Message Boards
Today's Active Topics Today's Active Cases Browse Forum Categories My Recent Activity My Messages Private Groups My Marked Threads My Subscriptions
Today's Active Images Today's Active Polls Most Active Topics Global Townie Map Advanced Message Board Search Message Board Terms of Use

Office Visit: It Takes Two by Arselia Gales, Assistant Editor

Start Discussion More by this author (42)


As an orthodontist, you spend most of your time at your practice. It's understandable that you might not get many opportunities to see what it's like in another doctor's office. That's why we bring you an "office visit." It's a chance for you to meet with your peers, see their practices and hear their stories.

This month we caught up with Drs. Ousama El-Hillal (better known as Dr. O) and Dr. Wil Saavedra of E&S Orthodontics, with three locations in the Phoenix metropolitan area. These doctors combine their two unique perspectives to provide exceptional, uniform care to their patients. This is their story.



What was the path you took to becoming an orthodontist? What drove you into orthodontics?
Dr. El-Hillal: My path to becoming an orthodontist slightly differs from that of Dr. Saavedra. Wil knew from the day he started dental school that he wanted to become an orthodontist. He used to say that orthodontics "just made sense" to him and that it was a career he naturally saw for himself. I, on the other hand, did not realize I wanted to be an orthodontist until the end of my third year of dental school.

For me, the sanctity of not hearing the constant slow-speed suction ringing in my ears in the orthodontic clinic resonated with me. Even more so, the notion of creating smiles without using dental composite, crowns, implants and bridges was just brilliant. I loved the mental challenge posed by orthodontics and the transformation people experienced after going through orthodontic treatment.

Regarding your practice, how is it laid out? What's the workflow like?
Dr. Saavedra: Like many offices, we employ an open-bay concept. As our business evolves, I can see a future in which we move away from this traditional setup and move to a more semi-private space that doesn't slow down workflow. I also think we are going to need to move to larger spaces that can allow for more patient privacy.

More importantly, I think the spaces we create in the future will need to be designed in a more patient-centric way. Jay Geier has a great series of CDs related to this topic and it's really opened our view on how to design our future offices.

What is your practice philosophy?
Dr. El-Hillal: What is right for the patient is right for the practice. In other words, the goal is to meet the needs of your customer base in order to better serve them. This could be in the form of extending office hours, opening on Saturdays, or implementing more flexible payment options. The point is to allow the market to dictate how our practice will evolve to meet their needs.



What do you do to help set the practice apart from others?
Dr. Saavedra: We regularly hold customer appreciation events to thank our patients and to encourage them to refer their friends and family to the practice. We send out weekly videos in which we share hot topics or practice information that may interest our clients. We also send out a monthly digital newsletter that keeps patients informed about current promotions and events happening within the practice.

I think patients have a unique opportunity to work with two completely opposite doctors who are both committed to clinical excellence and doing what's right for the patient. Unlike many multi-doctor practices that either involve an owner doctor and associates, or a practice with a senior doctor transitioning to a new doctor, our practice has offered from its outset two doctors who treatment plan all the cases and mutually treat every patient.

As a result, we bring two sets of clinical eyes to each case and we can better match the needs of our patients with the appropriate doctor.

What are your favorite marketing techniques? How do you get the word out about your practice?
Dr. El-Hillal: We employ a customized marketing platform that I personally developed. We are beta-testing in our office. With this, we can segment our patient database and send out automated marketing campaigns via all communication methods (e.g., email, SMS, letters, faxes and voice broadcasts). This results in the marketing of our practice and the products and services we offer during the entire time the patient is with us.

For example, a patient who is ready for debond will automatically receive an offer to buy a teeth-whitening procedure the week prior to his or her scheduled appointment. The offer can be sent via email or letter, depending on our choice, and will give the patient the opportunity to purchase the teeth-whitening services online prior to the appointment.

Depending on the outcome of the communication, a follow-up email will automatically be sent either thanking them for their purchase or giving them another opportunity to buy the teeth-whitening services if they are so inclined.

What is your patient philosophy?
Dr. Saavedra: I think before you can have a patient philosophy in your practice, you have to know what drives the considerations of your patients and how they make their decisions. The best way to do this, I think, is to read "The Perfect Plan" by Don Barden, the CEO of DDS Financial, or better yet, listen to him speak on the subject. You will be forced to alter your view of how you create perceived value for your patients.

What is your technique philosophy?
Dr. El-Hillal: In 2007, we converted 100 percent of our practice over to passive self-ligation. At that time, we had taken several dental courses at the Kois Center in Seattle, Washington, pertaining to treatment planning, occlusion and sleep apnea. Through those courses, we thought that integrating the Damon philosophy of "face-driven" orthodontics gave us the best opportunity to achieve the facial and functional outcomes we wanted for our patients.

We would be remiss, however, if we did not say we have also been influenced tremendously by the contributions of Dr. Tom Pitts. His work of smile-arc protection alone has greatly altered how we view bracket placement and smile esthetics. For years, we have admired his contributions to clinical orthodontics and we continue to deploy his finishing techniques in our practice and his views in using passive self-ligation.



What is the greatest advancement of change you have seen during your tenure as an orthodontist?
Dr. Saavedra: I think the advancement of digital orthodontics is something to reckon with in the future. The idea that today we can customize bracket prescriptions, customize wires, take digital impressions and digital X-rays and communicate those files across different platforms is remarkable, and it's only going to get better and easier to use going forward.

Looking ahead, what would you like to see orthodontics do in terms of the way it operates as a profession in the next five to 10 years?
Dr. El-Hillal: I would love for the AAO to take on a more aggressive role in promoting the value of having an orthodontist deliver orthodontic treatment to his or her customers. However, the campaign needs to be edgy and really get at the heart of what differentiates our services.

I believe Jeff Behan from VisionTrust alluded to this issue this year in his presentation at the AAO annual meeting. Some of his video productions really capture this effectively and should be utilized by orthodontists across the nation.



Describe your most successful or rewarding experience in your professional life.
Dr. Saavedra: Two years ago we became clients of Jay Geier's Scheduling Institute. We just can't say enough for what it has done for our practice and our outlook on the business we started more than 10 years ago. Whatever view you may have of using consultants or even of the Scheduling Institute, we have found Jay's message of servant leadership resonates with us and our practice.

In two short years we have aligned our goals for the practice over the next 10 years. We are positioning ourselves in a way that we could never have imagined before. It has brought a lot of fun and focus to our professional outlook and we are now at the helm of the direction of our practice, versus being caught up in the daily circumstances of running a practice.

You are an active Townie on Orthotown.com. How did you learn about Dentaltown and Orthotown?
Dr. El-Hillal: I became a member of Dentaltown in 2002. My roommate from dental school was a Townie, and I recall him giving me a Howard Farran CD set to review while I was in residency. When I finally moved out to Arizona, I somehow ended up at Howard's office and I recall they were in the process of moving their headquarters out of his office into one of the retail spaces across from his practice. Ever since then, I have always been engaged with Dentaltown at some level.

What has Orthotown done for your professional life? What is your favorite feature?
Dr. Saavedra: I enjoy the New Products section of the magazine and the articles they run on marketing your practice. There is always something to tweak in the practice to increase new patients and referrals.





Orthotown Magazine
September 2025
Orthotown Magazine September 2025 Read Current Issue Read Archived Issues
Sponsors
Townie® Poll
Do you have a dedicated insurance coordinator in your office?
  
Site Menu
Message Boards Magazine Continuing Education Podcasts Blogs Classifieds News Events Townie® Poll Ebooks Townie Choice Awards
Company Info
Contact Us Advertise With Us Howard Farran DDS, MBA Policies and Agreements
Site Help
Sally Gross, Member Services Specialist
Phone: +1-480-445-9710
Email: sally@farranmedia.com
©2025 Orthotown, a division of Farran Media • All Rights Reserved
9633 S. 48th Street Suite 200 • Phoenix, AZ 85044 • Phone:+1-480-598-0001 • Fax:+1-480-598-3450