A healthy combination of clinical excellence and post-debonding practice-growth strategies turn former patients into walking testimonials for your practice. William Hyman, DDS, MS, shares his tips on the clinical side of debonding, and his wife and Ortho Referral Systems founder Nancy Hyman gives her insight on the marketing side.

Clinical Strategies

When you think the time to debond has come, take a deep breath. If you can, remove the wires and take a good look at all the teeth from all perspectives. Take a look at the patient’s chart, and do a quick review of the treatment objectives. Confirm your choice of retention options. Review your deband checklist to be sure that you have not missed something. Very few moments in your day are worse than informing a crying teenager that the braces have to stay on for a little longer while her mother scowls at you. Take a good look now before you open your mouth to tell your patient that the next appointment will be “the day.”

To read the rest of this article by William R. Hyman, DDS, MS, and Nancy Hyman, click here.