Reimagining Orthodontics
Hummingbird Associates is an international management consulting firm dedicated to developing the human and business side of orthodontic practices. We help clients strengthen the ties between sound business practices, information technology, and clinical orthodontics.
We design and implement strategic systems to propel our clients into profitability and reach their financial goals. Recognizing that it’s not just about numbers, our team works diligently to help these same practices manage change, develop marketing plans, decrease stress, and create professional development programs to enhance staff longevity.
Orthodontic practices become complex gradually. Systems evolve organically. Roles expand. Decisions accumulate. Over time, what once worked begins to feel more complex than it should.
Orthodontic practices don’t struggle because people don’t care or work hard enough. They struggle because growth quietly outpaces structure. Over time, decisions live in people instead of systems, accountability becomes emotional, and owners carry more than they should. Our work focuses on helping orthodontic practices replace chaos with clarity through practical systems, clear workflows, meaningful KPIs, and accountability that supports people instead of exhausting them.
Our consulting work focuses on helping orthodontic practices replace improvisation with clarity, so operations feel stable, the leadership team feels more empowered, and growth becomes intentional rather than reactive.
We partner with orthodontic practices to clarify and strengthen the operational systems that support sustainable, healthy growth. The detailed list below reflects the practical ways these areas are implemented within orthodontic practices. While every engagement is customized, our work commonly focuses on the following areas:
Scheduling & Capacity Design
Aligning schedules, appointment types, and staffing so growth doesn’t create strain, bottlenecks, or burnout.
Financial Clarity & Performance Metrics
KPIs and Decision-Making Frameworks
Setting meaningful goals, analyzing performance, and using the right metrics to guide calm, informed decision-making.
Patient Status Organization and Data Management
Organizing workflows, reports, and tools so information supports action, not confusion or rework.
New Patient & Consultation Systems
Designing consistent, confident new patient experiences from the first call through consultation and follow-up.
Treatment Planning & Fee Structure
Evaluating treatment efficiency, fees, and plan integration to support clarity, consistency, and case acceptance.
Call Center & Communication Systems
Training teams, refining scripts, and using metrics to improve patient communication and professional referrals.
Leadership, Roles & Team Structure
Defining responsibilities, supporting managers, and creating organizational clarity across the practice.
Culture, Training & Accountability
Building systems that support people, preserve institutional knowledge, and reduce burnout as teams grow.
Taking valuable workflows, tasks, and training materials and transforming them into clear, organized, actionable systems
Growth Transitions & Integration
Supporting associates, partners, mergers, and acquisitions through thoughtful, structured integration.