Download 18 Ormco has created many “Ɠrsts” in the orthodontic

corporate profile // ormco
Ormco has created many “Ɠrsts” in the
orthodontic Ɠeld—and has no plans
of relenting any time soon.
If you’re an orthodontist, you know Ormco. From the getgo—50-plus years ago—Ormco has been a vanguard company.
Orthotown Magazine spoke with Patrik Eriksson, the newly named
president of Ormco—vetted with more than 20 years in the dental industry—to learn about what hot products are currently part
of Ormco’s offerings, as well as what cutting-edge products are on
deck for the future. Read on to learn how this global orthodontic
company is working diligently to better help you have a more efficient and quality practice.
How did Ormco get its start?
Eriksson: Ormco Corporation was founded by Frank Miller
in 1960. In the years that followed, Miller shook up the industry
with the introduction of preformed bands and preassembled brackets. In the prolific 50-plus years that followed Miller’s inception
of Ormco, the company introduced a number of notable “firsts,”
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including direct bonding, rhomboid and computer-aided design
(CAD) brackets, Copper Ni-Ti wires, TMA beta titanium wires,
Titanium Orthos, Damon Clear and many more.
The Damon System is one of Ormco’s flagship products, initially
introduced by Dr. Dwight Damon and Ormco as Damon SL. Created
by and for orthodontists, the Damon System is a unique bracket
system comprised of passive SL brackets, high-tech archwires, and
minimally invasive treatment protocols that work together to provide
exceptional benefits for the doctor and patient. This increasingly progressive system has undergone ongoing design enhancements, with
eight bracket evolutions leading up to the newest Damon products—
Damon Custom and Damon Clear2. Today Ormco has an impressive IP portfolio comprised of more than 50 patents and 25 pending
patents for the Damon System. More than 4.5 million patients have
been treated with the system, and thousands of orthodontists around
the world rely on the solution to deliver outstanding results.
ormco \\ corporate profile
What is your role at Ormco and what is your background in
orthodontics?
Eriksson: While a recent addition to the Ormco family—stepping into the role of president in January—I have been in the dental
and orthodontic space for almost 20 years. Today, I’m honored to
work with a talented team to build upon Ormco’s growth and performance through unparalleled product quality, continuous innovation and focus on strong customer relationships. Prior to my current
role, I have held several different management positions in the U.S.,
Asia and Europe, in companies involved in dental equipment, digital
radiography, including 3D CBCT, as well as dental and orthodontic
practice management and imaging software.
Many might find it interesting to know that before immersing
myself in the dental and orthodontic industries I worked in the music industry. Running a record company was where I first worked
with artists—individuals passionately dedicated to their craft. My
career took me from the record label to the IT business where I first
started working with dental software. Today, I’m happy to be in an
industry that honors both medical science and individual artistry—
something I find inspiring and motivating.
What’s it like to work at Ormco?
Eriksson: Ormco is committed to helping orthodontists achieve
their clinical and practice management objectives. This overarching
mission has created a company that isn’t simply focused on selling
product, but is passionate about helping orthodontists be successful
and helping patients achieve a beautiful, healthy smile with ease and
confidence. Ormco’s investment in improving patient health through
better orthodontic treatment becomes personal for employees.
At Ormco, relationships matter. The corporate culture encourages all employees—from sales reps to product managers—to know
doctors and understand what drives them. The personal relationships
create added opportunities for learning—providing Ormco with
valuable user insights to develop and perfect products and services—
and make the job fun! If you’ve been to the Damon Forum, there is no
doubt that Ormco is a company that knows how to have a good time.
Ormco is a large company, but, as someone who recently joined
the company, I can attest that when you become an Ormco employee
you join a family. Ormco is a welcoming place built on strong values
that guide day-to-day activity.
Tell us about Ormco Custom.
Since its inception, how has Ormco evolved?
Eriksson: Ormco has long been providing the orthodontic profession with high-quality products backed by the company ethos—
Your Practice. Our Priority. As a company driven by innovation,
products and services are constantly evolving to meet the needs and
demands of today’s doctors and patients.
While starting out with preformed bands and preassembled
brackets, Ormco has progressed to introduce a comprehensive array
of orthodontic products ranging from wires, tubes, adhesives, instruments, TADs and other auxiliaries, aligners, lab products through
AOA Lab and more than 20 different bracket systems, including Inspire ICE, Mini-Twin, Mini-Diamond and Straightwire Synthesis.
The company is also a pioneer in 3D digital orthodontics with
Insignia Advanced Smile Design, an integrated system of customized appliances and software.
To date, Ormco has invested nearly $80 million in research and
development exclusively for the Damon System. Furthermore, since
2010, the company has invested more than $50 million in digital
orthodontic research and development, and in 2014 it announced
plans to ramp up investment further. The added funding will
accelerate the development of Ormco Custom—the first digital suite
of products and services for 3D digital imaging records, 3D digital
treatment planning, photo realistic outcome visualization, and
fabrication of customized aligners and fi xed lab appliances.
Where is the company located? How many employees
are there?
Eriksson: A global company serving orthodontists around the
world, Ormco’s corporate headquarters is located in Orange, California. The company employs more than 1,000 people.
Eriksson: Ormco Custom, announced at this year’s AAO Annual
Session, is a full suite of products and services that includes Insignia
Advanced Smile Design, the Lythos Digital Impression System and
AOA Lab. With state-of-the-art digital technologies and personalization techniques, Ormco has made unprecedented levels of customization possible, resulting in better smiles and more efficient practices.
Ormco Custom includes Insignia, a fully customized and
award-winning bracket system with an exact calculated per-tooth
prescription based on anatomy, bracket placement and final position. Insignia, which is proven to reduce treatment time by 37 percent with seven fewer patient visits,1 now has an enhanced Insignia
Advanced Smile Design Approver Interface that features an updated
sleek design for a more intuitive experience. The new interface,
called Insignia Ai, includes a wizard that navigates users through the
suggested approval process step-by-step to provide an added level of
case support and customization. With advanced technology, a video
can be created and shown within Insignia’s software that will superimpose the tooth movement from initial malocclusion to the final
design of the patient’s smile. This visual is a great tool to help
patients better understand the treatment process and build excitement for the final results. Yet another advancement available with
Insignia is the ability to interact with the patient’s occlusion from
multiple angles. Now orthodontists have access to an unprecedented
level of interactive visualization to achieve both the aesthetics and
occlusion preferred. Plus, for added personalization, clear precision
placement guides (jigs) shipped with each Insignia case provide exact
bracket placement on a patient’s tooth before curing.
Lythos Digital Impression System is an intra-oral scanner developed with AFI technology to capture and stitch together data in
real-time, acquiring high-definition surface detail at all angulations
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of the tooth surface. Designed to integrate easily into any practice,
Lythos allows users to own, store and send treatment scans to anyone
that accepts .stl files—at no cost. Unique to orthodontic impression
systems, Lythos can provide up to 2.5 million 3D data points per
second, which results in a single rapid, high-resolution scan option
for added simplicity. Lythos is easily integrated into any practice
workflow, allowing professional teams to transition quickly to digital
impressions while keeping chair time to a minimum. Likewise, with a
unique open platform format and rebate program, the Lythos scanner
is a sound financial investment. Lythos’ open system allows data to be
easily integrated with orthodontic labs and manufacturers to produce
a variety of custom appliances and/or study models.
The last, but certainly not least, component of Ormco Custom is
integration with a full service, digital orthodontic laboratory serving
dental professionals worldwide, AOA Lab. Ormco’s laboratory arm
fabricates customized appliances including Class II correctors, aligners, splints, retainers and more. To help streamline the practice workflow, AOA Lab accepts .stl files from a number of scanners, but has a
unique integration with Lythos for an even easier submission process.
What’s new with the Damon System?
Eriksson: Enhancements have been made to the popular Damon
Clear bracket with the introduction of Damon Clear2. Featuring a
new ultra-precision slot, Damon Clear2—the only 100 percent clear
self-ligating bracket on the market—offers two times the rotational
control2 for meticulous finishing and efficient treatment. Completely
aesthetic with an unparalleled clear design, Damon Clear2 is an ideal
solution for today’s image-conscious adults and teens—providing
the performance and control needed to treat a wide range of cases
including crowding, flat profiles, open bites, cross bites and patients
in need of space closure and arch development. The brackets can be
ordered through Ormco sales representatives; find more information
at www.ormco.com.
Additionally, Ormco’s move toward customization is also benefiting the Damon System line. Doctors said they wanted the Damon
System available in more prescriptions. The Ormco team heard the
message. Now, the Damon System is available in an all-new prescrip-
tion—yours! With the introduction of Damon Custom, orders can
be made for the exact prescription values3 needed to best treat each
individual patient. An industry first, Damon Custom allows orthodontists to order their own prescription value for every upper and
lower 5-5 Damon Custom bracket. Harnessing the power of Ormco’s
patented technology, Damon Custom is conveniently packaged in
completely individualized prescription single patient kits.
Explain what Damon Doctor Locator is and how doctors can
get involved with it.
Eriksson: To offer Damon doctors greater visibility among prospective patients, Ormco created a powerful, cross-platform tool that
enables orthodontic treatment-seeking adults and teens to quickly
and easily find the nearest orthodontists who offer Damon System
products via the web, Facebook and web-enabled devices. The interface has a simple, fluid design that leverages advanced location
detection technology to guarantee precise and plentiful search results.
To access a list of orthodontists in a particular area, all consumers
have to do is visit www.damonbraces.com and enter their zip code
into the Damon Doctor Locator. The search portal generates a list
of local Damon doctors and provides the orthodontists’ names along
with contact information, practice addresses and directions.
It’s estimated that the Damon Doctor Locator drives one to two
starts each month to participating clinicians.
What does Ormco do in terms of consumer awareness?
Eriksson: Damon System endorser and former patient Soul
Surfer Bethany Hamilton joined the Ormco family in late-2011 and
has been promoting the Damon System to her active teen fan base.
With a thriving social media presence, Bethany Hamilton has helped
dramatically boost traffic to the Damon Smile consumer website and
she continues to draw attention to the importance of a healthy smile
and investing in orthodontic treatment. Consumer marketing assets
are available at www.marketing.ormco.com to leverage Bethany’s
Damon Smile endorsement.
Moreover, Ormco’s award-winning damonbraces.com and
insigniasmile.com consumer-facing websites offer patients and
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corporate profile // ormco
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potential patients’ basic orthodontic information and advice to help them make
educated decisions about treatment. Both
informational resources have frequently
updated blogs that share treatment tips and
insights from patients currently bonded with
braces. Additionally, the sites have well-populated FAQ sections, before-and-after images and
doctor locators to help today’s consumers make
informed decisions.
To keep Damon Smile in front of consumers
and serve as an educational expert resource, Ormco
also engages consumers on social media via Twitter,
@DamonBraces, and Facebook, www.facebook.com/
DamonSystemBraces. Through social media platforms, Ormco hosts
consumer giveaways and shares dental health trends and tips, while
promoting Damon Smile benefits.
How does Ormco support the doctors who use its
products/services? And how does this support relate
to practice growth?
Eriksson: Ormco’s products and services are supported by dedicated and knowledgeable sales representatives and customer service
staff as well as training programs and comprehensive user guides.
Many are aware of the annual Damon Forum event, held in
January or February each year, which brings together thousands of
orthodontists and staff members to learn new treatment modalities,
progressive technologies and practice differentiation strategies. The
annual Damon Forum is just one of many educational events offered
by Ormco. There are also comprehensive CE programs throughout
the year that range from regional events, in-office courses, webinars,
roadshows and more. You can visit www.ormco.com/education to
learn more about all Ormco educational programs.
For customers, the company also provides an online resource
center with a complete range of practice assets and staff training
tools for local practice marketing and patient education campaigns.
The robust online platform, www.marketing.ormco.com, hosts
a library of patient imagery, consultation tools, practice videos,
press release templates, webpage assets and more for doctors offering the Damon System, Insignia, Lythos and Inspire ICE.
Tell us about the Lifetime Rewards program.
Eriksson: Following Ormco’s mission—Your Practice. Our
Priority.—Ormco Loyalty Rewards transitioned to Ormco
Lifetime Rewards more than a year ago to allow members to
earn points that never expire. The concept is simple: Earn points
on every dollar you spend on Ormco’s selection of orthodontic
appliances, and redeem them whenever you’d like for a number of
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orthodontic products and services. Research indicates that, through
the rewards program, the average doctor earns up to 30 percent
back in lifetime rewards points.
Ormco has its sights set high. What’s on deck?
Eriksson: A recent digital orthodontic survey distributed to
orthodontists reported that 98 percent of respondents believe the
future of the orthodontics industry will increasingly rely on a digital workflow. These numbers don’t lie—and Ormco will be there
every step of the way. Ormco has plans to scale its digital business
aggressively in 2014 and will continue building upon its current
digital suite, which in 2013 grew in revenue by 121 percent in
North America alone.
Additionally, Ormco will continue to protect and grow its intellectual property for the Damon System by evolving the Damon brand
with additional enhancements and product extensions—designed to
help you deliver excellent results with even greater efficiency at an
exceptional value.
The coming years will bring big innovations for the orthodontic
industry. Future technology with increased customization will offer
unprecedented convenience, control over cases and office efficiency.
Ormco is eager to give doctors more time than ever to focus on
delivering great smiles.
What are you most proud of? What has been your most
rewarding experience in the context of working at/with
the company?
Eriksson: Ormco impresses me with its dedication to helping
orthodontists achieve beautiful smiles for their patients. Everything
we do is geared toward delivering great results for practitioners to
help them fulfill their goals for their patients. It’s a company mentality that runs deep and that everyone—at all levels—embraces. I’m
very proud to be part of a company that values its relationships with
customers and each other. Q
For more information, visit Ormco online at
www.ormco.com. Connect with on social media at
www.facebook.com/myormco and www.twitter.com/ormco.
Resources
1. Weber II, Dennis J., Koroluk, Lorne D., Phillips, Ceib, Nguyen, Tung, Proffi t, William R., “Clinical
Effectiveness and Efficiency of Customized vs. Conventional Preadjusted Bracket Systems,” Journal of
Clinical Orthodontics, Volume XLVII, No. 4 (2013): 261-266.
2. As compared to Damon Clear, data on file. Standard torque, upper 3-3 brackets.
3. Within manufacturing limitations.