Implant and aligner growth planning

Implants and aligners are where many practices aim their growth, because each case is worth more. They also involve more appointments, more people and longer gaps between enquiry and start than almost anything else the practice sells. That makes them an operations problem first. This page covers the planning, not the dentistry: clinicians decide who is suitable and what is appropriate.

Demand you already have

Before buying new demand, count what already arrives. Over the last twelve months, how many enquiries mentioned implants or aligners, how many booked a consultation, and how many started? If enquiries are arriving but few start, more advertising will mostly produce more of the same. Fix the stage where cases stall first, using the stage counts described in the growth plan.

Capacity

These treatments have more moving parts than a routine course. List each one and its weekly limit:

• consultation slots with the providing clinician;
• treatment sessions, including longer surgical sessions where they apply;
• scans, records and lab or aligner turnaround;
• review and fitting appointments, which keep using chair time long after the start.

The smallest of these sets how many new starts a quarter you can take on. Plan reviews into the diary before you plan promotion, or every new start quietly takes time from the next one.

Referral pathways

If nobody in the practice provides the treatment, the choice is between referring patients elsewhere and bringing in a visiting clinician. Either way, write the pathway down: who decides a referral is needed, where it goes, what the patient is told, and who follows up. Under the GDC standards a referral must be made in the patient's best interests rather than for anyone's financial gain ^[2], and that applies just as much when the practice is building a pathway for growth. If the practice accepts referrals from other practices, agree in writing what comes back to the referring dentist and when.

The patient journey

Map each stage and give it an owner. A patient must receive a written treatment plan before treatment starts ^[3], with the options and possible costs explained and a reasonable amount of time to decide ^[4].

Prices belong on the website too: the GDC expects clear price information in practice literature and on websites ^[3]. For treatments priced after assessment, a "from" price with what it includes is far more useful than nothing.

Promoting them honestly

• Only a dentist on a GDC specialist list may use the title "Specialist"; others may describe a special interest or experience instead ^[1].
• Claims must not create an unjustified expectation about results, and where treatment is advertised on marketing or deal websites the GDC asks you to make clear it may not be appropriate for every patient ^[1].
• Before and after photographs must be genuine ^[5].

To set targets and actions for the quarter, use the 90-day growth planning worksheet.