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How does an orthodontic practice go from average to being highly successful? I have been asked this question often in my 28 years of working exclusively with hundreds of orthodontic practices. The same competitive motivations that drove doctors to graduate in the top ten percent of their class still drives many to want to be on top.

The orthodontic marketplace has changed significantly over the past three years and even greater changes are coming. Practices that increased significantly in size for a decade have suddenly turned downward. The economy has soured and many older orthodontists have decided to ride into semi-retirement working their practices one or two days a week.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, art is a skill acquired by experience, study or observation. Likewise, the art of relationship selling is a skill that can be learned through the experience and study/observation of what has worked and continues to work in hundreds of orthodontic practices across the globe.

What is the single greatest limiting factor for most dental practices in both practice growth and treatment quality? What causes you and the staff the greatest amount of stress each day? You guessed it… the scheduling system. Practices tend to grow to their level of maximum competence, or should I say slight incompetence and then stop growing.

I remember the days when being told “you have such great potential” warmed my heart and propelled me to take the necessary steps to turn that potential into success. The word “potential” held such hope, major ambition and even pride.

Patients entering an office for the first visit want to be reassured that they are in the right place where there needs for comfort, quality and service will be met with professionalism, and a smile. Professionalism is often seen as a stern or mono-tone voice giving exact instructions and making few mistakes with systems and quality of results.

As I fly around the United States and Europe consulting with orthodontists who desire to create the very best practices, I often discover that most workplaces lack a sense of joy, fulfillment and peace. It might be one thing to discover this predicament in smaller struggling practices, but often, the larger the practice, the more the turmoil seems to exist.