot of practitioners are guilty of), then it comes to managing expectations of the patient. I'd rather just send it to an orthodontist than deal with slow tooth movement and not get a great result.

 

[gryffindor]

I doubt all the offices looking for associates in the big cities expect you to sling aligners. I don't think treatment with aligners is as simple as the companies have made it out to be. Of course I am biased as an ortho since most of what I treatment plan with aligners is the hard stuff that has been told by some GP that they aren't a good candidate for aligners. Even the stuff that looks like it should be easy turns hard when patients start holding the mirror closer. There are still dentists in the big cities who believe that most everything should go to the specialist so the patient can get the best care; it may just take you some time to find the right office. "Easy ortho cases" are not just lining teeth up with plastic, it's also about managing expectations of the patient.

 

[Mauricio45]

I doubt all the offices looking for associates in the big cities expect you to sling aligners. I don't think treatment with aligners is as simple as the companies have made it out to be. Of course I am biased as an ortho since most of what I treatment plan with aligners is the hard stuff that has been told by some GP that they aren't a good candidate for aligners. Even the stuff that looks like it should be easy turns hard when patients start holding the mirror closer. There are still dentists in the big cities who believe that most everything should go to the specialist so the patient can get the best care; it may just take you some time to find the right office. "Easy ortho cases" are not just lining teeth up with plastic, it's also about managing expectations of the patient.

That's good to hear from an ortho perspective. You're right that there are GP's in big cities that refer these cases. Definitely more harder to find.

If I do a procedure, it's because I have a genuine interest in it not because I'm pressured to do it. Ortho does not interest me at all (no offense). I like endo, surgery and implants.