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Office Visit: Under One Roof Marie Leland, Assistant Editor, Orthotown Magazine

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by Marie Leland, Assistant Editor, Orthotown Magazine
Welcome to the newest installment of Office Visit, where we visit an orthodontist’s office and profile his or her equipment, office design or unique practice philosophy. If you would like to participate or nominate a colleague, please e-mail ben@farranmedia.com.

This month we visited Affiliated Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics in Scottsdale, Arizona, where orthodontist Bruce M. Goldstein, DDS, MS, practices. Dr. Goldstein always wanted to help people, and he found his niche in orthodontics. His enthusiasm is not only evident in the way he practices, but in how his practice markets itself, gives back to the community and encourages those interested in joining the profession to “go for it.” Read on to learn more about this unique, dual pediatric and orthodontic practice; as well as Dr. Goldstein’s business philosophy.
Name: Bruce M. Goldstein, DDS, MS
Graduate From and Years Graduated:
• BS - University of Maryland, 1978
• DDS - SUNY at Buffalo, 1982
• MS - Orthodontics, SUNY at Buffalo, 1984
• Diplomate, American Board of Orthodontics, 1991
Practice Name: Affiliated Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics
Practice Location: Scottsdale, Arizona (two locations)
Staff: 60 Employees – Two Orthodontists; Three Pediatric Dentists
Web site: www.smilesbyapdo.com

Office Highlights
Bonding Agents
  • 3M – Concise
  • Enhance (Reliance)
  • Nola
Brackets/Wires
  • 3M Unitek – Victory Series – Copper NiTi, NiTi, TMA
Cements
  • Reliance Orthodontic Products, Inc. – Band-Lok
Class II Correction Appliances
  • Headgear
  • Herbst
  • Pendex
Class III Correction Appliances
  • Facemask
  • RPE
Click Here To View Dr. Goldstein’s Top 3 Products		 Digital Radiography
  • Sirona
  • Articulated Models
  • In-house Records
Technology
  • Automatic check-in
  • Chairside monitors
  • E-mail confirmations, referrals and treatment requests
  • Oasys Practice Management System and Imaging
  • Online appointment & account information (Televox)
  • Paperless
  • SureSmile
  • Text message appointment confirmation
Dr. Goldstein, why did you get into orthodontics?
Goldstein: My goal in life was to become a psychiatrist as I thought that I could save the world one person at a time. While interning at a psychiatric facility during my junior year, I thought the patients were more rational than the psychiatrists. It was disheartening to see that they were prescribing medication to the patients with very little personal contact. A friend’s uncle, who was an endodontist, came along at a critical time in my life and sold me on dentistry. While in dental school I spent time at an orthodontist’s office and fell in love with the profession. Along with the art and science of orthodontics, the profession provides a good mix of helping people and developing relationships with families.

What is your practice philosophy?
Goldstein: We pride ourselves on having a superior practice based on clinical excellence that provides a truly memorable patient experience. In our practice, it is an obsession to be detail oriented and provide quality treatment and service for all patients. Using SureSmile technology, we strive to be as efficient with our treatment as possible.

In order for us to reach our high standard in treatment, we focus on SureSmile simulations to more accurately diagnose patients prior to starting treatment. These simulations allow us to establish visual goals so that we have clearly defined treatment objectives for each patient.

Our staff is our biggest asset. We treat them as professionals and train them to understand treatment philosophies, mechanics and expectations. We hold our staff to the highest standards; we engage them in multiple continuing education classes and hold regular reviews to discuss further growth and education. In fact, several members of my staff have worked with me for more than 20 years.

In cultivating our philosophy we utilize several methods. We rely heavily on patient and doctor referrals to generate new patients. In turn, we focus on using quality of service and respecting our patient’s time. We also have modern facilities that are comfortable for all family members. We believe in educating our patients through consultations to discuss treatment options, limitations and goals. We want raving fans, not just satisfied customers and we always strive to deliver more than we promise. We take it personally when treatment expectations by our patients and parents are not achieved.

What is the competition like in your area in orthodontics right now?
Goldstein: There are some great orthodontists in the Scottsdale area. While there is a lot of competition, the majority of the practitioners have a mutual respect for each other. Also, a growing number of general dentists have begun providing Invisalign to their patients.

How do you market to new patients?
Goldstein: We have several methods of attracting new patients to our practice. We focus on internal referrals, referrals from our peers and referrals from our pediatric department.

Satisfied patients are the best sources of referrals. Patients are not only happy with the results but because we finish treatment in significantly less time, they become advocates. We have seen a 40 percent decrease in treatment time since beginning with SureSmile. More adult patients are seeking out treatment after they see how smooth their child’s treatment went.

Another great referral source for our practice is general dentists and other specialists. We have built a great rapport with numerous dentists in the valley. These dentists and specialists know that the patients they refer will be getting excellent results, along with exceptional service. We also provide our referring doctors with continuing education courses for themselves and their staff. With SureSmile, we are able to download difficult cases onto our laptops and bring it to their office to review a patient’s treatment plan. This allows for better communication between practices. We have also set up a learning center in our office and host continuing education lectures and study groups.

Having three board-certified pediatric dentists in the same building is also a great referral source. While it is great for us, we feel it is best for our patients as they are able to establish their childhood dental home with our practice as a whole. Both the orthodontic and pediatric departments offer the best technology to ensure the finest and most efficient treatment.

So, what do you do to set your practice apart from other practices?
Goldstein: We have multiple contests throughout the year, while two have great patient response. The first is the “Design our T-shirt” contest. This contest is a lot of fun for our patients and participation is huge. Three winning designs get printed on T-shirts, and the winners are given a gift certificate. These T-shirts are given to each patient that gets banded. We encourage the patient to wear the T-shirt (good marketing) by giving extra reward tickets when they wear their shirt to the appointment. The second contest is the “Photo” contest. Patients are encouraged to take pictures wearing their T-shirts while on their summer vacations. We have several categories they can enter their picture where: most adventurous, most creative pose and most unique location. It is great to see the response from our patients.

Tell me a little bit more about your practice and the dynamic between the ortho office and the pediatric office. How is it laid out? What is the workflow like?
Goldstein: The relationship between the pediatric and orthodontic departments is symbiotic. We share waiting rooms, a Web site and patients. We view ourselves as partners. However, we run each department independently. Having both practices housed in the same facility has allowed us to build a showcase office. We do have several other independent referral sources and we work hard at maintaining those relationships.

What piece of technology has the biggest wow factor for your patients?
Goldstein: SureSmile is by far the technology we utilize with the biggest “wow” factor. Our office was the first in the state of Arizona to offer this technology. Since embracing SureSmile more than three years ago, we have completed more than 1,000 patients and have seen consistently excellent results. We reduce time in braces by 40 percent, and significantly reduce the number of office visits. We are excited because shorter treatment time can reduce hygiene concerns and limit force on teeth, reducing the risk of potential root resorption from those of traditional treatment. This is especially important to our teen and adult patients, as many might fear the unattractiveness and time commitment of traditional braces. We use SureSmile on all our patients, because we feel it has the best diagnostic tools available and are able to provide the best finished results.

What do you think is the most rewarding experience that you have ever had as an orthodontist?
Goldstein: I am a firm believer in giving back to our community. Throughout my years as an orthodontist, I have helped numerous underprivileged kids. Each child touched our hearts in so many different ways. It is so rewarding to see their improved self-confidence from correcting disfiguring malocclusions.

In your opinion, what are the biggest problems facing orthodontics today?
Goldstein: Economic weakness has an impact on dentistry; elective procedures are being put on hold including orthodontic treatment.

Invisalign has increased the number of providers for orthodontic services exponentially (decreasing patients available for orthodontic specialists).

Supply companies simplify the concept that a specific bracket system or new technology corrects orthodontic problems with very little effort. If you expect the program or brackets to do everything for you then you will be extremely disappointed; there is no quick fix. It takes additional time, energy and patience to properly implement today’s newest technology.

What advice would you give someone that is thinking about entering orthodontics?
Goldstein: My advice to those thinking of entering a career of orthodontics is simple, “Go for it!” Orthodontics has been the greatest profession on earth. Set high standards for yourself and learn as much as possible. Be critical of what you do and always do what is best for the patient. Use the best technology and products available to help you achieve the best results for your patients. My future son-in-law is about to begin his orthodontic residency. I look forward to mentoring him throughout his journey.
Orthotown Magazine
September 2025
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