Maximizing DSO Growth: How Advanced Appliances Reduce Costs and Improve Efficiency

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In today’s dental and orthodontic landscape, DSOs are under constant pressure to streamline operations, cut costs and improve patient satisfaction. As the demands of the market grow, so does the necessity to stay ahead of the curve by adopting innovative products and services. Implementing cutting-edge dental and orthodontic solutions can significantly reduce remakes, minimizes chair time, and even decrease the need for office visits. By effectively using these innovations in daily practice operations, DSOs can achieve remarkable efficiencies that directly impact their bottom line and drive growth.

Reducing Remakes and Revisits: The Key to Cost Savings

Remakes and revisits are costly for any dental or orthodontic practice. Each unnecessary appointment generates added costs, disrupts scheduling, and consumes valuable chair time that could otherwise be used for new patient starts. On average, a practice experiences 4% remakes for appliances made in labs. Some practices experience up to 7%¹ remakes when choosing to work with cheaper labs. This costs the practice approximately $30,000² per year, eroding profitability and limiting the capacity of a practice.

One solution to minimize these inefficiencies is the use of 3D printed appliances. 3D printing technology is transforming how practices approach patient care by significantly improving and comfort of custom orthodontic appliances. Unlike traditional appliances, 3D printed metals reduce the need for separator appointments, saving chair time for both the patient and the practice. 3D printed appliances offer better first time fit, leading to an industry average remake rate of only 1%³ – much lower than the average remake rate of 4%⁴ for traditional appliances fabricated in orthodontic labs.

Reducing the remake rate by just 3% can lead to annual savings of $9,000⁵ for an average sized practice. Making the switch to this advanced technology is an obvious and cost-effective choice for DSOs—The result is better patient outcomes, fewer remakes, and a larger bottom line—all while providing a competitive edge in the ever-evolving orthodontic market.

Decrease Office Visits and Increase Patient Starts: The Path to Greater Profitability

Chair time is a critical factor in a practice’s operational efficiency. The more time a patient spends in the chair, the fewer patients a practice can see, ultimately leading to lost revenue opportunities. Extended treatments and follow up appointments drive up costs, which puts additional strain on profitability

A key solution to reducing office visits and increasing office capacity to see patients is to use innovative treatment options and products like Hybrid Complete™ and OnBRACE® offered by Specialty Appliances. These products are designed to minimize the number of visits per treatment while still delivering outstanding results for the patient.

Hybrid orthodontic treatment combines the best of both worlds: traditional braces and clear aligners. This treatment option allows practices to reduce treatment time by around 25-50%⁶, all while providing patients with an aesthetic solution that is effective and efficient. Hybrid treatment begins with brackets placed via 3D Indirect Bonding (3DiB), which offers unparalleled accuracy in bracket placement and allows for precise adjustments. After 3-6 months of treatment with traditional braces to correct tip, torque, and verticals, patients transition to Clear Image® Aligners for the finishing.

For DSOs, the impact of adopting these advanced treatment options is profound—increased efficiency, reduced downtime, and greater patient throughput. By reducing the number of required appointments per case, practices can drive revenue growth without increasing operational overhead. This results in higher revenue potential without the need for more resources or staff, maximizing the practice’s efficiency.

In addition, Specialty Appliances’ hybrid treatment option, Hybrid Complete™, provides practices with 3D Indirect Bonding (3DiB) trays, brackets, up to 20 aligner trays, and a set of invisible retainers—all for one low, upfront cost. This transparent pricing model ensures that there are no surprise costs along the way, making it easier for practices to plan and manage their treatment costs. By offering a predictable, all-inclusive pricing structure, Hybrid Complete™ helps DSOs enhance their profitability while still providing patients with high-quality care.

Another innovative solution is OnBRACE®, a product designed to significantly reduce chair time and improve first-time fit. OnBRACE® is an innovative crown design that doesn’t extend interproximally, meaning there’s no mesial or distal metal intrusion. This eliminates the need for orthodontic separators, therefore eliminating separator appointments which typically costs a practice $250 per appointment or $50,000 per year⁷. By freeing up chairs in the office, OnBRACE® not only allows for additional patients but improves the profitability of each case.

An occlusal hole in OnBRACE® facilitates light curing during bonding and helps remove the appliance at the end of treatment. For DSOs with practices that fabricate their own appliances in-house, OnBRACE® can be purchased separately, further enhancing flexibility and reducing reliance on external suppliers.

Improved Patient Outcomes leads to Higher Retention and Referrals

Delivering exceptional patient outcomes is key to fostering long-term relationships and growing your practice. Satisfied patients are more likely to return for additional treatments, recommend your services to others, and even become loyal advocates for your practice, creating a positive feedback loop of patient retention and referrals. Around 28% of referrals come from parents of existing patients⁸, highlighting the importance of a strong reputation built on exceptional care.

By using innovative solutions such as 3D printed appliances and hybrid treatment options, practices can also improve patient satisfaction and foster loyalty. When patients experience a positive treatment journey, it can result in new patients generated through customer happiness and word-of-mouth referrals. Conversely, practices that experience high rates of remakes or recurring issues may see a decline in referrals and overall patient satisfaction, hurting both retention and growth.

One Lab, Many Practices: Streamlining Operations for Greater Profitability

For DSOs managing multiple practices, working with one lab partner for all appliance needs can be an excellent way to save time and increase profitability. By consolidating lab services across all locations, DSOs can streamline operations, reduce costs, and ensure consistent quality across their entire network.

Specialty Appliances is the lab for you.

Specialty Appliances has the lowest remake rate in the industry. They are known for innovation, winning the Townie Choice Awards in 2018 through 2023 (No award in 2020 due to Covid). Specialty Appliances can scale with you, as the already fabricate over 200,000 appliances annually.

In addition, if your DSO has dental lab needs such as dentures or implants, you’ve found the right place. We partner with several dental labs across the country, offering DSOs the opportunity to consolidate their lab services across all practices. Soon, we will also be expanding our network to Canada, allowing you to streamline operations even further.

Specialty Appliances is the Lab for You

For more information on our orthodontic appliances, dental lab partnerships and how we can support your practices in Canada, please reach out to Courtney Shukitis at Courtney.shukitis@specialtyappliances.com or visit our website at https://specialtyappliances.com/.

We hope you will consider partnering with Specialty Appliances as your preferred orthodontic lab, and together, we can help take your DSO to the next level of success.

Footnotes

Dental remake rate from https://www.speareducation.com/spear-review/2020/11/the-cost-of-laboratory-remakes
Based on a 1 doctor practice with 4 chairs and an average of 200 starts per year
Remake rate based on averages for 3D printed metals at Specialty Appliances
Remake rate pulled from https://www.speareducation.com/spear-review/2020/11/the-cost-of-laboratory-remakes
Calculation based on a 1 doctor practice with 4 chairs and an average of 200 starts per year. Dental cost per chair sourced from https://www.dentalmanagementsecrets.com/dental-productivity
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339214943_Clear_aligner_hybrid_approach_A_case_report
Calculation based on a 30-minute separator appointment and 200 starts per practice per year. Dental cost per chair sourced from https://www.dentalmanagementsecrets.com/dental-productivity
https://orthodonticproductsonline.com/practice-management/business-development/2022-orthodontic-practice-performance-survey/