As a person with 30+ years experience in orthodontic laboratories, I am often asked my opinion of DIY orthodontic outfits like Smile Direct Club (SDC). Whether it is SDC  or one of the others popping up, my reply is the same: “participation in the SDC is like...

My Mom told people for 25 years that I make teeth. I would like to point out that I don’t. I did not make teeth in the old orthodontic lab and I do not make teeth in the new orthodontic lab.

I would also like to point out that I did not want any parts of the new orthodontic lab. I am there, but I still don’t want any parts of it.

Aye, I was happy. I bought my lab in 2005 and my three year plan stretched into ten years, but I was finally there. I had the right people in the right places doing the right things. I had my flat screen television, my Netflix and I was even chasing 90 on the golf course—without cheating.

I hate to sound like the commercial where the cows have signs that read “eat more chiken” but… Here is a novel approach to make more money for your practice: lower the cost of your nightguards and splints. Or not. But do I still have you? Good. Let me explain.

I brought two friends together. One is a physical therapist and the other is a dentist. The PT was telling me that he recommends nightguards to about 80% of his clients. A report on Web MD states that about 30% of the people leaving a dentist’s office should have a nightguard. I have read elsewhere, from lecturers, that approximately 30-50 potential nightguards are leaving your offices every week.

This is it: the final printed and mailed version of “From the Lab Guy.” Those stamps and envelopes taste awful. For any future columns, you will have to sign up on the website for an emailed version or just check out the website for new posts. –yes, I’ll be spending the next month trying to figure out how to create a subscriber list.

Aye, I know how this works. How many of these things never get opened and just get filed in the round file cabinet?

A nudge here, a little movement there, maybe a guard to keep from grinding or a series of trays to treat relapse. I get asked all of the time by family and friends to take care of them. I always do the same thing: I refer them to you, offering to make the appliances for free.

After 30 years in this business, I know enough about orthodontics to get me into trouble. I do not want the hassle or responsibility of really screwing up somebody’s mouth. I am sure that you will do a far better job than I can: it’s what that really big degree on your wall says.

It seems like every time I mention what I do for a living, I hear stories from half the people around me about how they had orthodontic treatment and have since relapsed, most back to the point where it was as if they never had braces. The fact is long term orthodontic satisfaction rates are abysmal. In an article published in 2013 by the Cochrane Oral Health Group, a study found that the long-term satisfaction rate after 10 years was 30%-50%. After 20 years, that drops to 10%.

So you have or are looking at that fancy wand intraoral scanner. As practices move from just using it as a tool for Invisalign and difficult patients, and into digital dentistry and orthodontics, a very common conversation is taking place between doctors and lab owners…