6 months in - Summary at the half-year point (and what does the future hold?)

Where is the time going!? As usual time is flying by and lots is happening in the world of Orthodontics, but is it just me or does it feel tricky out there at the moment?

Every week we visit practices to share insights and discover how things are being done across the UK. I personally take in as much information as I can on the state of affairs in the Orthodontics market. Industry experts such as Chris Bentson , Glenn Krieger , and UK's own Chris Barrow all provide excellent ideas of what is happening out there. It may be obvious to anyone working in practices but times are changing and it is worth considering how to stay ahead of the curve. Just this week I had 2 conversations where I felt an acute sense of urgency, they left me feeling like many Orthodontic practices will be forced to change the way they run. What is happening? Let's get into it...

There's a triple threat of lower case starts, cost of living pressures and inflation:

1. Lower Case Starts - Linked to point 2, the post-covid boom is done and people are feeling the pinch - Orthodontics is still seen by many as a luxury and so unsurprisingly not as many people are parting with their cash. This had noticeably led to many practices offering extremely low prices for their treatments, driving down profits in the process. Given what I witness with appointment intervals and refinements it is a struggle to see how some of these treatments are actually pulling in profit (they may be adding extra treatments such as bonding to make up for the lower profit Ortho pricing?)
2. Cost of Living pressures - patients and staff alike. We touched on prospective patients but how about staff? Staff are switching from practice to practice and many out of Orthodontics altogether. It isn't too shocking given that everyone is feeling it and if when offered more money for less work, people will often jump ship. This is having a massive impact on practices across the UK where staff recruitment and retention is a constant source of stress.
3. Inflation - practice owners are also feeling the heat. Less starts, staffing challenges and inflation. One practice owner told me their wage costs alone had increased by 20% in 2 years and this was not a small practice. Lab bills, rental prices, energy - you name it, it's all eating into profit margins and causing further headaches.

I may be painting a bit of bleak picture so far? Well more optimistically, Chris Bentson gives us a glimmer of hope, suggesting that 2024 will continue to be tough but that '25/'26 should be strong years for Orthodontics Perspective Informs Our Outlook (May 2024) - The reSource Minute

Here's to hoping the prediction is correct :)

A few thoughts on what direction things will go? (thoughts are my own)

I work for DentalMonitoring so will more than likely be a touch bias, however we are already seeing some trends occurring in the across the field. Bill Dischinger alluded to it in his recent webinar, future Ortho practices won't have to take up huge physical space and require masses of staff to run them. This will be possible due to digital technology, smarter scheduling and in my opinion remote monitoring.

Dr. Bill Dischinger: Transform the Patient Experience: DM's ...

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We are seeing practices starting to monitor thousands of patients with DM and as a result be able to see the same volume of patients even when staff have left. One practice lost 2 Orthodontic therapists, one lost an Specialist Orthodontist associate and both didn't have to replace them, yet see the same volume of patients whilst at the same time reducing their waiting lists. We are not saying AI will replace all staff members but it's clear that practices that utilise it more effectively will be better equipped to handle future situations should staff decide to leave.

It is fair to say that AI capability is nowhere near what it will be in a few years, I have no doubt it will aid in dealing with the numerous mundane tasks and the burden of admin in more automatic and efficient ways. DM itself will become more powerful in addressing the clinical quality of care provided, enhancing the patient experience and optimising practice schedules - including seeing patients when they actually have a need to be seen. When it comes to technology it feels like it needs to be embraced and taken advantage of.

An Orthodontist I spoke to this week, who also teaches in the University setting, was particularly adamant that the teaching institutes are under pressure and need to change with the times. They should continue to provide evidence based fundamentals but also engage with the reality of the way the field is moving and embrace technological advancements.

Many people don't like change but the strong feeling that is coming across, is that inaction now will cost late adopters in the not too distant future, as they will fall behind those that stay ahead of the curve.

What are your thoughts?

#orthodontics #ai #dentalmonitoring