The 7 Keys to establish a successful orthodontic practice

Dr Anand Marya (Cambodia) did his BDS from India, his M.Sc.D. Orthodontics from Manila and is a Ph. D. Scholar from Thailand. He is holds a MFDS RCPS Glasgow and a PGD Hospital and Health Care Management from India. Additionally, he is a Fellow of the International College of Dentists (FICD), Fellow of the Malaysian Orthodontic Practitioners Association (FMOPA), Fellow of the Pierre Fauchard Academy (FPFA), Member of Mentorship & Planning Committee- American Academy of Orofacial Pain, Section Chair- Pierre Fauchard Academy Cambodia section. Currently he is an assistant professor in University of Puthisastra, Cambodia and a course conductor & Keynote Speaker for various orthodontic programs in Malaysia, Indonesia and Cambodia. He is one of the coveted speakers of theDRDCA 2020.

It takes years to attain the necessary qualifications to become an Orthodontist and even longer to gain a good reputation among patients. There are a lot of things that Orthodontists often resort to, in order to bring in more patients but often we forget the most important factor i.e., happy and satisfied patients! To help run a successful Orthodontic practice we must keep the following 7 points in mind always:

1. Identify your practice culture- When patients enter your practice, they must understand how different your practice is from others. You can settle on a unique identity for your office in terms of operations, staff training, communication skills, leadership style and most importantly by clearly setting ethical guidelines. A patient that visits you for treatment should know and see who you are, the values behind the practice and the culture in the waiting room itself.

2. Organizing your practice- An organized practice always runs better. You can organize your clinic into diagnostic and treatment areas so that you can organize and equip each area with the required instruments and be able to focus better on the task at hand. The patients also would be able to see how well organized the clinic is, and it helps adds reliability points.

3. Diagnostic records- Often diagnostic records are given less priority over starting the treatment whereas it is the most crucial first step. It not only gives you an opportunity to understand the patient’s problems in detail but also a chance to get to know the attitude of the patient. Orthodontic treatment to a major extent depends on good patient compliance, so getting to talk to the patient and understanding their concerns is as important as carrying out the treatment itself.