PRACTICE GROWTH
Customer Journey Map (Provider View)
Every touchpoint in the patient’s Active Aligners journey, from curiosity to completion, use it to set accurate expectations, design better workflows and support patients at each stage.
THE PATIENT JOURNEY
This map is for your whole practice team, the reception, treatment coordinator and clinical side alike. Read it once end to end to see the full arc, then keep it open per stage: what the patient is thinking, what happens in the chair, and the one thing that moves them to the next step. The six stages below run in order, and the final block pulls the communication and success threads together.
The journey starts chairsideStage 1 through 6, awareness to retention
Awareness and interest
Patient mindset: “I want straighter teeth, but braces seem like too much.” Touchpoints include social media, your website, before/after galleries, referrals and in-practice materials. Patients want to know cost, duration, whether it hurts, whether people can see them, and if they’re a candidate. Display marketing materials, train reception to mention aligners during bookings, post before/afters, and offer free smile assessments. Critical success factor: make it easy to ask, remove barriers to booking a consultation.
Consultation and assessment
“I’m curious but nervous about commitment.” In a 30 to 45 minute appointment: a smile assessment and oral-health check, discussion of goals, an explanation of the process, a digital scan or impressions, photos, a timeline estimate, and time for questions. Best practices: show 3D simulations of similar cases, be honest about candidacy, let patients hold sample aligners, and provide a take-home info packet. Conversion factors are visual proof, confidence in your expertise, and clear timeline expectations. New to running these conversations? The first 30 days onboarding guide walks the consultation and case-submission workflow step by step.
Treatment planning and approval
“I’ve committed, now show me what my smile will look like.” Within 5 to 7 business days of scan submission, submit the case through the portal; the treatment plan is created and returned for you to review, request modifications, and approve before manufacturing begins. Keep the patient informed (“your plan is being created”, “ready for review”, “being manufactured”). Best practice: schedule the plan-review appointment before the patient sees the simulation, so you can frame expectations. Careful review here is exactly why our refinement rates stay low, we’d rather plan it right than rush to manufacturing.
Aligner delivery and start
“This is really happening, excited and nervous.” In a 60-minute appointment (7 to 10 days after approval): review the 3D plan, complete IPR and bond attachments if required, insert the first set, check seating, train the patient on insertion/removal and chewie use, give care instructions, hand over the aligner sets (staged or all), and schedule the check-in. Reassure patients about the near-invisible look and the normal initial pressure and minor speech change. Critical instructions: 22 hours/day, remove only for eating, drinking (except water) and brushing, use chewies after each insertion, change every 7 to 14 days per your instruction, and contact you if pain persists beyond 48 hours.
Active treatment (months 1 to 6)
The daily routine settles into wearing aligners, removing for meals and cleaning, and using chewies. Check-ins every 8 to 10 weeks assess tracking, attachment integrity, compliance and progress with photos. Weeks 1 to 2 bring pressure and speech adjustment; by months 1 to 2 the routine is established and movement begins; months 3 to 4 show visible progress that motivates wear (patients often become advocates); months 5 to 6 build excitement as the end approaches and questions turn to retention. Common questions: is this pressure normal, what if I forget a day, can I drink coffee, when will I see results, and what if I lose an aligner.
Completion and retention
“I love my new smile, how do I keep it?” At the final appointment: confirm goals achieved, take final photos and a before/after comparison, remove attachments and polish, take retention scans, discuss the protocol and order retainers. Retention options are a fixed retainer, a removable retainer, or a combination; the protocol is full-time (22 hrs/day) for 3 months, then night-time indefinitely, with check-ins every 6 months. Celebrate the result, request a review/testimonial, and (with permission) a social photo. Key message: “Your smile looks amazing, retainers are how we keep it that way.” Retention protocols, scripts and patient-facing detail all live in the Doctor’s Library.
Communication, automation and success metrics
Map communications across the journey, confirmation and prep before the consultation; a thank-you and timeline afterward; plan-creation and ready notifications during planning; care instructions on delivery day; motivation, check-in and milestone messages during treatment; and final-appointment and retention prep near completion. High-value automations include appointment and aligner-change reminders, check-in prompts, care-instruction delivery, milestone messages and post-completion review requests, while keeping the consultation booking, plan review, mid-treatment concerns and completion celebration personal. Track patient compliance, check-in attendance, completion rate, referrals and reviews, alongside provider indicators like tracking success, timeline accuracy and retainer retention.
Ready to guide patients through this journey?
Become an Active Aligners provider and we will set up your practice for every stage above, or open the Doctor’s Library for the scripts, protocols and case detail behind each step.