title: Practice efficiency: the customized treatment process.
abstract: In business, operating efficiently and achieving economies of scale are goals managers continuously strive to meet. In orthodontics, achieving these goals can mean treating more patients in less time and at a lower cost but with an outcome that meets the professional standard and meets or exceeds the patient's expectations. Efficiency allows the orthodontist to maximize the return on constrained capital assets. This article presents a treatment process designed to enhance efficiency. It outlines and discusses the processes of dynamic diagnosis, customized mechanics, patient integration in the treatment, and management of expectations. These elements combine to make an integrated system of treatment. Finally, this article will discuss how efficient treatment is also cost-effective treatment and contributes to continuous profit.
authors.affiliation: orthoaea@aol.com
authors.forename: Al E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Atta
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy*; D009970:Orthodontics / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010347:Patient Care Planning / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011215:Practice Management, Dental / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States