In 2018, River Run Dental Spa has received Invisalign Platinum status for their Richmond, VA Invisalign expertise. It seems to be the case that more and more dentists are offering Invisalign but it is rare to see a dental office get to the platinum level. Most dental offices are doing a few Invisalign procedures a month while leaving the more complicated cases to specialized orthodontists.

It will be interesting to see if more Richmond, Virginia area dentists attempt to push Invisalign along with basic family and cosmetic dentistry services. Most dentists do regular teeth cleaning, tooth extractions, crowns, tooth whitening and X-Rays but the barrier of entry into Invisalign is often too much for them. With this being the case, they would much rather refer Invisalign patients to an orthodontist they went to dental school with.

The issue with referring these patients is they can sometimes be referred to other dentists from the orthodontist. Almost every orthodontist office in Virginia and throughout the east coasts is within walking distance of a Pediatric Dentist office or a family dentist office. This is why some dentists find it risky to refer patients to anyone that does not have a strong personal and business relationship with them.

We will continue to monitor which dentists receive Platinum (or higher) status when it comes to Invisalign. Unless you are already a dental office that offers Invisalign, it is likely too late to enter into this type of business. There are way too many other dental and orthodontic professionals that are already ahead of a practice that is getting started in late 2018.

In 2018, many dental groups and dentists offices are expanding into Invisalign. While it can be difficult for the common dentist to acquire Invisalign patients, it makes sense for any office with a pediatric dentist to offer some type of Invisalign options. Whether these are very easy cases or simply teenagers that need a little bit of adjustment, there are opportunities when it comes to Invisalign.

Costa Family & Cosmetic Dentistry in North Virginia is one of the dental groups near DC expanding into Invisalign. When looking for Vienna, Virginia Invisalign more and more parents are going to notice the CostaSmiles.com website. Dr. Shane Costa recognizes that many of his teen and adult patients are looking for Invisalign and there is no reason to ask them to go to an orthodontist or another dental office. Most people that visit the dentist do not want to make three or four visits to get the service they desire. While a “one stop shop” is nearly impossible when it comes to dentistry, there are definitely ways in which a dentist can assist their patients in not having to drive all over town.

In the near future, we look for many more dentists and dental groups to offer Invisalign. Remember, Smile Direct Club is legal in a number of states and will make the barrier to entry that much harder. That said, there are always a large number of pediatric dentistry patients that will want their family dentist to start their Invisalign treatment. Understand that not all Invisalign treatments are the same. There are some more difficult cases in which a patient will want to go to a much more experienced Invisalign orthodontist.

Have you noticed that more and more dentists in your local area are offering Invisalign? Would you prefer to complete your Invisalign treatment at your family dentist’s office or would you be willing to drive to an experienced orthodontist that has completed hundreds of Invisalign cases?

We are pleased to announce that Raleigh, NC orthodontist Jason Gladwell will be speaking at AAO 2018 for Invisalign or Align Technologies. He will be discussing ways in which orthodontics can improve the experience of kids and teens from scanning to completion of the Invisalign treatment.

Dr. Gladwell is an Invisalign Diamond Plus provider and he has proven to be one of the best orthodontists in the entire state of North Carolina. He has received recognition from Align Technologies as one of the top Invisalign specialists on the East Coast.

If you are in the state of North Carolina and are thinking about Invisalign treatment, we strongly suggest Dr. Jason Gladwell.