Time to Help Patients “Keep That Smile”

Sean Thompson explains the importance of supporting the ‘Hold That Smile’ campaign, which promotes long-term maintenance of orthodontic alignment.

With nearly a third of the UK considering or having completed orthodontic treatment, more and more people are obviously looking for the perfect smile.

So, as the nation embarks on treatment at a not insignificant cost, the lessons learned from the British Orthodontic Society’s long-running ‘Hold That Smile’ campaign have never been more important. This demonstrated the vital importance of retention, long after the initial treatment was completed.

Twenty-three years ago, I started Ashford Orthodontics. It has grown to become the largest orthodontic-only practice in the UK by the time I left the business in 2021.

We have made all kinds of teeth straighteners over the years, including aligners and retainers, mostly from digital impressions. We’ve seen firsthand the boom in orthodontics as a more affordable and affordable way to achieve the perfect smile.

Responsibility as a profession

But with that, we as a profession all have a responsibility – for our reputation if nothing else – to help our clients keep their smiles and get lifelong benefits from their treatment. “Hold That Smile” illuminates the vital importance of maintaining that beautiful new smile to prevent relapse.

As professional orthodontists, dentists and technicians, we know that our teeth move throughout our lives. No matter how successful the treatment is in straightening them, they tend to drift back if they are not adequately maintained.

It is not enough to offer treatment, provide a retainer and say goodbye to patients after a year or so. Expecting them to understand and commit to the lifelong care required to maintain their smile is unrealistic.

Accurate training and regular reminders are key, as well as easy and convenient access to clinically approved retainer replacements when something goes wrong.

It was this desire to provide lifelong access to conservators that brought me back into the profession last year. My experience with digitized dentistry led me to join Retainers4Life – a business that delivers clinically approved retainers directly to the door. Within two days and a click of a button, the service is an extension of that provided by clinicians.

My observations of changing consumer attitudes to click and buy, accelerated by COVID-19 and contactless transactions, contributed to a passion to ensure that the benefits of orthodontic treatment are felt for a lifetime.

Tooth slippage and relapse are only avoided through lifelong committed maintenance. By making ordering a retainer simple and straightforward, we remove all barriers that can lead to relapse. This is achieved through access to a simple 24/7 online ordering system.

There is no need for the patient to return to the doctor’s office and the procedure is affordable with an interest-free payment.

Benefits for dental professionals

And it’s not just the patient who benefits from lifelong maintenance. We work with dental and orthodontic practices across the UK. They tell us unequivocally that the admin and clinical time saved by marking their clients on Retainers4Life offers huge benefits. They also have immediate returns thanks to a profit share model that is essentially a new untapped lifetime income stream.

There are benefits to using our service for everyone. It rewards everyone for the investment made to achieve that beautiful smile while continuing that patient-practice relationship for the long term.

Helping clinicians continually increase awareness of the need for lifelong maintenance has never been more important. We must all work together to address the unacceptable acceptance of tooth movement and relapse after treatment is complete.

As more adults and children alike take the step toward a straighter smile, it’s up to the orthodontic profession to ensure that every patient is provided with comfortable, affordable, and affordable aftercare and support to maintain their new smile.

We are proud to help orthodontists and dentists provide this level of lifelong care to their patients and are happy to play a role in helping people “Keep That Smile” for life.

Sean Thompson is the CEO of Retainers4Life. Visit www.retainers4life.co.uk or follow @Retainers4Life at Facebook and Instagram For more information.