In the second episode of Practice SnapShots, Dr. Alex Waldman of Waldman Orthodontics in Beverly Hills, California meets virtually with Dr. Ilan Abramowitz of EA Smiles. EA Smiles has locations just outside of Tampa and Orlando, Florida. The two practice owners discuss predicting the future of orthodontics by looking outside the industry and dissect orthodontic software that helps them to continually evolve and grow their thriving businesses.
Dr. Ilan Abramowitz may look young, but his 15 years in practice and forward thinking mentality has given him a leg up in his competitive area. As an early adopter to new technologies and orthodontic software, he tends to look to the way he shops himself with companies like Amazon. This keeps his own patient experiences more in line with the way consumers like to shop.
Both doctors started using SmileSnap dental software in late 2019 and have both found great success in implementation. Their practices use the orthodontic software slightly differently, but the focus on efficient patient-focused processes is the same.
When COVID19 hit, they were both primed to not only handle their new patient workflows, but to thrive and grow regardless of the practices being shut down.
When Dr. Waldman asked Dr. Abramowitz about what he has learned through the implementation process of SmileSnap’s dental software, his head went straight to the patient experience. “It’s taught me a lot about the people we are- because they are all like us. They get on the phone between 10pm-2am and want a consult.”
“I like to give people what they want. So my goal has always been to give patients what they want. What COVID19 and these virtual exams showed me is that people just want answers to their main questions- to be able to answer that for them virtually in such a short period of time with such a high success rate.”
With his virtual consultations converting at 92%, Dr. Abramowitz decided to evaluate their regular, in-person exams to see what could be done to achieve similar case acceptance rates.
“What we realized was maybe we were doing too much in our exams and reduced regular exams to under 30 minutes,” said Dr. Abramowitz. It was a key indicator for the practice that helped them to become more efficient and effective in a process that took their in-patient experience to another level as well.
The overarching theme of this interview has been to think like a consumer thinks and find the right orthodontic software to allow you to deliver that experience that delights you with the brands you trust.
“Take into account what the patients want. Most of them want to come in and get an answer to 1 or 2 questions,” Dr. Abramowitz reiterates. With the use of virtual consultations the practice not only opens their doors virtually to a larger patient segment, but they have also gained significant efficiencies in their new patient workflows when they are physically in the office.
Both doctors encourage practice owners not to be afraid of new orthodontic software and emerging technologies. In fact, they insist that you embrace it.
“Don’t be afraid of the technology,” Dr. Abramowitz emphasizes, “Our profession is changing. We cannot do it the way we did it 5 or even 2 years ago. We have to understand what people want.”
Think like a consumer. This means using the right orthodontic software and building an effective process that truly puts the customer or patient first. The time of being a good clinician and an average businessman is over. If you aren’t good at both, you will be left in the dust to those that are hungry enough to evolve to meet the demands of those that we serve: people just like you and me.
If you want to learn more about how SmileSnap can take your practice to the next level, check out our homepage at www.smilesnap.com to see a customized journey of how virtual consults and virtual visits can be a reality in your patient experience.
SmileSnap is the leading Smile Assessment and Virtual Consultation tool for the dental industry. We serve many top orthodontists, periodontists, general practitioners, and many more.
7900 E. Union Avenue, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80237
SmileSnap is the leading Smile Assessment and Virtual Consultation tool for the dental industry. We serve many top orthodontists, periodontists, general practitioners, and many more.
7135 East Camelback Rd. STE 230
Scottsdale, AZ 85251