Clinician Finds Path to Success Providing ClearCorrect® Aligners
Compendium features peer-reviewed articles and continuing education opportunities on restorative techniques, clinical insights, and dental innovations, offering essential knowledge for dental professionals.
June 1, 2023
Volume 44, Issue 6, June 2023
Page(s):
Grant R. Smith, DDS, of Prairie Village, Kansas, jokes that he was genetically predisposed to be a dentist. His father was a dentist and a pharmacist, while his mother was a dental hygienist.
"Over 50 years ago, my father embarked on his dental journey, and I was brought along on the ride. Now, I am the humble ‘lord and master' of Prairie Village Dentists," he says wryly.
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Like many other general practitioners, Smith has expanded his skillset to increase the types of services he can provide to his patients. About 11 years ago, he incorporated ClearCorrect® clear aligners into his practice, primarily for cosmetic treatments.
At first, Smith admits, he felt inadequate about providing orthodontics. "I felt like if I didn't know everything, then I had no business doing ortho. There were two orthodontists in my professional building, and wasn't I held to the same standards as [them]?" he thought. But one of his chairside assistants insisted that his patients didn't want to go elsewhere and convinced him to learn all he could about clear aligner therapy. That started him on a path of getting to a place where, with ClearCorrect's support, he is now fully confident in his abilities to provide this important treatment to his patients-while also broadening his portfolio of services.
"It's been a wonderful journey," Smith says of his partnering with ClearCorrect, a Straumann Group brand. "You don't really start to learn until you start to do."
Smith lauds the resources and education provided by ClearCorrect, including Ortho Campus, a collection of digital tools and curricula to aid practitioners. While complimenting ClearCorrect's online resources, Smith acknowledges that, "What really makes this company special are the folks available to help when you do reach out. I have true mentors within the company that have often demonstrated to me my profound ‘wrongness' in the way I was doing things. Not good for the ego but really good for the staff and our patients," he jests.
As a ClearCorrect provider for more than a decade, Smith has been impressed with the company since it was acquired by Straumann in 2017. "There has been so much new research and development," he asserts, pointing out such features as the aligner's proprietary ClearQuartz™ tri-layer material and high and flat trimline, qualities that enhance esthetics, comfort, and retention.
For peers who are considering working with aligners like ClearCorrect, he has one piece of advice: "Start! Don't worry about being perfect; there is no such thing. Go on the journey with your team. They are your biggest asset. If you can get them excited about helping change your patients' lives with this product, the lion's share of the work will be done for you."
Grant R. Smith, DDS
Private Practice,
Prairie Village, Kansas
ClearCorrect
888-331-3323
clearcorrect.com
