3 Steps to Jumpstart Dental Monitoring
Implementing Dental Monitoring (DM) into your practice doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With the right approach, DM can transform how you deliver care, enhance patient convenience, and optimize your workflows. Whether you’re new to DM or looking to refine your processes, here are three actionable steps to jumpstart Dental Monitoring and set your practice up for success.
Step 1: Lay the Groundwork
To effectively integrate DM into your practice, start with a strong foundation:
Define Your Practice Vision for DM
Determine how DM fits into your overall practice goals:
Do you plan to monitor all patients or focus on specific cohorts (e.g., aligner patients)?
Are you aiming to minimize office visits to reduce clinical load and free up time?
Would you like to work fewer days per week or require fewer staff members?
Do you want to create a more efficient treatment process that optimizes patient care?
Are you leveraging DM to help grow your practice?
Write down these specific and measurable goals to align your team and systems with a shared vision.
Designate a DM Coordinator
Assign a dedicated team member to act as the DM quarterback. Their responsibilities should include managing the DM Dashboard, ensuring patient communication, and tracking compliance.
Look for someone with strong organizational skills, excellent communication abilities, and adaptability.
Decide if your DM Coordinator should have an administrative or clinical background, depending on your practice’s needs.
Maximize success by leveraging DM’s onboarding team and supplemental online training.
Customize Your Tools and Protocols
Personalize the DM Dashboard to suit your practice’s style and workflows:
Adjust protocols for aligners, braces, Class II correctors, observation (OBS), and retention to reflect your treatment philosophy.
Eliminate unused protocols to clean up the Dashboard and streamline its functionality.
Ensure your setup supports your preferred patient communication methods.
Step 2: Integrate DM into Patient and Team Workflows
For DM to work effectively, it must become an integral part of how your team operates and communicates with patients:
Pre-Frame DM During Patient Contact
The patient journey begins at first contact, often with your Scheduling Coordinator:
Highlight how DM offers remote monitoring that minimizes disruptions to school, sports, and work.
Reinforce DM’s role as part of your practice’s state-of-the-art, patient-centered care.
Add a dedicated DM section to your website and social media platforms to educate potential patients and showcase its value.
Train and Align the Team
Ensure every team member understands and embraces DM through training sessions and a collaborative approach:
The New Patient Coordinator introduces DM as a unique value during consultations.
The Treatment Coordinator emphasizes DM’s convenience and efficiency during treatment discussions.
Clinical staff onboard patients, teach scanning techniques, and handle troubleshooting.
Establish Scanning and Communication Protocols
Provide patients with clear instructions for scanning, starting even before onboarding:
Pre-frame these instructions by sharing them early in the process.
During onboarding, use the DM Coordinator to guide patients and answer questions.
Leverage the DM Dashboard as your "second chart" to educate and re-engage patients during every interaction, showing how DM plays a vital role in their treatment success.
Step 3: Monitor, Refine, and Grow
Once DM is integrated, ongoing improvement is key to optimizing results:
Track Metrics Using DM Insights
Familiarize yourself with DM Insights to gain a proactive view of patient care.
Monitor metrics such as compliance rates, flagged issues, and progress milestones to anticipate and resolve potential problems before they arise.
Refine Protocols
Continuously adjust your protocols to ensure they remain effective:
Refine patient instructions and workflows based on their feedback and progress.
Look for opportunities to further dial in your systems for maximum efficiency and impact.
Celebrate and Promote Wins
Share DM success stories and patient testimonials on your website and social media.
Highlight team milestones and innovative uses of DM to boost morale and position your practice as a leader in orthodontic care.
Emphasize DM’s role in delivering unparalleled convenience and patient-centered outcomes to attract more patients.
Checklist Summary
Key Team Member: Designate a DM Coordinator to lead the implementation.
Key System Setup: Customize the DM Dashboard to reflect your workflows and goals.
Key Metric: Use DM Insights to monitor patient compliance and adopt a proactive care approach.
Key Wins: Promote DM’s value through testimonials, success stories, and marketing efforts.
Final Thoughts
Dental Monitoring isn’t just a tool—it’s a transformative strategy to improve care delivery, patient satisfaction, and practice efficiency. By following these three steps, you can build a strong foundation for DM success and take your practice to the next level.
Ready to start your DM journey? Let’s evolve together!
