Subscribe: RSS

The next episode of GrowOrtho is here. Welcome! In today’s episode, Luke (Co-Founder of HIP Creative) sits down with Dr. Amit Kumar who is the Founder and CEO of UpSmiles. Dr. Kumar’s goal with UpSmiles is to provide higher quality, lower cost aligners to doctors and their patients as an alternative to the direct-to-consumer variety in the market.

Dr. Kumar is a board-certified dentist and started with short-term orthodontics as one of the first dentists to be certified by Invisalign. With over 20 years of clinical practice, he started seeing some trends and patterns. As direct-to-consumer orthodontic services hit the market, he noticed that patients were happy to pay a lower price but were ultimately frustrated by not having the supervision or connection with an orthodontist to consult.

UpSmiles gives that connection and supervision of an orthodontist back to the patients while retaining a lower price point and providing an even higher quality aligner.

Listen in for the details Dr. Kumar shares on the UpSmiles Partner Network and how it benefits doctors including:

  • How UpSmiles differentiates itself in the market while helping orthodontists and dentists maximize profits without compromise
  • What to do in response to direct-to-consumer orthodontic services
  • How to deal with the barriers the aligner market presents
  • A detailed overview of UpSmiles’ teledentistry model
  • Direct comparison of the UpSmiles model to other companies including cost

Dr. Kumar’s goal is to make it easy and convenient for dentists and orthodontists to utilize their aligner solutions. Let’s expand on the details that Dr. Kumar provides:

  • Teledentistry is clearly here to stay. Dr. Kumar sees that patients love the convenience and price points that teledentistry models provide; however, they are frustrated by not being able to talk to a dentist or orthodontist. Dr. Kumar founded UpSmiles to provide a lower-cost orthodontic solution to compete with direct-to-consumer orthodontic services while also providing a higher quality product that retains the ability to speak to a live doctor.
  • Dr. Kumar wants doctors to recognize that UpSmiles uses the same high-quality materials that other aligner companies utilize. The company taps into the high demand for direct-to-consumer orthodontic services, allowing practices to compete with the brand power of these bigger companies while keeping costs lower and maximizing profits without compromising quality or service.
  • Boasting a higher case acceptance due to the lower price point with an easier workflow without needing more staff or having more stress, UpSmiles is also tailored to the needs of your practice. Plus, doctors get to leverage the UpSmiles brand to attract new patients.
  • UpSmiles’ fee structure is about 50% less than other leading competitors in the marketplace. The patient visit structure is set by the doctor and financing for patients is easier because of the lower price point. Plus, UpSmiles provides 24-hour access to a patient case management portal.
  • Dr. Kumar ensured that UpSmiles was a high-quality product by first utilizing it in his own practice. He shares several before and afters of his actual patients, helping them obtain straight teeth, remove crowding, and fix crossbites.
  • Patients also rave about how convenient and comfortable the Zendura FLX material in UpSmiles aligners is. They noticed that the aligners were firm but gentle while still maintaining their transparency throughout the full course of treatment.
  • Dr. Kumar also had his VP of Operations, Brooke Rice, on the call to demonstrate the software that empowers UpSmiles. She is a registered dental hygienist and has been part of the aligner industry for about ten years.
  • Brooke dives into sharing exactly what the UpSmiles case management portal looks like. She showcases how easy it is to update a patients’ file and treatment course of action. Brooke also pulls up an actual treatment plan showing off the steps of treatment and the accompanying simulation for each step.

Dr. Kumar encourages doctors to reach out to either himself or Brooke to learn more or to see how UpSmiles can help set you up for success. Dr. Kumar relays his email address, drkumar@upsmiles.com, and Brooke’s, brooke@smilestudios.com. If you need more information, you can also visit their website: upsmiles.com.