Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 62

MyStyle
develop, patent, and finance a motorized floss bow.
The profit was in selling refills once the mechanical
device was purchased. To manage costs, the flosser
was manufactured in Taiwan. The Auto Flosser was
sold to dental offices and in drug stores. We even got
a spot on The Home Shopping Network, where I played
the pitchman. That was lots of fun. It was amazing
how many units could be sold on television. Although
the Auto Flosser was popular and selling well, we had
production problems due to quality control. I went
to Taiwan to find that the manufacturing facility was
dirty and unsanitary for a health product, and I terminated
the business. I learned that manufacturing
requires hands-on supervision, a valuable lesson.
Mini Molds: Mini Molds make light-cured resin
attachments and have been a very popular product
line for many years. The concept was born as I was
bonding Nitinol wire directly to the anterior teeth of
moms in my practice who wanted minor corrections
without " braces. " I was placing the resin by
dabbing on the wire and hoping the resin wouldn't
flow. I decided that if I made a little mold with a
standardized cavity size, it would be easier, faster,
and consistent, and even my assistants could deliver
it. The prototype worked beautifully. I applied for
a patent, developed the tooling, and called it the
Wire Bonder. With the help of the Ortho Arch Company,
we started to sell at the AAO. Subsequently,
new product ideas emerged: buttons, bite turbos,
habit control, and the bite ramp. The Mini Molds
have been embraced by clinicians. Now that the
patent has expired, knockoffs are appearing in the
market. I suppose " imitation is the highest form of
flattery. " I continue to get positive feedback whenever
I encounter doctors who use Mini Molds.
JP: How do you move from concept to market?
RW: Having a great idea is the easy part. Do your
homework before jumping into production. What
is the market potential? What are the costs to
develop, manufacture, market, and distribute? How
much is the market willing to pay for this product?
You are likely to underestimate the time you
personally must invest in the development. How
Product development taps into the problem-solving
creative nature many orthodontists already possess.
My product ideas sprung from my own clinical experience
and trusting my instincts that other clinicians
face similar issues. Ideas are cheap. A successful venture
then requires learning about other dimensions
of business: tooling, manufacturing, marketing and
distribution, and taking the plunge.
much is your time worth relative to the net return?
If you proceed, hire a patent attorney to apply for a
patent (approximate cost of $4,000-$5,000). Most
patents require corrections, and amendments and
can take a year or more before approval. The patent
protection is based on the date of application not
the approval, so you can manufacture and distribute
while the patent is pending. Patents expire in
21 years. My patents covered only US distribution.
International patents are necessary to ensure the
product is protected outside of the United States. I
did not seek international patents due to the cost
and complexity, and at the time, the international
market was not what it is today.
An industrial designer prepares drawings and can
direct you to tooling companies. Actual manufacture
and assembly of the product often take place
in another facility.
Next you have marketing and distribution. With
the advent of the internet, there are plenty of
options to go direct to the consumer or through
internet giants like Amazon. If you don't work
through a distributor, you will be responsible for
fulfillment, which could be rather expensive and
labor intensive. As I learned from the Auto Flosser,
manufacturing defects lead to product failure. Securing
dependable manufacturing and maintaining
quality control is critical for success.
A good patent attorney will protect your product
and possible spinoffs you may not have conceived
at the time of creation. Your patent can also be
sold as other inventions, and inventors tap into
your concept. Processes as well as products can be
patented.
62
PCSO Bulletin Spring 2023

Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023

Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 1
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 2
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 3
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 4
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 5
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 6
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 7
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 8
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 9
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 10
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 11
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 12
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 13
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 14
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 15
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 16
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 17
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 18
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 19
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 20
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 21
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 22
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 23
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 24
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 25
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 26
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 27
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 28
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 29
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 30
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 31
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 32
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 33
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 34
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 35
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 36
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 37
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 38
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 39
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 40
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 41
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 42
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 43
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 44
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 45
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 46
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 47
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 48
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 49
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 50
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 51
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 52
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 53
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 54
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 55
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 56
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 57
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 58
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 59
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 60
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 61
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 62
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 63
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2023 - 64
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