Although not all of the lifetime cases will have been completed, it is generally safe to say that if an office is growing at a steady rate, by the time a doctor reaches Super Elite or Elite status, they should have completed a significant number of them. This of course does not hold true if an office decides to start a lot of cases within a short period of time, doing things like Invisalign Groupon. It also does not speak to the quality of the treatment rendered, but only sheer volume. The current statuses are as follows:
Top 1% Super Elite Provider 100 cases every 6 months and 800 lifetime started
Elite Provider 50 cases every 6 months and 300 lifetime started
Premier Provider 25 cases every 6 months and 50 lifetime started
Preferred Provider 10 cases started per year
The new method increases the total number of cases required every 6 months, but removes the lifetime start requirement. This is good for consumers to further distinguish doctors doing varying case volumes, but provides less of a safety net and reassurance that the provider has much lifetime experience. Now it is possible for a provider to purchase 200 Invisalign cases in the previous 6 months to qualify for a large discount and be considered one of the top providers by Align. Previously, it would have required 100 cases in the previous 6 months, but 800 cases would have had to be purchased over time. The system is also favourable for the publicly traded Align Technology (ALGN) to encourage doctors to begin more cases to earn top status, who will in turn increase their discount rate per case.
Diamond Plus 200 cases in the previous 6 months
Diamond 140 cases in the previous 6 months
Platinum Plus 100 cases in the previous 6 months (Previous Top 1% Super Elite Starts Here)
Platinum 60 cases in the previous 6 months
(Previous Elite Providers will be divided between these statuses)
Gold Plus 30 cases in the previous 6 months
Gold 24 cases in the previous 6 months (Previous Premier Providers)
Silver 5 cases in the previous 6 months (Previous Preferred Providers)
Bronze 0 cases in the previous 6 months (Status for 0 cases!)
When looking on the Invisalign doctor locator tool beginning in the new year, be aware of the changes with these new statuses. Remember as always that Invisalign is a technique, not a product, so your results are going to depend and differ based upon the office that is planning out and delivering your orthodontic care. It means that treatment results can differ significantly even amongst two providers in the same tier. If you're considering Invisalign in Toronto, check out the Top 5 questions to ask before you begin Invisalign treatment.
