Woman putting in her aligners

Avoid Refinements with These Strategies

Any doctor can tell you that refinements are a part of the orthodontic journey. When dealing with navigating refinements, there are certain tips and tricks of the trade to reduce the number of refinements in a treatment plan. Most orthodontists will discuss refinements with their patients (or with each other), and often incorporate that time into their treatment plan.

The American Association of Orthodontists reports that one in four orthodontic patients are adults. The shift towards a growing adult population undergoing orthodontic treatment happened at the same time as the growing popularity of clear aligners. Clear aligners are a treatment that is very successful, but in some cases, may not always go smoothly–or without refinements.

The typical aligner treatment time is 12 to 18 months, but sometimes refinements are necessary. About 20% of Invisalign corrections happen in refinements.

Refinements are just a part of life, right? Yes, but they can cost time, money, and strain the patience of your clients. We are often asked how In Hand Dental can help mitigate the need for refinements, while also keeping the patient on track without having to bring them into the office to take up valuable chair time.

It comes down to compliance and tracking progress.

How to Increase Compliance

A patient who isn’t wearing their aligners as they should might not even know they’re out of compliance. First, make sure your patients understand how the process works. Written materials or instructional videos can definitely help, but don’t underestimate the impact of a one-on-one conversation when they are fitted for their aligners. People learn in different ways and compliance often increases with education.

If your patients seem to understand what’s necessary and still aren’t compliant, take some time with them. Talk about a target date for completing treatment and ask what you can do to help them meet that goal. Listen to what’s going on in their life that might conflict with their desire to wear aligners. Let them know you’re there for them and will help them achieve a beautiful smile even if they’re facing challenges.

How to Monitor Progress
With the In Hand Dental remote monitoring communication app, we have patented a compliance scorecard. This scorecard automatically informs the practice when the patient has fallen below an acceptable score. At that point, the doctor can either send a message, initiate a virtual visit through our app, or send additional instructions.

Sometimes all you need is to send a quick reminder via the app and your patient is back on track! Maybe all they needed was a nudge, or perhaps they have a question they keep forgetting to ask you. Having things automated saves time on both sides, plus it helps everyone avoid an unnecessary visit–and we know that when you can avoid unnecessary visits, everyone stays happier.

Our doctors love that they can quickly message or have a virtual appointment with a patient to let them know they have dropped below an acceptable compliance level. In Hand Dental provides a critical role in avoiding refinements and lengthy treatment by letting doctors track progress easily and effectively.

Please ask us to show you the In Hand Dental app and especially the patented compliance scorecard. We would be happy to show you how it fits into your practice.

To contact someone to show you how the In Hand Dental app can help you save time, increase your productivity, and earn more profits this year, schedule your appointment now.