Reimagining Staff Time in Your Practice - From Retainer Maker to Revenue Maker

At a recent orthodontic conference, the team at Retainer Club had energizing conversations with talented orthodontists running successful practices, many for decades. The entrepreneurial spirit was incredible.

But one conversation kept coming up, and it's worth exploring because it touches on a challenge every practice faces: How do we keep our best people engaged and productive when clinical schedules don't fill 4-5 days a week?

The Real Challenge: Valued Employees Need Hours

Here's what orthodontists said multiple times: "Retainer Club sounds interesting, but I have an employee who needs more hours, so she makes retainers during that time."

It's completely understandable. When a practice sees patients 2-3 days per week, finding meaningful work for talented team members on non-clinical days isn't just logistics—it's about retention. These are people who know the systems, the patients, and the standards. Losing them because there aren't enough hours would be devastating.

So this isn't about eliminating anyone's job. It's about something more interesting: What if those hours could generate significantly more value for the practice AND create better outcomes for patients?

The Questions That Change Everything

The question worth asking: How many patients are avoiding retainer replacement simply because it's inconvenient? How many are wearing damaged, dirty, or ill-fitting retainers longer than they should because scheduling a replacement visit feels like too much work? What is the role of convenience (we buy almost everything online, right?) in patients replacing their retainers or avoiding replacement?

When practices design their retainer programs, whose convenience are they optimizing for—theirs or their patients'?

Think about the typical replacement retainer scenario:

• Patient realizes they need a replacement

• Calls the office during office hours(maybe after procrastinating for weeks)

• Schedules an appointment during business hours

• Takes time off work or rearranges their schedule

• Drives to the office, waits in the waiting room, gets a scan or picks up retainers

• Possibly returns for 2nd appointment

• Drives back to work or home

And here's the clinical question that matters most: Are practices inadvertently creating barriers to the long-term outcomes they want for their patients?

Rethinking Equipment: Strategic vs. Production Use

Here's something important that Retainer Club has learned from partner practices over the past eight years: Partnering with a program like Retainer Club doesn't mean boxing up the 3D printer or selling the thermoform machine.

In fact, most partner practices have this equipment. They just use it differently—and more strategically.

Strategy 1: The Hybrid Model

Use the equipment for the end-of-treatment retainer set. There's something psychologically powerful about a patient walking out on debond day with retainers in hand. It feels complete. It's immediate gratification and it’s convenient - no need to return a week later to pick up retainers.

Then transition patients to a convenient ordering service for long-term replacement needs. Why? Because making retainers two years post-treatment isn't about clinical care—it's a service that can be outsourced in a way that patients love. 

Strategy 2: Premium Same-Day Service

A 7-8 day turnaround for Retainer Club retainers is perfect for 95% of situations. Patients love the convenience of ordering from home and having their retainers delivered, and the timeline works fine for planned replacements.

But what about the patient who lost their retainers the night before leaving for a month-long trip? The college student home for 48 hours who needs emergency replacements?

This is where equipment becomes a profit center instead of a production line.

Practices can offer premium same-day or emergency retainer service at a premium price point. They're not doing commodity production—they're providing urgent clinical service that patients will appreciate. Patients will also tell everyone they know about how the practice saved their vacation/wedding/peace of mind.

The equipment transforms from routine manufacturing to high-value emergency service.

Strategy 3: Maintaining Clinical Control

There will always be cases where practices want hands-on control: complex retention situations, immediate fitting requirements, or patients who specifically prefer in-office service. Having the equipment means maintaining that flexibility.

This isn't either/or. It's strategic both/and.

The Opportunity Cost of Retainer Production

Consider what those staff hours could generate instead of making all retainers. If a team member spends 10 hours per week making retainers, that's roughly 500 hours per year dedicated to production.

What if those 500 hours were invested in:

Patient Reactivation & Recall

• Following up with patients overdue for progress checks

• Reaching out to those who've gone silent post-treatment

• Connecting with incomplete treatment plans

• Each reactivated patient represents thousands in potential production vs. $0-$300 on average for a retainer

  
  

Referral Cultivation

• Systematic follow-up with referring dentists

• Thank you calls to patients who referred friends or family

• Building relationships with pediatric practices in the area

• Coordinating local school and community outreach

Treatment Coordination Excellence

• Insurance verification and pre-authorization follow-up

• Payment plan consultations that remove barriers to starting

• Proactive patient communication that reduces no-shows

• Start coordination that keeps clinical schedules optimized

Marketing That Actually Happens

• Managing social media engagement (not just posting, but responding)

• Coordinating patient testimonials and case photography

• Google review solicitation and thoughtful responses

• Local event coordination and community presence

• Planning a sports mouthguard event - (We can help with this, too)

Practice Optimization

• Inventory management that reduces waste

• Supply cost analysis that improves margins

• Patient experience surveys and follow-up

• Protocol documentation that makes training easier

The Math Worth Considering

Practices should run their own numbers, but here's a framework:

• Annual cost of outsourced retainer service for patients varies - some, like Retainer Club, simply subtract the fee from the online sales and ACH the profit to the office. 

• Value of 500 hours of team time focused on growth activities: ?

If those hours generate even one additional treatment start per month, the practice has likely covered the cost many times over. That's not counting improved retention rates, increased referrals, better patient satisfaction, or reduced staff stress.

And the equipment is still there for premium services and clinical control when needed.

What Team Members Want to Do Anyway

Here's something practices don't talk about enough: Most team members didn't get into orthodontics because they love making retainers. They got into it for patient relationships, problem-solving, and being part of transformative care.

Practices might ask their team member who's making retainers: Would they rather spend those hours building patient relationships, coordinating care, or growing the practice (potentially with a bonus tied to new revenue)? The answer might be revealing.

This isn't about eliminating jobs. It's about elevating them.

The Patient Experience Lens

Let's return to where this started: the patient perspective.

Scenario A: Traditional Model Patient needs replacement retainers 18 months post-treatment. Has to remember to call during business hours, schedule an appointment, take time off work, drive to office, wait, drive home. Many patients procrastinate or avoid this entirely.

Scenario B: Hybrid Model Patient orders replacement retainers from their phone while watching TV at 9pm. Retainers arrive in 7-8 days. Or, if it's an emergency, they can call for premium same-day service. They choose what works for their situation.

Which model better serves long-term retention? Which model reduces barriers to compliance? Which model is designed around the patient's life instead of operational convenience?

There's No One-Size-Fits-All Solution

Some practices thrive with completely in-house retainer programs. Others prefer fully outsourced solutions. Many successful practices use a strategic hybrid model.

The question isn't which model is "right"—it's which model best serves patients while supporting the practice's growth goals.

What experience shows after years of working with many practices is this:

The most successful practices are those that view retainer programs as a valuable patient service, not as an area of theoretical cost savings.

Questions Worth Asking

Before making any changes, practices should consider these questions:

1. What percentage of patients delay getting replacement retainers due to inconvenience?

2. How would team members prefer to spend those hours if given the choice?

3. What's preventing the practice from adding 1-2 more treatment starts per month?

4. Could premium same-day retainer service generate more revenue than routine production?

5. Is the practice optimizing for operational convenience or patient experience?

Moving Forward

Whether a practice partners with an outsourced service like Retainer Club or not, the principle remains the same: Talented team members are the most valuable asset. The question is whether they're deployed in ways that maximize value for patients and the practice.

Practices curious about how others have made this transition—or wanting to explore whether a hybrid model might work for their situation—can benefit from conversations with practices that have successfully navigated these decisions. No pressure, no hard sell. Just orthodontists helping each other think through the challenges they all face.

Because at the end of the day, the goal is to provide excellent long-term outcomes for patients while building sustainable, thriving practices.