Ortho Technology - April 2019

Ortho Technology - April 2019

APR 2019

Attachments

Bonding Supplies

Brackets - Aesthetic

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A TRADITION OF SERVICE Maria White on Ortho Technology’s Roots

Brackets - Metal

Buccal Tubes

Burs & Discs

If you’d told me 18 years ago I’d be the Global Customer Service Manager of a major orthodontic supply company, I may not have believed you. Back then, I was working a customer service job with another company, but I just didn’t feel challenged or fulfilled. That’s when I took a chance on a small startup in Tampa, Florida. I met with the founder, Brian Leaghty, and before I knew it, I’d joined the Ortho Technology team. In those early days, it really was “all hands on deck.” I was taking orders, packing boxes, fielding customer service calls, and just about everything in between. Thankfully, service has always come easy to me. As a military wife, I’m well aware of the value of hard work and sacrifice, and I strive to reflect that in my own work. Looking back almost two decades later, I can say this tradition has served me well. “I have an amazing team at my back, one that continually impresses me with their dedication, passion, and diligence.” Today, Ortho Technology has truly become a global company. Comparing where we are now to where we were when I started is like comparing apples to oranges — the whole experience is on another level. The one thing that hasn’t changed is our complete commitment to providing fantastic customer service.

Elastomeric Products

Fixed Appliances

Headgear Products

Maria White and team during Ortho Technology’s Annual Theme Day 2018.

Impression Supplies

Thankfully, the growth we’ve seen means I don’t have to be chef, cook, and bottle washer anymore. I have an amazing team at my back, one that continually impresses me with their dedication, passion, and diligence. I want to thank all the members of the global customer service branch. Vicki Babilonia, Aymee Hernandez, Eugene Rotter, Rosa Torres, Esther Hayden, Pam Galusky, and Michelle Chin, I’ve watched each of you go the extra mile for our clients, and your hard work is inspiring. I cannot thank you enough for making this team the best it can be. I also want to give thanks to our clients. As the person who puts together our yearly customer satisfaction surveys, I’m always blown away by the responses we get. The fact that we have so many doctors taking time out of their busy schedules to provide us with such high praise and detailed feedback is deeply humbling. You have my word that we’ll always strive to be worthy of the commitment you’ve shown us. No matter how much Ortho Technology grows, we’ll remain true

Instruments

Lab Supplies

to our customer-first attitude that has gotten us this far.

Molar Bands

I’m so grateful to this company and the space it’s given me to grow as a professional. While my husband has retired from the Navy, I draw on my family’s example now more than ever. Both of my children are officers in the armed forces, one in the Air Force and one in the Navy. They’re a constant source of pride and inspiration for me, as well as an ever-present reminder of what it means to put the needs of others first. I keep them close to my heart every day.

Organizers

Orthodontic Anchorage

Patient Care

Photography

Wire Products

–Maria White

X-Ray & Imaging

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SPRING HAS SPRUNG

4 Factors That Might Be Affecting Your Business’s

Spring is here, and watching flowers sneak up through the soil in your front yard may remind you to consider growth of a different kind — the growth of your business. Regardless of whether you soared over your revenue goals the previous quarter or you took these last few months to recover from failed marketing efforts and missed opportunities, spring provides a great opportunity for overall growth. Still, it’s hard to know where you should focus your energy. To aid your efforts, here are four factors to consider for strategic business growth.

Leadership Similar to nature’s processes during springtime, business growth begins far below the surface through good leadership. Your employees’ perception of you and your company’s mission is what determines their motivation to work hard. Take a step back to evaluate your leadership tactics and determine if they match your ideal business model. Often, replacing poor leaders with stronger ones makes all the difference in a company’s success.

Employee Training Business growth doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Just as leadership from your management team should be a major focus, your employees need a standard but solid foundation of knowledge in order to cultivate their own growth in the company. This spring, consider revamping your training programs by moving to online platforms that customize learning paths for each new employee based on previous employees’ feedback.

The Need to Modernize Orthodontic Supplying

Orthodontic devices have advanced leaps and bounds in the last two decades.

which sales rep is giving you a square deal. Staying up-to-date on the best products and sales is an expensive, time-consuming, and exhausting process. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Ortho Technology has never been about “business as usual.” From the very start of our company, we’ve looked to streamline our sales process in order to pass those savings on to our customers. As we grew, we kept our outside sales force small, focusing instead on our online, direct mail, and customer service platforms. The agility this streamlined approach affords us means that we are now well ahead of the curve as the rest of the industry begins adapting to the realities of an online world.

Our new and improved website combines the fast, easy navigation you expect from your favorite online retailers with the in- depth information of the best orthodontic catalogs. So whether you simply want to pop on and compare prices or do some in-depth research, we’ve made the entire process as simple as a few clicks! Of course, if you have any questions, our experienced sales reps are always happy to help! We understand the challenges of running a modern clinic, which is why we are dedicated to making the supply process as turnkey as possible. It’s just one more way we’re helping doctors find value in every smile.

From the vast improvements made to self- ligating bracket systems to Invisalign-style retainers, there have never been so many options for doctors and their patients. So, why are the ways vendors supply these cutting-edge products stuck in the 1990s? In a world where books, food, dishwashers, and everything in between can be researched and ordered online, “business as usual” in orthodontic supply can feel incredibly retro. Finding the right products at the right price often means tearing through catalogs and brochures, traveling to conventions, watching vendor demonstrations, and trying to discern

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TAKE A BREAK

Growth This Season Customer Loyalty While it is important to increase brand awareness and expand your customer base, it is essential to also increase sales potential with your existing customers. Look for opportunities to grow your profits with the customers you already have through add-on sales, customer loyalty programs, and referral business. Social Responsibility When you adopt policies of social responsibility, you affect your community — and therefore your customers — in a positive way. Take the month of March, for example, which is National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Awareness Month. You can get your business involved in various organizations geared toward raising awareness. Through sponsoring events and donating money, you can increase your client base while simultaneously helping others.

Try some of these tactics at your company this February to create a culture of love where your employees and customers thrive.

8 THINGS TO LOOK FOR IN A SELF-LIGATING BRACKET SYSTEM

A Guide to Selecting the Right SLB for Your Practice

We’ve compiled a list of the most important features you should look for in a self-ligating bracket (SLB). With the ever- changing landscape of orthodontics and growing number of options for passive or interactive self-ligating brackets on the market today, consider these elements to get the clinical efficiency and results you demand. We listened to dozens of practitioners and spoke with our orthodontist advisory council to gather the eight most important features to look for in a self-ligating bracket system. 1. A door that resists opening 2. Easy and fast opening 3. Constantly maintained force 4. Total archwire slot engagement 5. Lowest possible friction 6. Allowance for increased friction (when desired) 7. Accommodation of elastic chain and accessories like Kobayashi ties 8. Patient comfort

As a practitioner who values treatment efficiency and results, don’t overlook your options for self-ligating systems. Choosing the wrong bracket could mean poor archwire engagement and potentially set your treatment back weeks! The good thing is that we looked at the shortcomings of existing brackets in the industry prior to launching Lotus Plus DS, our self-ligating bracket system. When it was finally ready to go to market, we knew we were checking off the important boxes for our customers, along with some bonus time-saving features. If you want to see how our newest self- ligating bracket holds up to this list, visit LotusPlusDS.com to learn more or call to speak with one of our certified reps at 1-800-999-3161.

Bonus: Rotational control with full slot- width coverage

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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

4614 Pet Lane Suite D-101 Lutz, FL 33559

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INSIDE A Tradition of Service PG1

Reorganizing Your Efforts for Strategic Growth This Spring Bringing Orthodontic Supply Into the 21st Century 8 Things to Look for in a Self-Ligating Bracket System How to Make Your Sailing Dreams Come True

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Take Your Next Trip Offshore SET SAIL FOR VACATION

Take a Day Sail

available for beginners. Here are some ideas to inspire your next waterside vacation.

Many day-sail charters exist for those who want to go out a little farther than a dinghy would permit. If you’ve captained a boat and are familiar with the waters, you can apply for a bareboat charter. However, if you are inexperienced or simply don’t want a local guide at the helm, signing up for a day trip with a skipper and crew is a great option. Short of owning your own vessel, chartering a boat for multiple nights is the closest you can get to living out your nautical dreams. Some of the most beautiful destinations on earth — from the Caribbean Sea to the Mediterranean — are best experienced from the deck of a sailboat. Letting the sea guide you to amazing snorkeling destinations, remote cays, and bustling harbors is the stuff of real adventure. Do a Full Charter

Start Small

For those who dream of becoming a skipper one day, a great way to start is by sailing dinghies. These one-sail, beach-launch boats fit 1–2 people and can be rented at most water sports shops. If you want to make it a family experience, shops usually have 16-foot catamarans for rent as well. Catamarans have two hulls rather than one, making for a smoother, more spacious ride. If you’ve never sailed before, inquire about lessons. Most rental operations have instructors on hand who can show you the ropes. The great thing about sailing is that whether you’re in a 12-foot dinghy or a 60- foot sloop, the same basic principles, rules, and skills apply.

If you’re lucky enough to have been aboard a ship under full sail, chances are you know the thrill and serenity sailing can give you. If you’ve never been but have always wanted to know what it’s like to get out on the wind and waves, there are many great options

Like our newsletter? Save 5 percent off your next order when you mention code OT-NEWS!

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