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Short-term Ortho Changes Everything Ryan B. Swain, DMD

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Short-term Ortho Changes Everything

by Ryan B. Swain, DMD

Following is a true story of one dentist's struggle to overcome his drug addiction, and the help he received through the Well Being Program of the Missouri Dental Association. The dentist has requested that his identity be kept confidential.

As we continue to endure a down economy, dentists have an opportunity to boost their revenue and increase production across a broad service mix by satisfying the needs of an adult patient population suffering with crooked, crowded and unpleasant-looking smiles. Unwilling to succumb to years of comprehensive orthodontics or the expense of restorative smile makeovers, many adults haven't found a minimally invasive option to straighten their teeth and beautify their smile.

Fortunately, adult short-term orthodontic treatment eliminates the time-consuming nature of straightening teeth. By offering an option, like the Six Month Smiles system, that adult patients are excited about, it also sets the stage for additional, life-changing and minimally invasive services such as whitening, composite bonding, minimal preparation veneers and better hygiene maintenance. This has a positive impact on other areas of the practice.

Adult short-term orthodontic treatment focuses on the patient's chief cosmetic concerns and not on completely revamping the patient's occlusal scheme. It is not a replacement for comprehensive orthodontics but is a great solution to address aesthetics. In approximately four to nine months, and with very light forces, significant tooth position discrepancies can be corrected. As a result, patients can avoid years of metal braces, yet the results are life-changing with regard to the dramatic improvements to the overall symmetry and harmony of the smile.

Most general practitioners (GPs) graduate from dental school with very little practical orthodontic experience, there are many reasons to get involved with cosmetic braces, even if they never considered the possibility before. These reasons include the following:
  1. In the midst of a struggling economy, dentists are striving to offer services that patients want and will pay for.
  2. Advancements in orthodontic materials enable a much more favorable learning curve, and easier and more efficient tooth movement.
  3. Clear aligners have created many frustrations for dentists, including high laboratory fees, an inability to predict treatment times and lack of control over tooth movement.
Greater Case Acceptance
After learning how to provide short-term orthodontic treatment, general dentists have the ability to offer an incredibly attractive and valuable option to their adult patients who are unhappy with how the appearance of their smile has negatively impacted their life. Most adults with crooked teeth feel stuck. While they might want a more attractive smile, they just won't pursue traditional orthodontics due to the time it involves. On average, treatment time for short-term ortho is about six months.

This short-term orthodontic case was completed by Dr. Dale Hardy in just five months using the Six Month Smiles system.
Practice Growth
Because there is a huge population of adults who can benefit from short-term ortho treatment but aren't aware of it, the option is needed in the profession. General dentists have the ability to tap into the pent-up demand for patient-focused cosmetic braces and, once trained to properly provide this service, they'll see more adults interested in straighter teeth in a shorter period of time.

Practice Profitability and Staff Enrichment
While some patients might shy away from more expensive veneers or smile makeovers costing upward of $20,000, they're also shying away from even "needed" dentistry if they don't perceive value – such as a posterior crown for a cracked tooth that isn't hurting them.

Providing patient-focused cosmetic dental treatments that are affordable and have high perceived value garners greater acceptance. This produces more revenue for the practice.

For example, the average fee charged by providers of a systematic short-term ortho treatment is $4,300, and one case per month can easily add more than $50K to the practice. Additionally, for those dentists involved with veneers and other cosmetic procedures, a short-term ortho system can complement those services by setting up cases for future restoration placement like leveling and aligning the arches and idealizing gingival margin positions.

By combining the reliability of braces with the ease of use of clear aligners, short-term orthodontic systems enable general dentists to begin implementing treatments without any orthodontic experience.

Whether alone or in combination with other cosmetic procedures like tooth whitening, direct composites or minimal preparation veneers, short-term orthodontic treatment is the GP-friendly solution for adult patients with crooked teeth who want a great looking smile for the long term.
Author’s Bio
Dr. Ryan Swain is a graduate of the University of Florida College of Dentistry. He practices in Rochester, New York, and focuses on short-term ortho and other conservative cosmetic dental procedures. He is CEO and clinical director for Six Month Smiles, Inc.
Dentaltown Magazine
October 2025
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