Unlock the Secrets to World Class Patient Care! Discover How a Confident and Competent TCO Can Skyrocket Your Success!
Andy Toy has been working with TCOs since 1986. He has discovered first-hand what a difference a confident and competent TCO can make to a practice’s success. A great TCO boosts your ethical sales, reduces the risks of complaint, increases referrals and, of course, saves a massive amount of dentists’ time and money.
However, Andy finds the training of TCOs can be sadly lacking. A Dental Nurse is often ‘promoted’ to the role without any training. All they can do is organise visits and payments and the practice misses out on the opportunity to build a strong, trusting relationship with the patient. Some TCO training can be very sales-focused, too – which may produce results in the short term but can open a can of worms if the patient doesn’t truly understand their treatment.
The Dental Business Academy has three options for developing the TCO service in your practice. If you have never had a TCO before, then our TCO Blueprint programme is your path to the Promised Land! We will help you launch your TCO service from scratch and includes everything from initial business planning to a formal assessment of competence of your TCO. We can deliver this programme remotely, saving you huge amounts of time and hassle (face-to-face option also available).
If you want to improve on a very basic TCO service, or you have a TCO who is lacking in skills or confidence, then our 1-1 TCO Mentoring programme is designed for you. This is 6 months of EXPERT support from our highly experienced, qualified TCO Mentors. Spending time with our inspirational Mentors, undertaking some informal study and networking with others will make a massive difference to the TCO’s consultation skills and boost their confidence. This cost-effective and simple online programme involves no assessment.
If you’re a larger practice with existing TCOs, or a ‘high-end’ practice delivering complex and high-value treatments, then we recommend you invest in a ‘Consent Manager’. This individual needs a deep understanding of all aspects of the TCO role and ensures all aspects of your ethical sales process are under control. We have written a formal level-3 qualification for this position. This is like taking an ‘A’ level in the practice and theory of the TCO role and involves written assignments, practical exercises and close 1-1 support from one of our Expert Mentors. The qualification is accredited by the NCFE.
The Dental Business Academy has a number of options for developing a World Class TCO service in your practice. If you have never had a TCO or starting a new TCO team member then our TCO Blueprint service is for you.
If you already have a TCO in place but you want to really raise your game and create a truly world class TCO service, then it’s time to invest in a formal qualification. This is like taking an ‘A’ level in the practice and theory of the TCO role and involves written assignments.
We have also created a ‘home’ for all TCOs. We think TCOs need some TLC, so they can join the TCO Network for free and receive support and access resources to help them be the best they can be!
Are you a TCO, or would you like to be? Don’t know where to start? WE LOVE TCOs at The Dental Business Academy.
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Do you need to start from scratch? Or perhaps you have a very basic TCO service (your TCO just arranges finance and appointments, for instance)? Then the TCO Blueprint programme is for you.
The TCO Blueprint programme provides a structured, step-by-step apprenticeship-style training for both your new and existing TCOs. Your TCO will learn the ‘Practice’ of delivering excellent consultations that will enhance your consent process and lead to happier patients.
We start off with a TCO Audit of your practice. Working with our expert mentors, you create a tailor-made business plan to prepare you and your practice for the launch of your TCO service. Your trainee TCO will complete the ‘Introduction to TCO’ course as part of this process to ensure they are committed to the whole process.
Once your TCO audit is complete, we’ll be guiding and supporting you and your team every step of the way. At the end of the Blueprint programme, you will have an independently assessed TCO who will be confident and competent to deliver a TCO service in your practice.
We believe so strongly in the value of the Invisalign® TCO that we have created a support network just for them. So many Invisalign® TCOs are working in isolation with little formal training and we believe they deserve MORE! It’s free to join, too!
We connect Invisalign® TCOs from around Europe and provide a safe ‘home’ for them to share ideas, access resources and keep abreast of all the new developments that are constantly happening in the world of Invisalign®.
The TCO course can be taken as a generic version or as an Invisalign-specific version. Units 1,2 and 4 are the same for both qualifications. The difference lies in Unit 3.
Unit 3 is mainly about creating communication tools to help explain treatments to patients. Unit 3 in the Aligner TCO version is specific for Invisalign and guides the student through the many resources available on this topic. If the practice is doing a lot of Invisalign and would like the TCO to be discussing Invisalign most of the time, then I would recommend the Aligner TCO qualification. This will give the TCO the best chance of being very knowledgeable about Invisalign as quickly as possible.
Unit 3 in the generic version is not treatment specific.
If the practice is providing a mix of services (such as implants, restorative, endodontics) then it may be a better idea to enrol on the generic version. In this version, the student will need to do the research (in combination with the dentist) on the various forms of treatments for Unit 3.
There is nothing to stop the student applying for the Aligner TCO version and then creating their own communication tools for the other services, of course. Talk to one of our mentors to find out more.
It may be a while since your TCO did any written work, so we’ve made it easier for them by starting off with the Introduction to TCO course. They will be fully supported by our expert mentors and tutors. Successful completion of the Introductory course will be great preparation for the full Level 3 Diploma.
We believe so strongly in the value of the Invisalign® Treatment Coordinator that we’ve created a dedicated support network just for you. So many TCOs work in isolation, with little formal training or peer support, and we believe you deserve more — more guidance, more community, and more recognition. And the best part? It’s completely free to join.
The TCO Network is a safe, supportive online community where TCOs from across the UK and Europe can connect, share ideas, access resources, and stay up to date with the latest developments in the world of Invisalign® and treatment coordination.
Inside the network, you’ll find:
Join a growing community that celebrates, empowers, and supports the incredible work you do as a TCO.
Join The TCO Network today — and let’s grow together.
We believe a confident, professional Invisalign® Treatment Coordinator (TCO) is the key to a super-successful Invisalign® practice. A great Invisalign® TCO is the thread that connects the many steps involved in the Invisalign® Patient Journey. With a long treatment process like Invisalign®, that’s a lot of steps!
And trust depends on the quality of the RELATIONSHIP between the practice and the patient. Our experience shows that, no matter how hard a dentist tries to communicate with a patient, they will never be able to build a relationship with a patient as quickly or as effectively as a confident, professional Invisalign® TCO. How many times has the patient turned to the dental nurse and ask them to explain what the dentist has just said?
There’s also a saying that ‘the patient will not understand until they FEEL understood’.
To truly connect with a practice, the patient must be given the chance to tell their story. The patient needs to know that the practice understands their background, what’s important to them, their hopes and fears for the treatment etc. etc.
