Orthodontist and UQ alumnus Dr Nick Kotsomitis spoke to Contact magazine about how he has adapted the way he works to keep people smiling in the face of the COVID-19 crisis.
Necessity is often the mother of invention. And in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic, it has become necessary for businesses to radically innovate in the absence of interpersonal contact.
For Brisbane-based orthodontist and UQ alumnus Dr Nick Kotsomitis (Master of Dental Science ’95), the announcement of government-imposed safe-distance restrictions to limit the spread of the coronavirus meant that he had to quickly adapt and change the way his practice operated.
“We can’t consult with new patients, start new treatments, or continue treatments that aren’t classified as emergencies,” Dr Kotsomitis (pictured) said.
“That is about 95 per cent of what we normally do.”
His options were limited: either temporarily close the practice until the COVID-19 crisis passes, or find new ways to help those in need of ongoing orthodontic treatment.
He chose the latter.
Instead of bringing patients into the clinic to check on their progress as he normally would, Dr Kotsomitis is utilising several online platforms to perform virtual dental checks on patients.
“We have integrated an app into our website that allows people to send in photographs of their teeth. We can then make an assessment and communicate back to them about what treatments are available,” Dr Kotsomitis said.
“This means they don’t have to come into the clinic to have that assessment done.”
Another app, called Dental Monitoring, has transformed the way he conducts consultations.
Patients are sent a special ‘scan box’ that connects to their smartphone to take pictures of the inside of their mouth. Artificial intelligence then helps Dr Kotsomitis to assess whether the treatment is progressing as planned.
“It means we can work with them remotely to ensure their treatment is continuous and they are not going backwards."
Far from being a ‘better than nothing’ stop-gap measure, Dr Kotsomitis said the app has actually helped to improve patient care.
“Traditionally, we might only see patients in the clinic every six to eight weeks. But now, we can monitor them every week,” he said.
“The biggest concern is to make sure they keep up good standards of oral hygiene.
“With those who have braces, if they don’t practise good oral hygiene, things can deteriorate quite quickly. So, that is where these apps come to the forefront.
“While we can’t physically get in there and make the adjustments, we can minimise any detrimental effects that can come from long periods of time between supervisions.”
Dr Kotsomitis said the positive experiences meant he planned to continue using many of these innovations when the current restrictions are lifted.
“The apps, the remote consultations, we will keep all of it,” he said.
“It’s obviously not feasible to conduct an orthodontic practice 100 per cent remotely, but a lot of the technology we have implemented recently will be refined and brought into our everyday procedures.”
Having used innovation to make the best of a tough situation, Dr Kotsomitis has some advice for those yet to make the transition.
“Be available and accessible to your customers remotely, even if it is just videoconferencing.
“The more you do that the more you will realise that this is the way of the future.”
Learn how UQ's School of Dentistry is creating change.
Necessity is often the mother of invention. And in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic, it has become necessary for businesses to radically innovate in the absence of interpersonal contact.
For Brisbane-based orthodontist and UQ alumnus Dr Nick Kotsomitis (Master of Dental Science ’95), the announcement of government-imposed safe-distance restrictions to limit the spread of the coronavirus meant that he had to quickly adapt and change the way his practice operated.
“We can’t consult with new patients, start new treatments, or continue treatments that aren’t classified as emergencies,” Dr Kotsomitis (pictured) said.
“That is about 95 per cent of what we normally do.”
His options were limited: either temporarily close the practice until the COVID-19 crisis passes, or find new ways to help those in need of ongoing orthodontic treatment.
He chose the latter.
Instead of bringing patients into the clinic to check on their progress as he normally would, Dr Kotsomitis is utilising several online platforms to perform virtual dental checks on patients.
“We have integrated an app into our website that allows people to send in photographs of their teeth. We can then make an assessment and communicate back to them about what treatments are available,” Dr Kotsomitis said.
“This means they don’t have to come into the clinic to have that assessment done.”
Another app, called Dental Monitoring, has transformed the way he conducts consultations.
Patients are sent a special ‘scan box’ that connects to their smartphone to take pictures of the inside of their mouth. Artificial intelligence then helps Dr Kotsomitis to assess whether the treatment is progressing as planned.
“It means we can work with them remotely to ensure their treatment is continuous and they are not going backwards."
Far from being a ‘better than nothing’ stop-gap measure, Dr Kotsomitis said the app has actually helped to improve patient care.
“Traditionally, we might only see patients in the clinic every six to eight weeks. But now, we can monitor them every week,” he said.
“The biggest concern is to make sure they keep up good standards of oral hygiene.
“With those who have braces, if they don’t practise good oral hygiene, things can deteriorate quite quickly. So, that is where these apps come to the forefront.
“While we can’t physically get in there and make the adjustments, we can minimise any detrimental effects that can come from long periods of time between supervisions.”
Dr Kotsomitis said the positive experiences meant he planned to continue using many of these innovations when the current restrictions are lifted.
“The apps, the remote consultations, we will keep all of it,” he said.
“It’s obviously not feasible to conduct an orthodontic practice 100 per cent remotely, but a lot of the technology we have implemented recently will be refined and brought into our everyday procedures.”
Having used innovation to make the best of a tough situation, Dr Kotsomitis has some advice for those yet to make the transition.
“Be available and accessible to your customers remotely, even if it is just videoconferencing.
“The more you do that the more you will realise that this is the way of the future.”
Learn how UQ's School of Dentistry is creating change.
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