Ep 21 - Innovating the Ortho Workflow

Virtual orthodontic exams are transforming how practices connect with patients. Host Lacie Ellis explores this innovation with remote treatment coordinator Kelly Smith. In this episode of Practice Talk, Kelly shares how Trotter Orthodontics successfully implemented Grin technology to offer convenient teleorthodontics options alongside traditional in-office visits. With 11 years of experience as a treatment coordinator, Kelly explains the complete digital orthodontic workflow—from initial patient communication through the Grin app to scheduling records appointments. She reveals that offering virtual consultations has reduced new-patient wait times from 6-8 weeks to 3-4 weeks while maintaining the personal touch that builds trust and ensures excellent patient experience.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:   

• How to implement a seamless virtual orthodontic exam process using dental monitoring apps like Grin, including welcoming messages, scan instructions, and personalized video consultations from the orthodontist.

• Strategies for maintaining strong patient communication and building trust through remote orthodontic care, including animated messages and timely responses to keep patients engaged throughout the virtual process.

• How to position teleorthodontics as a convenience option for busy families, rural patients, and observation recalls while still offering traditional in-office exams for those who prefer a personal connection.

• Best practices for working as a remote treatment coordinator, including staying connected with the practice team through staff meetings, group chats, and maintaining communication flow while managing virtual consultations and patient testimonials for marketing.

Ready to transform your practice? Tune in to Practice Talk for expert insights and actionable strategies to elevate your orthodontic practice management. Subscribe now and never miss an episode at Practice Talk, where your voice has value, and your success is our priority! 

TIMESTAMPS: 

00:00 Intro: Meet Kelly Smith, remote treatment coordinator

02:30 Grin technology, the new patient exam workflow and how the office presents virtual consultation options

09:21 Treatment plan delivery via teleorthodontics, followed by phone communication to discuss contracts, insurance, and next steps

15:55 Offering dual exam options and when to recommend virtual orthodontic exams versus in-office visits 

21:02 Age considerations for remote orthodontic care: why 7-11-year-old patients are ideal candidates for virtual consultations 

24:47 Building connection through digital orthodontic workflow: strategies for personalized communication techniques throughout the patient experience

33:48 Staying connected as a remote treatment coordinator: maintaining communication flow to stay integrated with the orthodontic practice team

37:21 Marketing virtual orthodontic exams: utilizing testimonials, lunch with referring offices, and patient word-of-mouth to educate the benefits of Grin technology

KEY TAKEAWAYS:  

• Virtual orthodontic exams with Grin technology can reduce new patient wait times by 50% (from 6-8 weeks to 3-4 weeks) while maintaining the personal connection that drives patient experience and treatment acceptance through personalized videos and consistent patient communication.

• Successful remote treatment coordination requires intentional strategies, including personalized messaging with emojis, frequent updates through the dental monitoring app, and orthodontist-recorded videos that replicate the in-office consultation experience through teleorthodontics while staying connected via staff meetings and group chats.

• Marketing virtual consultations effectively involves website testimonials, lunch-and-learns with referring dental offices, and leveraging satisfied patients' word-of-mouth to educate the community about the convenience and efficiency of digital orthodontic workflow options for busy families and rural patients.

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

What follows is an AI-generated transcript. The transcript may contain errors and is not a substitute for watching the video.

Narrator: Welcome to Practice. Talk a deep dive into the world of healthcare practices where we invite team members to share strategies to make your work life easier. Now, your host, Lacey Ellis.

Lacie Ellis: Welcome to Practice Talk, brought to you by people in practice where we specialize in digital marketing, website development, SEO, and so much more. I'm really excited for today's discussion as we dig into the topic of innovating the ortho workflow with my guest. Kelly. Kelly has been nominated by GRIN as an outstanding team member, and the grin specialist that nominated her specifically said, and I quote, she's just overall incredible.

So Kelly has been a treatment coordinator for Trotter Orthodontics in Augusta, Georgia for 11 years and began working in orthodontics in 1997. Kelly loves the opportunity she has to build lasting relationships with patients and their families. Kelly moved to Reno, Nevada in 2021 and feels so grateful for the blessing of working remote for the same amazing team at Trotter Orthodontics.

Kelly assists Dr. Paul Trotter, uh, with new patient exams through the GRIN Dental monitoring app, and she absolutely loves it. She also works as the liaison between the GRIN Care Specialist and the Trotter Orthodontics team. Welcome Kelly. 

Kelly Smith: Thank you so much for having me. Happy Friday everybody. I'm so excited to be here.

Lacie Ellis: Good. Well, we appreciate you taking the time and sharing some of this knowledge. I, I was saying before we started today that, uh, this is exciting for me personally to be able to really dig into this workflow. I haven't had the opportunity to work within it, so this is just me geeking out on new technology.

So this. Really fun. Um, and I'm excited to chat about how your office is kind of utilizing the technology and the role that you play in using this innovation. So let's dig in. The first question I have for you is this, um, you know, I'd love for you to just kind of walk us through the workflow of a new patient coming to your office or coming into the workflow of your office, and what steps do you utilize that grin technology within that workflow?

Kelly Smith: Okay. Yeah, I'd love to do that. So first of all, our new patients have access to our office to request an appointment through our website or directly, um, through the office calling us. And we have an amazing new patient coordinator. Shout out to her, Lauren. She is awesome. So she communicates with our new patients and she just kinda gets a feel in that, um, phone call with them where they're at with their desires of, um, an in-office exam, a grin, virtual exam.

She just sort of fill them out. If they're a patient that seems like they still want that. In person connection, they wanna come into the office. You know, she'll, she'll kind of get that vibe from them in the phone call. And then she has an awesome script that she has ready to go for introducing them to the GRIN exam.

And I think one of the best ways that, that is sold to the patient and, and causes them to have a desire to wanna do the grand virtual exam is the no time away from work. No time away from school. They can take their scan and send it to us. Any time of day it could do it at 9:00 PM at night. So all of those factors she presents to them for the convenience of that option.

And then, um, she gives them just some instructions and some steps to take for the grin, virtual exam. And then from there she just kind of decides how their reaction is, what they would like to do. If they comment that it's a little bit of a long wait in the office for an exam, then she. You know, pushes the, the grin, virtual exam a little bit more like, well then this option would be awesome for you.

So she's just so good at what she does. So she takes over that first part of, um, getting the patient set up, and then she has an email that she sends them that just sort of reiterates the instructions and the steps that she gave them. And then she sends a text message that has the link to the new patient forms.

Um, confirms with them that they'll get an email from GRIN to download the app. So she just sort of helps to follow up with everything she talked to them about, you know, on the phone. That's really important 'cause we get so much, our new patients get so much information on the phone when they call. So that email is really great.

And then the new patient downloads the GRIN app on their phone as soon as they download the app. This is the part that I love that I feel like still helps give that. Personal connection from the office. So soon as their app is downloaded, they immediately get a welcome message from Dr. Trotter. So the message has his little profile picture, his name and everything.

So he's the one that welcomes them in the GRIN app as soon as they download. And then I send them because we will get, um, an alert on our end that they have. Set up the app. So I will then send a message, giving them some steps to taking a successful scan, send a link to a video that they can watch. So we do all of that initially, just so the patient feels like we're, we're already taking care of them.

You know, our communication is just like. On point when we have somebody doing grin, 'cause we just don't want to lose them in the process. So they get the app downloaded, they get the information instructions for the scan, and then they're on their own time for when they can take the scan. Our office sends a really cute little welcome box to them in the mail with their grin scope.

It's got office paraphernalia, it's got a whole bunch of cute things in there from our office, and then their grin scope is in it. So that usually gets shipped to them in a few days. Of the phone call, so then they're free to just take the scan whenever they would like to take it. Once their scan is sent, then I review the scan, make sure it looks good, make sure the Dr.

Truder sees what he can see in the scan, and then I give the patient some feedback if a scan needs to be retaken. What we didn't see that we need to see. I kind of have a whole bunch of instructions ready to go for a retake. So we look for that and then if they have patient forms that still need to be completed, anything in that process of the virtual visit through grin, if any of that isn't done that Dr.

Trotter would need, just like he was seeing them in person, I make sure all of that is ready to go. So calling the dentist, getting their pan and prophy. Uh, making sure that the scan is good, making sure the patient forms are complete. All of that needs to be ready to go before I schedule the patient for Dr.

Trotter to review, because he wants to be able to sit down to that grin scan. And have it almost as if the patient is right there in his chair. So we make sure all of that is ready to go. So then once he has all of that ready, then I schedule the patients for him on a task board that he has for all of his grin, virtual exams.

Then that way he has the flexibility. If he has a day free where he could maybe do six of those, then he could do that many. If he has a busier morning or lunch and he only can maybe do two, then he can keep track of that himself on his own board of those patients. Instead of trying to accomplish, you know, having so many scheduled every day, that just workflow just isn't like that someday.

So, um, we end up doing it that way. For him works great. So he sits down to the scan, he reviews it a few times, looks at their patient forms, gets all prepared to record his video, and then he records a video for them in the GRIN app while he has their scan playing. And then he is talking on the like upper.

Left hand side of the screen and he is talking to them as he's playing their scan. So it really is honestly like they're in the office. I mean, everything that he says to them and addresses is just like he would. If they were sitting in the exam chair. So it's pretty awesome. He, uh, he is so great at it. I, I just think with technology, he is very comfortable and he is thorough.

He explains everything. He's so personable in the video, he's always like. Introducing himself at the beginning, making sure that he's like looking at his camera at the patient. Um, you know, all of that like interaction when you're doing a video type call is very important. He is really good at that interaction.

And then he explains what he recommends for treatment, and then he lets them know that they'll be hearing back from me. So then once he sends the video, I just send a quick little follow up message that just says, after you've reviewed Dr. Trotter's video. Let us know and we'll set up a phone call to discuss all of your contract and treatment details.

So then I wait for a response from them letting me know that they're ready and they've watched the video. There's been some times where when we first started doing this, he would send the video and then I would just call them right? To like, let them know, hey, sent the video, set up it. But then I started to find, you know, a lot of times they haven't even watched the video yet, and so it just has worked out better to just give them that instruction that after you watch the video, we will schedule a phone call.

So just let me know. So then they let us know. We set up the phone call and then I just go through everything just like I would as a treatment coordinator in the office. We email them their contract details. We, IE. Send any links to videos about if we recommend an expander appliance, I send them a link to an animation that shows how to use, like we just totally utilize that technology and we try to do whatever we can to make sure that they're as informed about their treatment as possible.

And then on that phone call, I just talk about. Contract insurance, what the next steps are? Explain the records appointment. 'cause that's what we'll be seeing them for first in office is their diagnostic records. So I explain what that process is gonna look like. Let them know that their initial payment, you know, if everything, if they're a good to go start, there's nothing else that needs to be done, then we just tell them that we'll be taking their initial payment at the records visit and getting their contract set up and then getting braces or aligners.

Next time, so that that process has really become very seamless. Obviously there were some kinks early on and some things to figure out, but now that we've been doing this for a few years, it's just been, it's such an awesome process. I just love that we offer, offer it to our patients. 

Lacie Ellis: I mean, it all sounds so seamless, so I'm wondering from.

Yes, I'll, I wanna do the grit and virtual exam to here's your appointment for your records. What is that timeframe on average kind of look like? I know it's dependent on when the patient submits things and does things, but kind of what's the average of that? 

Kelly Smith: Yes. Okay. So once they have fallen through on their end and submitted everything they needed to, it's usually about three to four weeks before they get a response from Dr.

Trotter. And we always let them know that we give them an approximate. Time range of when they'll hear back. Okay. Um, that is always sooner than what they would get in the office. So we're, that's something that I feel like early on we remind them of because they, sometimes they'll send their scan and then like right away, right?

Like a couple days later they're like, Hey, haven't heard back. So what we've realized is, okay, in our first message, right after they send the scan, we're gonna give them. Timeframe. So then they're not really checking back until that like four weeks. And typically by then we've sent them a reply, so, okay.

Yeah, it works out really good to give them like a window of that 

Lacie Ellis: Yes. 

Kelly Smith: Time of when they'll be hearing back. 

Lacie Ellis: Okay. So a typical in office appointment. How long are patients waiting? Six. I'm just trying to six determine the cut down. 

Kelly Smith: Yes. Yes. I would say right now we are about six to eight weeks out. Okay.

Okay. On a new patient exam in the office. 

Lacie Ellis: Great. Okay. So this really is a great option for mm-hmm. For you guys. So I kind of picked up on, um, there was something you said about getting the pano. So are you getting the panorex from the dentist from their current dentist? Yes. And if they don't have one. Do you still go through the grin?

Like if they haven't been to their dentist in a couple of years and there's no new pan, will you still do the grin process? Yes, 

Kelly Smith: and that's what I'd love. That's one of the things I love about offering the GRIN exam is because we know that we can still see them for an exam and still make them feel like we are making them feel important in the office.

And so the GRIN scan is perfect. I just address it. So Dr. Trotter still sends the video. He still lets them know what he recommends, lets them know that we'll need them seeing their dentist before. And then I'm the one that follows up with letting them know those details of, Hey, we need to get you established with a dentist, get you a, um, recent cleaning and have all of that taken care of before we.

Speak in your treatment. So that's kind of the stuff I take care of once we're at that part of the process. But we still go through everything the same way. We don't make them feel like they can't have an exam because they don't have a dentist. So yeah, we still follow through with that and then I just take care of those.

Lacie Ellis: Okay, because I, I can already hear orthodontists in the back of my head, having worked with enough of them over the years going, well, there's too many unknowns. You know, if I don't have that x-ray, you never know what mother nature's hiding behind those, you know, under those gums. And I really need to see that to even do the treatment plan.

And I really push back on that a lot with these virtual technologies because I'm like, okay. We're gonna confirm this based on the x-ray when we have it. Mm-hmm. However, based on what we can see here, and when you caveat it that way, I mean, I don't know what your experience has been, but it seems like a very, very, very low amount that even when you get that.

X-ray. There's something absolutely super shocking in there. Like a absolutely super ary, like hidden up there or something. Yes. It's just so rare that that is, it's usually 

Kelly Smith: just that they, they need to go in for some restorations or some Yeah, it's ver Yeah. It's never been that big of a deal. And Dr.

Trotter is great about reiterating that when he does mention what he sees, he is really great about saying. But I don't have an x-ray, you know, so we can't confirm this yet. So he is, he is very good about making sure the patient understands that this is just for right now an estimate of what we recommend for treatment.

So yeah, it's, that process has worked out great and I feel like there's never been a confusion with the patients and we are always seeing them for those diagnostic records. First, so Dr. Truder always has an opportunity to review those X-ray, those x-rays. Then, you know, if he, if he has any doubt in what he recommended, but that just does not happen very often.

It 

Lacie Ellis: just doesn't. I mean, I hear, like I said, I hear it all the time like, well, what if, and I'm like, it's so rare though, like Yeah. Even when you do an in-person exam. Having like a bunch of root resorption and where you shouldn't move the teeth. Like it's just really rare. So, um, so I'm glad to hear that my assumptions here are correct.

So I do have some offices that say they funnel everyone to whatever their virtual exam process is first, and they say to that patient like, um, the first step in our office is. We have you take this scan and send it in and this saves us all a whole bunch of time and energy, and then we get you in for that first in-office visit and this is what it's gonna look like.

Um, I know there are still people out there who really want that personal touch and to come in and have that exam. What would your thoughts be about saying that and having everybody funnel through? Yeah, that first. 

Kelly Smith: I mean, I think that would be, I think that would be great. In our office, we typically let them know that we have two exam options for them.

Um, I don't foresee us ever getting rid of an in-person. There's just too many people that still want that feel and want that connection in the office and meeting in person. So I feel like that is still very much a part of what we offer. And so I think that us presenting two exam options, um, but Lauren is just really great.

I think whoever you have. Talking to that new patient, it's so important that they. Just bring that, bring that energy and that positivity about what they're offering. Because when you mention all of the pluses and you let them know, another great thing is, um, when you reassure the patient that we've had wonderful feedback and, and we have that's absolutely true.

So when you can reassure them that we've had wonderful feedback from our parents and patients about doing a Grandin virtual exam. That ease is there. They're like, oh, okay, they've done this a lot and this isn't something I'm just being offered to be like pushed out or, you know, like they, they love that we have been doing it a while and that we can reassure them that it's a great process.

And listen, it's hard. There are so many people that have a really hard time getting away from their job now, and when we tell them that they can do this on their own time, they don't have to get away from work or school. They will get all the same information from us as they would in person. It's just hard.

We, we have a lot of patients accepting the virtual option 'cause it's just, we just live in a day and an age where people are just getting used to interacting this way. It doesn't feel as foreign, it doesn't feel as impersonal. We're just getting used to living in a world that does this so. 

Lacie Ellis: So if a person comes in for the inpatient appointment, is there any, uh, at point when you or grin are interjected into that process?

Or if they come in person, they just go through the in-person office workflow records and all of that and don't really touch the grin process when it's that way? Well, actually no. 

Kelly Smith: So 

Lacie Ellis: we 

Kelly Smith: have two, we have two. Awesome treatment coordinators that work in the office. Candace and Kim, and they're just, they've both been in orthodontics for a long time and they're so great at their job.

There are oftentimes they'll see a child for an exam and the mom will mention how much she loved the office, that she has two more children that she would love to have come in, and that's where utilizing Grin is so amazing because we don't have to. Try to figure out how to see those kids. We don't have to make that mom wait another six to eight weeks.

We can say, oh, if you want your other two children to be seen, we have an awesome virtual. Option that we can do for you. And then the treatment coordinators can tell the mom all about it. She's already had her in-office personal connection. She already feels confident with us, so they're like, yeah, that would be great.

Get us, you know, in for the virtual exam for my two other kids. So. Multiple, multiple family members, siblings, it works great. We usually get them set up on grin for recalls. So once patients are in observation, the treatment coordinators will explain to them all about grin for observation. Um, we actually don't even give them, unless Dr.

Trotter has a patient that he wants to see personally in the office for a recall, we're we're tending towards not even really giving them an office recall. We just get them all. Established in grin. Um, so we do our observations that way, and then they just come into the office to have just a periodic pano taken, but their grin scans are pretty much there.

Recall. So that's worked. Awesome. That's the perfect 

Lacie Ellis: way to keep, um, you know, I hear all about kids clubs and this and that, and I'm like, there those are fun. So fun, so great. But, um, the goal of those programs is to keep a patient who's not quite your patient yet feeling like I'm your patient, right? Like it's to yes, build that trust and that relationship with them that they.

Aren't standing on the soccer field hearing about this other orthodontist and they're like, oh, I'm gonna go there. Right? So, yes. Um, what a great way to be able to harness some of that technology and say, Hey, you know, we're gonna save you some time and energy having to come to the office, especially.

'cause we usually know we're waiting for five baby teeth to fall out, but we haven't told mom like, that's the milepost we're looking for does just because. Mother nature can throw us some curve balls and we wanna check in on those things. So I think that's a really smart way to utilize this technology to keep those patients sticky so that they're patients of your practice.

Yes. And they've got your technology and you're really making it on the patient experience side so much easier than having to come in unless you need that x-ray. So, um. A, a question came to my head of is there an age range for people who are more qualified or like, would you not want a 7-year-old to do the virtual, like for their first visit?

Is there an age discrepancy or a differentiator for grin for you? 

Kelly Smith: Yeah, great question. So we actually love having our, our, our seven to 11-year-old patients. We, we actually really try harder to push grin for them because most of the time. What we're seeing them for is just checking out their growth and development, right?

So like at that age, there's not a lot of treatment that we're going to be recommending. A lot of times it's something that we need to work back and forth with the dentist on. Primary teeth extraction. So there's not a lot of things to do necessarily. And so we actually try to push it more for those patients.

And like I said, Lauren has a great script for that. As soon as she knows she's talking to a mom or dad that has that age of child, she goes right in to explaining, oh, we're so excited to meet you. We're so glad that you know. Dr. Hughes referred you to our office. We love their practice so much. She's so great about referring you early.

That's when we love to see you. So she just has this perfect script, but then she lets them know, oftentimes we're seeing your child just to evaluate their growth and development. So I have a perfect option for you that doesn't take you away from work or school. So then she just goes right into talking to them about grin.

And honestly, I would, I would. Feel really confident in saying probably 85% of our patients in that age range do the virtual option. Just because when the parent realizes, oh, so technically we're not really coming in to start treatment, and you're telling me I have this option to not break away from work or school.

So they, I mean, they're usually sold on it before she even gets done with her selling spiel. So yeah, they, they're just. Lauren, the office is just amazing. Other jobs with, with going back and forth with this. They're just awesome. But no, I, I think it's perfect for that age. Um, grin has a mini scope.

Sometimes there's ages about seven or eight. They have a very small mouth. Sometimes they have a really hard time with the mini scope. It's just not quite small enough, and so they will oftentimes let us know, Hey, this just didn't work out. And then we just don't make him feel like it's an issue at all.

We just say. Hey, we'll just see you in the office. No problem. Sometimes the scope is, you know, just not big enough so that that happens once in a while, but that will be with like a seven or 8-year-old patient, and then we just get them in the office. So. 

Lacie Ellis: Great. Okay. Well, uh, we like to get questions or comments from our listeners and our people and practice clients about our topic.

So let's listen to our first question. So how do you ensure that you have built a strong enough connection with the patient through this workflow so that they actually show up for that first in office visit? So that, 

Kelly Smith: that is the part about the process that probably. I would say that was our, one of our biggest concerns in our practice when we decided we were gonna start doing this, it was right around the time of coming out of COVID, realizing, you know, we've just really gotta offer something virtual for our patients.

We can't just have times where we just can't. See them. So that sort of pushed us towards this and I'll tell you that that really was something, 'cause I feel like our practice does such a great job connecting with our patients and we just have such a warm and friendly environment that you almost want them to come in.

'cause you want them to feel that. So I was really struggling with that when we first we're coming into this and then I realized, you know, my children, that my teenagers, they text, they text about everything. My daughter's texts are so like I know exactly how she's feeling in her text, right? Because they're just, they, they just know how to communicate that way.

And so for me, being in the age range where I'm not as used to that, I have to be more accepting that that's how this, these younger generations are. Communicating. And so I just have to learn to have my messages come across very personal, very expressive, very animated. You know, do a lot of emojis, add the little hard things at the end of my messages.

So I'm just getting used to interacting like that and just getting more personal with the patients and that communication is so important. Just never leaving them, hanging in the app, wondering if we've. Got their message or got their scan, like we need to be on top of our communication back and forth with them so that from the time we offer this to them, they feel like we are taking care of them every step of the way.

So it really does need to be that kind of a process for us. And I, every time I talk to them on the phone after we're. We're done with the doctor's video and I've set their contract and we're talking about everything on the phone. That really is the feedback that we get. They always say, oh, I was, I was a little hesitant, or I was wondering about this process, but it's just been great.

You guys have been great. You've communicated all along the way. You're so sweet with your messages. So they've just given us great feedback, but that's been something on my part that I've had to learn to do. How do I make that virtual messaging. Video calling phone calls, like how do I make that as as personable as possible?

And like I said, Dr. Trotter's been amazing in his videos. He is so tech savvy, so that makes a difference if your doctor can get very comfortable in front of the video talking to the patient. That way he's really learned how to be great about marking the scams, circling things at like, he's just really gotten great at it.

So that makes a big difference when he feels personable in the video. But yeah, it's. You know, there's some growing pains you've gotta practice. We had to do a lot of, you know, testing it out, practicing, you know, all the, all in the videos. Like it took us a little bit, but you know, now we're just so grateful we offer it.

And I don't know about, you know. How you feel about this. But I know in Augusta and anywhere really you're gonna have rural cities, you're gonna have places where people just can't get to an orthodontist. Very easy. And some of our patients live an hour away and when a mom is wondering about something and she can just send a picture or a scan or she tells her friends, oh my goodness, I did my virtual exam with my orthodontist and you know, didn't even have to go in.

Like they, they are some of our best. Marketing tools because they just go tell all their other mom friends that they did their exam this way and it was awesome. So that's, oh yeah. Kelly, you're 

Lacie Ellis: preaching to the choir. 'cause I live in very rural Montana and I live out on a dirt road. Okay. And my neighbors are mini donkeys and it takes me a good.

I would say 25, 30 minutes if the roads aren't bad to get into town. And if I can avoid that drive, especially when, you know, a, a storm comes in, I am great to just hunker down at home. So anything I can do right from here is Chef's Kiss. Like that is same, that is the goal. Um, and I do, you know. I, I hear this a lot because at people in practice, we have some technology for, you know, it's, it's not quite as comprehensive as grin, um, with videos and things like that, but the, the intro form that somebody could fill out to request an in-person appointment or a virtual appointment and send some photos, it's, it's a similar workflow and I hear constantly from offices we're just really good.

At the in-person touch, and that's our differentiator. That's what makes us special, is when somebody comes in, they feel like they're our family and we just wow them with all of this, and I'm like, great, that is awesome. You're gonna have a chance to do that. If you do this bit and you do it well, but it's a lot of low hanging fruit that you're leaving on the tree.

If you don't at least offer this option. For those people who don't want. To come in or don't wanna wait six weeks to find out what their treatment options are like all of these things. And I, I told a doctor the other day, I was like, I know you're worried about losing the personal touch. I, I hear you.

There is a whole world of online dating that tells me differently that you can connect with somebody, uh, through a video or through a text message, and these people end up getting married. So, yes. You know, um, exactly. It really takes the right person, which you know. From all of the praise I've heard from Grin and now having met you in person.

Aw. Um, I really think it, it, it does take finding that person. It does put anybody into this role. Same with your front desk. Right. Same with your treatment coordinator. Mm-hmm. Same with your chairside assistant. Like I started chairside. I will go out and say I probably wasn't. The best chairside assistant.

Same. I'm super type A same. So like, I really enjoyed that, but I liked the conversation more and my mouth got away with me sometimes. And like my chair time really sucked because, you know, I, I, we've just, we got chatting and then I was like, oh shoot. Yeah, uh, now you have to wait 10 more minutes for the doctor because I went over our, yeah, you were preaching to the choir.

That 

Kelly Smith: is where I first started in orthodontics. And then, um. So I, I first started working for my father-in-law in orthodontics, and, um, he finally realized, like he ended up putting me in as just the records assistant for all the new patients because he's, he said, Kelly, I've watched you in the office. He is like, and you just need to be in the position where you are getting to know the patient and making them feel comfortable.

And he is like, I just want you to just be my. Just records assistant, you're just gonna welcome my new patients and do all my records. And then it was like a perfect place for me. So then I went from that to treatment coordinating and it's just been like, it's just a job made for me. Like I just, oh my gosh.

Just can't imagine myself doing, 

Lacie Ellis: yeah. Our journeys are so, uh, in sync with each other because I too went to records and I loved it because I was like, oh, I've got an hour. Chat it up and get to know. And the patients are excited, right? They already know what they're getting. Yes. But there's no selling.

They already bought what, you know, they, they're wanting to come to your office. All of that's done. And now you're like, it's party time. We get to like get this process started. Yes. Get to know and yeah. So, and then totally. I spent a small stint in the lab that was not for me. There's not enough people to talk to in there, so I can't annoy anybody and it just didn't feel like home.

So, but um. It, it's, it's funny how. When you find your place and you're like, oh, treatment coordinating. Once I finally like really understood it and grasped it, I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm not selling anything. Yes, they already know what they wanna buy. Yes. All I'm doing is just taking every roadblock down that I can to make it possible for them to, to get the start that they already want.

So, yeah. Um, like I said, you sound like absolutely you're the right person for this, but I, I really, um, I hope that the offices that are listening to this, that really, uh, grasp the point that you really need the right person in the role. Because if you stick the wrong person in any role in your practice, you're gonna be like, well, that didn't work for us.

We're not using this technology. It might not have been the technology's fault. That's all I'm saying. Exactly. 

Kelly Smith: Exactly. I'm right there with you. Exactly. That's why I was saying like, it really does take our amazing team for this to work. It takes the right person doing the new patient call. It takes, you know, just, uh, there's just so many aspects of making this successful, but I think that you do have to be aware that.

It takes. And, you know, Lacey, we live in a time, I mean, uh, our, our patients' parents are millennials now, and we live in a time where they're just comfortable with this. And so we have to get comfortable with it because they want that option. And I'm, I'm finding more times than not when. When we tell them that we have a virtual option for the exam, a lot of the adults, they're like, oh, I would love that because if I can find out everything about my treatment before I ever have to come in there, where do I sign up?

Like they, they wanna do it. So I think that not offering it is I. I dunno. I mean, it, it could be a slow journey for some offices that aren't sure about it. You know, they could take baby steps. They could maybe start trying out their patients offering it for observations. I just think that it's silly in our day and age to not, to not being.

Offering this. 

Lacie Ellis: Absolutely. So working as a remote team member, how do you stay connected with the daily, you know, challenges and rhythms with inside the practice? I know, um, I hear that a lot when people are like, oh, we thought about having a remote treatment coordinator, or, you know, taking our call center outta the office, and how do you keep your pulse on what's happening and what's going on inside the practice?

Kelly Smith: I love that question. Uh, simply because that was something that started to happen to us when I first went remote and moved, and I was starting to feel that way. It was kind of like, oh, I'm sort of off here doing my remote thing, but I also like, I need to still be connected to what's happening in the practice.

And I just started feeling that. Disconnect. And so I had a conversation with Dr. Trotter about it and I'm like, what do I, what can I do to be more connected still to what's happening every day in the office? So what we decided is I would make sure that I remoted in on all of our staff meetings. So anytime we have any sort of meeting, whether it's admin or or clinical, or just our overall staff, any meetings that we have, I'm gonna make sure that I remote in.

So we always make sure that meeting is held at a time where. It's good for me 'cause sometimes time zones can be tricky. So, um, we always make sure that the staff meetings held when I can log in and then we have a team group chat that 'cause my phone and my messaging is linked to the office. So we have a whole team chat that runs all day long between all of us.

So that also really helps. They can have a patient be put on hold for me and. Message me or call me and say, I've got somebody that needs to talk to you. Can you take the call? So that makes it nice too, that I am linked in all ways. Communication wise with the office, that's really important. So, um, group chatting, all day, staff meetings, um, being able to be available when patients call, letting the office know, Hey, I'm working from this time to this time, or if I'm gonna be out for an appointment.

Like, I need to make sure that I am doing my part to communicate what my schedule is. Um, so that all of that has really helped and. Being in an office, like I would definitely, if any, if any practice is considering this, I would make sure that you're hiring somebody to do the remote position that has worked in an office or maybe has some treatment coordinating experience.

Just somebody who's, who's already, 'cause that was an advantage for me, is that I had already been in, in the practice for eight years before. I went virtual, so I already understood the daily flow and the challenges that our office face. So I under, I understood that, so that helps us. But yeah, definitely being, being a part and making sure your communication is there and you're part of the meetings.

And, um, whenever I can, the morning huddles are hard, but whenever I can, um, call in, you know, on a video call and be there for huddles like in the afternoon, that's helpful. But yeah, all of those ways keep. Keep us connected office. 

Lacie Ellis: I feel like they need a Kelly cardboard cutout. I think.

So my last question is, I am wondering how do you educate your community and your potential patients about this technology and how you're utilizing it? Because as a, you know, a digital marketing company, we're always looking to. Figure out how do we not only con, convey this differentiator, right? This makes you different from the practices around you.

It makes you definitely more desirable in my eyes, um, as an option to look at. But then how do you message that out to the patients, letting them know that you offer this technology and why it's a benefit to them. How are you getting that out? Yeah, great. 

Kelly Smith: Oh, that's another great question. We have a wonderful little spot on our website for, um, all about grin and then we have this really cool patient testimonial.

'cause like I said, our, our feedback from this has been so positive and we have a lot of patients that were willing to give testimonials. So we have a really. It's just, it's so cute. I love the testimonial video that we have, but it's on our website and we have a whole bunch of things about grin on there.

Dr. Trotter has started going out and doing some a few lunch and learns with some of our top referring offices, and that has been really great because he's able to let them know why this is a great option for their patients. Everything we accomplish in a virtual exam, um, how it helps our flow of our practice where he can have that time set aside to be able to just review the video, kind of say, you know, 'cause the, the in-office exam, you have to account for all these interruptions, right?

Like if the, um, mom brings another child with her, or she's very, you know, has lots of questions. And so with this video, Dr. Trotter can just really focus in on. What needs to be done and he can be very precise and detailed with his, um, recommendations and what he sees for their treatment. So he's feels more efficient in his video actually, than in person.

And so, you know, that's a huge plus that the patient's like, wow, in this four minute, three to four minute video I was told. Everything I need to know. And so he, he explains all of that to the office in the lunch and learn. And that's been great. That's, that's been awesome that he's been willing to do that with his time.

'cause that's been really helpful. And then, um, like I said, moms, like, we've had, our patient, moms have been so awesome about spreading the word for us. 'cause they'll tell another mom, like, oh, our hygienists. 'cause how hard is it for a hygienist to get away from seeing patients? So our hygienist, they, they tell each other, they tell hygienists in other offices.

They're like, Trotter Orthodontic does this awesome virtual exam. So they, they're, they're huge. Like marketers for that. But yeah, I just think having it just available in the office, us talking about it, the Lunch and learns, our website, having the testimonial, our patient's, word of mouth, like that's, that's been spreading it for us.

I really don't see us being able to, I. Need to do much else. Awesome. Other than that, 'cause that's just, um, taken off from that, so. 

Lacie Ellis: Excellent. Well, I really hope that you enjoyed our conversation today as much as I did. Thank you so much for your time and for sharing all of your valuable insights, Kelly.

I'm really, really grateful and this was big learning for me, so thank you for sharing. This with me. Yeah, my pleasure. It's been awesome. It's great to meet you, Lacey. You too. So our goal with this podcast is to give you truly tangible items that you can use in your day-to-day life at the office, and to elevate the voices of the people that actually work in an office and sit in the same chair that you.

It in every day. We'd love to hear from you about your topic or guest recommendations, as well as any questions or comments you might have, um, or things that you're dealing with within your practice. Send us your questions or stories to practice talk.com. Please subscribe and share this episode with your friends or family who might find these conversations helpful and or.

Interesting. And don't forget to listen to our original podcast called The Golden Age of Orthodontics, hosted by the founders of People in practice, Dr. Leon Klempner and Amy Epstein. Until next time, thank you for joining us on Practice Talk where your voice has value. 

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