Doctor Spotlight: Bryan Roos

Q: Dr. Roos, let’s start at the beginning, what made you want to become an orthodontist?

A: I must admit, I did not grow up wanting to be a dentist, let alone an orthodontist. However, after I married, my father-in-law was a dentist and he inspired me to consider dentistry. Then once in school, I really enjoyed learning about the biomechanics of tooth movement.

Q: Next, please give us a brief history of your professional career. Where your journey began and how you ended up at Roos Orthodontics.

A: I did my undergraduate at Brigham Young University (majoring in Art History), dental school at University of Louisville (Class of 1999), AEGD also at Louisville (1999-2000), and then orthodontic residency at West Virginia University (Class of 2003). I purchased a practice in Redmond, Washington in 2003 and have been here ever since.

Q: Brag about yourself! What makes your practice amazing?

A: I know it’s cliché to say, but what makes us amazing is us. I have been fortunate to retain quality employees for many, many years. My longest tenured employee/friend has been with me for 16 years. We also constantly strive to give our patients and guests the true “Nordstrom experience”, which shines through with how busy we have been able to stay over the years.

Q: What would you say makes your patient care approach unique? How has your treatment approach changed during this past year of COVID-19?

A: I am very focused on educating my patients. I come from a family of educators and as a result, I believe strongly that if a patient understands the “why” and the “how” then they will be more receptive to buying into the treatment plan so that we all have a successful experience. My treatment approach hasn’t changed significantly during COVID-19. We have introduced virtual consults and appointments, but I am still educating.

Q: Do you find that VPro has helped you achieve more predictable outcomes during social distancing and limited visits to the office?

A: Yes. We have been using VPro for several years now and so I feel like we have enough time and experience to know that it has helped with more predictable tooth tracking and faster treatment times.

Q: How do you explain VPro and vibration technology to patients?

A: I like to use analogies when I talk with and educate patients. I say that using a chewie is like using a hand held toothbrush, and a VPro is like using a Sonicare toothbrush. Both can clean your teeth, but the electric brush will be more efficient and thorough. A VPro will recruit the cellular activity at a much higher rate to allow the teeth to move more predictably and efficiently.

Q: What benefits do you see in your practice as a result of utilizing VPro?

A: From a business standpoint, the VPro is speeding up the process by as much as 30% in my practice. That is 30% less time per patient, which means each visit is more profitable. And, on top of that, we get a more accurate fit of aligners and faster tooth movement, so it’s a win-win situation.

Q: How has VPro affected the number of visits required to complete a case?

A: For cases that are 12 months or longer, I now routinely have patients come back every 90 days. I couldn’t do this with confidence before the VPro. I am cutting out 2-4 visits per case by doing this.

Q: Has Propel enhanced your practice profitability? In what ways?

A: I may be in the minority with my philosophy on how to sell VPro. Because they are not cheap, I sell the units at cost. I found that upcharging the units to make a profit was not effective in actually selling the units. So, I decided that if I can sell them at cost (and we tell our patients this directly) I will be able to offer them. In the long run, I am more profitable because treatment is faster and I am saving multiple appointments.