You Should Know: Smile Assist by Benjamin Lund, Editor, Orthotown Magazine


You Should Know:
Smile Assist

by Benjamin Lund, Editor, Orthotown Magazine

Orthotown Magazine sat down with Dan Knoch, CEO and founder of Motion View Software, LLC, to discuss what the company does for orthodontists and why you should know about it.

Tell us about Smile Assist.
Colville: Smile Assist is an online digital treatment planning service that utilizes recognized experts in their respective fields to develop online treatment solutions for doctors who want to take advantage of the latest technology in the orthodontic world and who also want to provide their own patients the same quality results produced by the experts.

Increasingly, orthodontists are being exposed to new digital technology that offers exciting possibilities for improving patient treatment quality and efficiency. These technologies generally involve scanning, or precise impressions that are digitized, then forwarded to a manufacturer, which then become the basis for appliance fabrication - Invisalign, Insignia and Incognito to name a few. Each of these products relies heavily on the doctor to interact with a software technician using proprietary software to develop a proposed treatment plan. Like all new technology, there is a significant learning curve involved in developing these digital treatment plans. That's where Smile Assist comes into the picture.

Many doctors are excited about offering these new technologies to their patients, but are often reluctant to adopt this new technology due to the lack of time or commitment required to become proficient in learning how to use the software. With Smile Assist, the treating doctor can submit the case online and have one of our expert consultants complete a virtual treatment set up for their review and final acceptance.

How did Smile Assist come about?
Colville: Smile Assist came about as a result of hundreds upon hundreds of e-mails asking Dr. Paquette and me for advice or help in developing ClinCheck treatment plans after speaking engagements. It seemed that no matter how much online information was provided most doctors wanted specific advice related to their own patient's treatment. The experts do a great job of showing how well they can treat their own patients, but what about the doctors' patients back home? This exact scenario was echoed to both of us over the past 12-15 years from many other experts, including those using Incognito, Insignia, SureSmile and others. In 2011, Dr. Paquette and I decided to develop an online platform to assist these doctors. SmileAssist.com was launched in November 2012.

What is your philosophy? What is your goal?
Paquette: The goal of Smile Assist is to enable our client doctors to provide the best possible treatment outcomes for their patients by utilizing the experience and knowledge of the world's leading experts in their respective disciplines.

Why should a doctor have to struggle for years to develop the skills required to treat their patients with these new and exciting products when we can provide that for them, in a simple and interactive online format? We believe patients deserve the best quality care that can be given to them. We want Smile Assist to be available to all doctors to make that happen.

What would you consider the best kept secret about the service?
Colville: Doctors have the capability to dialogue back and forth with the consultant who has been assigned to the case through the development process until completion of the online treatment plan.

How can an ortho practice begin working with you?
Paquette: From the website, www.smileassist.com, client doctors will do a one-time registration. They will then use their given username and password to access the secure portion of the website. Once logged in they can follow the five-step process to submit a case for review. The fee is $200 per case, and is usually ready for review in two to three days.

What kind of service can orthos expect when they submit a case?
Colville: Client doctors can expect several things from Smile Assist. First, they can be assured that only recognized experts will work with them on their submitted cases. A list of consultants is provided on the website, along with each consultant's professional qualifications. They can also expect a prompt reply to any questions they may have during the treatment plan development. Our experts not only have the knowledge and experience, but they also have the ability to communicate effectively as demonstrated by their extensive resumes of teaching, writing and lecturing. They will stay up-to-date on the latest improvements and changes in the technology. Smile Assist is committed to helping doctors become proficient in the use of these new digital products. Whether doctors want help on just one case, or the first 10 cases, Smile Assist is ready to make that happen.

For further information, e-mail info@smileassist.com or visit www.smileassist.com.

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