Leadership in the Dental Clinic: From theory to reality in aligner treatments
- Jesper Hatt DDS
- Sep 19
- 3 min read
By Jesper Hatt, DDS
Dear colleague,
Achieving success with clear aligners isn’t just about mastering digital treatment plans and clinical procedures. If you want to treat 15+ new aligner cases per year - and make them profitable - you need to work in a way where your entire team is involved.
Your front desk, dental hygienists, and assistants play a central role: from patient communication to follow-ups and aligner handouts. Without a strong and well-trained team, the responsibility too often falls back on your shoulders - and then it becomes very difficult to both scale and stay profitable.
It’s Rarely About Lack of Knowledge
We dentists are excellent learners. We’ve spent years studying, training, and mastering highly technique-sensitive procedures under pressure.
And yet, many of us experience that the agreements we thought we had with our team don’t always get carried out. Frustrating, isn’t it?
That’s not because we don’t know the theory - it’s because leadership in a dental practice is very different from what’s written in the books.
Why Leadership in Dentistry Is Different
Many leadership courses are great in theory. But when you return to your clinic, those good intentions often collect dust because the reality looks like this:
Patients to manage every 20 minutes
Highly optimized workflows that don’t allow for disruption
The dentist acting as both leader and producer
Rapidly evolving technology that changes faster than we can implement it
If you want to succeed with aligners, you must translate general leadership principles into something that works in a busy dental practice.
From Theory to Practice in Aligner Clinics
The most successful clinics I’ve worked with have one thing in common: they train leadership and teamwork the same way they train clinical skills.
They give their team ownership of parts of the patient journey
They establish clear structures for communication and follow-up
They focus on small, consistent improvements rather than big plans that never get implemented
As a colleague once told me: “What you practice, you get good at.”
We practice dentistry every day, so of course we’re good at it. But if we want to get better at leadership and teamwork, we must practice those skills too.
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Your Role as a Leader in Aligner Treatments
Can you just hire a clinic manager and delegate leadership? Maybe. But most non-dentists don’t fully understand the nuances of our daily reality. That’s why you need to be the role model - even if you don’t want to spend all your time managing.
Effective leadership in an aligner clinic is about:
Building trust and giving clear direction
Allowing your team real influence in how the clinic operates
Training assistants and hygienists in the parts of the aligner workflow they can handle
Clear Communication and Balance
Communication is key - not only with patients but also internally with your team. And it can’t be squeezed in between two appointments. It requires structure and consistency.
At the same time, you need to take care of yourself. Aligners are a fantastic treatment option, but without balance between production, leadership, and personal well-being, burnout is a real risk.
From Theory to a Practical System
Successful aligner clinics combine:
Clear workflows for the entire team
Ongoing training and structured communication
A strong leadership foundation where the dentist sets the direction
A focus on balance and sustainable growth
Ready for the Next Step?
At AlignerService, we help dentists worldwide make their aligner treatments more predictable and profitable - not only through treatment planning but also by improving leadership and workflow in their practices.
Would you like practical insights on leadership, teamwork, and aligner profitability?
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Thanks for reading.
Warm regards
Jesper Hatt
Dentist, Consultant & Dental Coach
P: +41 78 268 00 78
AlignerService
We are dentists helping dentists create realistic, safe and predictable treatment plans with clear aligners.
Currently more than1500 dental practices in 19 different countries use our service on a regular basis. We offer expert guidance in the following clear aligner systems: Invisalign, SureSmile, ClearCorrect, TrioClear, Angel Aligners and Spark.
AlignerService is a preferred partner of ClearCorrect and TrioClear.
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