Why is a Single Doctor Orthodontic Practice Important?
Have you ever been getting a haircut, and midway through, a different stylist starts cutting your hair? Exactly! That would never happen.
Now, if you don’t even feel comfortable getting passed off to a different person while getting a haircut, why would you feel comfortable getting handed off to a different doctor during orthodontic treatment? The answer is you shouldn’t.
However, the unfortunate truth is that at many practices that have multiple doctors, it is common practice for you to see a different doctor than your usual when your doctor is not available.
In this article, we are going to discuss the reasons it’s important to receive care from the same orthodontist from the start of treatment to the end of treatment, so that you can find an orthodontist in the Phoenix area that’s right for you.
What’s the Difference Between a Single-Doctor Practice and Multi-Doctor Practice?
Single-Doctor Practice
A single-doctor orthodontic practice is led by one orthodontist who oversees your entire treatment from start to finish. Rather than bouncing around between multiple doctors, you’re seen by one person who knows your history, preferences, and smile goals.
Multi-Doctor Practice
A multi-doctor office can be convenient and have extended hours, but because you may be seeing a different doctor each visit, consistency can be a concern. Did the last doctor you saw take good enough notes? Does this other doctor understand the full scope of your treatment plan? How do the clinical styles of the different doctors compare?
In a setting with a single-doctor, you can be sure that nothing gets lost in translation and that you and your doctor are aligned on how to meet your smile needs.
5 Reasons Single-Doctor Care Excels
1. Continuity of Care
When you’re undergoing orthodontic treatment, it’s going to be a marathon not a sprint. This means it’s super important that there’s continuity of care from start to finish. By working with a single doctor, you’re going to receive care that’s consistent throughout because the same expert is reviewing everything from your photos and X-rays to your overall progress. Therefore, they can recognize patterns unique to you. They’re able to see things like how quickly you respond to elastics or if you need a different aligner wear schedule. With one doctor handling your treatment, you can be sure that subtle shifts in your progress will get noticed faster, and course corrections can be made
before small problems balloon into bigger ones.
2. Improved Patient Satisfaction
Another benefit of seeing the same orthodontist every visit is that you’re able to build a real relationship with them. Why does that matter? For two reasons.
One, your doctor can
personalize your care to you and your preferences. For example, your doctor will learn about how you prefer to communicate (quick bullet points vs. detailed explanations), or how comfortable you are with different appliances, or even which nights your child has soccer practice.
The second reason is because orthodontics is collaborative. At a single-doctor practice that is more agile,
your feedback shapes your plan. Your doctor can actually turn discussion into action, and they can do so quickly.
3. Patient-Centered Practice
Whose teeth are in your mouth? YOURS of course. So who should be at the center of every decision when it comes to your orthodontic treatment? That’s right, YOU.
A big part of making sure you’re at the center of your orthodontic care is being able to communicate with your orthodontist. As you can imagine it’s a lot
easier to communicate with somebody who you know and trust rather than a stranger. This is why seeing the same orthodontist every time is so beneficial and why it’s easier for a single-doctor practice to also be a patient-centered practice.
Once that line of communication is open between you and your orthodontist, they can begin to understand how to tailor your care to you and your life. Because the reality is even if two patients have similar problems, their lives can be very different, and therefore require very different solutions. For example, maybe you’re a musician who needs braces that are comfortable for playing your instrument, or maybe you’re an adult patient balancing treatment with public-facing work. In a single-doctor practice, your orthodontist gets to know you and can adjust your treatment plan to fit your lifestyle and priorities.
4. One-on-One Consultations
One-on-one consultations are critical for making sure
you and your orthodontist are on the same page. During this time you have your orthodontist’s full attention to discuss goals, timelines, pros and cons of different appliances, and budget considerations. Don’t be afraid to speak what’s on your mind. After all,
every patient is different and so are their concerns!
For example, let’s say one patient is worried about discomfort while another is worried about treatment length. Well, during a one-on-one consultation, these concerns can be discussed, and the orthodontist can help develop personalized strategies to ease them. From wax placement to aligner wear hacks, you and your doctor can be fully aligned, improving compliance and giving you the best possible results.
5. Efficient Practice Management
There’s nothing worse than going to an appointment and spending more time in the waiting room than being seen for the thing you’re there for. Now why are you sitting there twiddling your thumbs? Maybe the patient before you was late. Or maybe a complex procedure ran long. More often than not, the reason you’re sitting there is simply because the practice has unaddressed inefficiencies in their processes.
An underrated value of a single-doctor practice is that things run more smoothly. When one doctor sets practice standards there’s
more consistency in practice processes and there’s overall more efficient practice management.
With fewer hand-offs,
schedules are smoother and more simple. Tightly coordinated schedules that account for different chair times based on a patient’s specific stage and proactively planning things like wire changes makes for a better experience for you. Less time in the waiting room and more time taking care of the issues at hand.
What Questions Should I Ask to Know if I’ll Get the Best Care?
Continuity of Care
Will I be seeing the same orthodontist every visit?
Improved Patient Satisfaction
If I’m experiencing discomfort or need something changed, how quickly can that happen?
Patient-Centered Practice
Will treatment recommendations be built around my lifestyle (work, sports, school, travel)?
One-on-One Consultations
How much one-on-one time will I have with the orthodontist?
Efficient Practice Management
Do visits usually start and finish on time?
Why Blacker Orthodontics?
We have met and worked with over 14,000 patients in the Phoenix area over the past 20 years. By doing so, we’ve gotten an inside look into just how busy the lives of our patients really are. From getting kids to school, to early morning workouts, to traffic filled commutes, to weekend sports events, it hardly feels possible to add orthodontic appointments to the schedule.
However, the beauty of working with a single-doctor practice like us, is that we can tailor treatment to real schedules and real preferences.You’ll be working with someone who not only cares about getting you the best possible results, but also provides you with an experience that takes into consideration your individual needs.
Ready to Start the Process?
If you’re looking to begin orthodontic treatment, you’ve ended up in the right place. Book an initial consultation below and let’s get started on figuring out how to set you up for great results, while doing so in a way that lets you continue to live your life to the fullest.
