By Susan Elise Campbell
Cooney & Tyner Orthodontics has opened a third office, giving patients in and around Saratoga Springs something new to smile about.
The newest location is at 46 Marion Avenue, Suite 2B, at the Fresh Market Plaza near Northway exit 15. It features good visibility, easy access, ample parking, a complimentary beverage station, and free wi-fi access, as does the flagship location in Troy and the office in Ballston Lake.
“Good businesses surround us at this new location and it is a great professional community to be part of,” said Dr. Brenden Cooney.
“It is a privilege to serve the community from our new location and we are excited about the opportunity to continue the legacy of our practice,” said Dr. Canaan Tyner.
The orthodontic practice goes back to 1960 and Dr. Michael Fleming. For 11 years, Dr. Cooney, a native of Troy, worked with Dr. Fleming until his retirement. He acquired the business, opened a second location in 2012, and brought Dr. Tyner on board six years ago.
Dr. Tyner is from Glens Falls and has degrees in sports medicine as well as dentistry.
There was a grand opening celebration on June 13th. It included a ribbon cutting and proclamation and was attended by members of the Saratoga County Chamber, a representative of Senator Tedisco’s office, the regional manager of Align Technology, other local businesspersons, and staff.
Dr. Cooney and Dr. Tyner have been splitting their time among two offices and will add the third location to their rotation. Patients of all ages visit the practice for a complimentary consultation and to be fit with conventional braces or clear aligners.
“The way our practice model works and the technologies and efficiencies we employ allows us the flexibility to see our patients at multiple offices,” Dr. Cooney said.
The practice has had an uptick in the demand for the clear aligner method of orthodontics, he said.
“This is a digitally driven type of process compared to metal braces, which is an analog process and requires more frequent visits,” said Dr. Cooney.
“Without question, we see a lot of adult patients for clear aligners and that process is driving our growth,” said Dr. Tyner. “The system we use is Invisalign, which is the market leader.”
“Conventional braces is a tough sell for adults, but clear aligners are more cosmetic and save time,” he said.
“We remember the days of getting molds of teeth and your cheeks stretched out and pictures taken,” said Dr. Cooney. “The latest generation of intraoral scanners we have installed in our offices eliminates all that.”
Technology gives the doctors access to a lot of information in minutes instead of hours.
“What that translates to is when a patient comes in for consultation, we can show them in real time what is going on with their overall orthodontic condition,” Dr. Cooney said. “We can then clearly explain and do simulations of what the potential solutions might be.”
Time spent with patients is used more on information exchange, rather than on the labor to physically gather it, he said.
“Our office on Marion Avenue is specifically designed to maximize work flow, so it is very progressive in its use of space, technology, scheduling, and the overall patient experience,” said Dr. Cooney.
He and Dr. Tyner see their roles as “advocates providing access to care with accurate information that empowers people to make a value based decision,” he said.
Advanced technology improves the patient interface, which in turn allows the doctors to give personalized care and attention, he said.
“Every consultation is an opportunity to educate people about what they can expect and what is involved with their treatment option,” said Dr. Tyner. “Then we layer on details about their particular case, such as how orthodontics will impact their long-term dental health and aesthetic improvements.”
Expansion of the practice would not be possible without their “fantastic team,” from the front desk staff to the treatment coordinators, whom Dr. Tyner says “are a privilege to work with.”
“We also have a number of dental assistants and, this is unique in orthodontics, dental hygienists working in our practice,” he said.
“It takes a lot of teamwork to do what we do, and we are fortunate that building our team has not been a challenge for us,” said Dr. Tyner. “The only challenge we have is the number of babies our team has been having, and that is really wonderful.”
Cooney & Tyner Orthodontics actively supports Toys for Tots, sponsors several sports teams, and participates in school programs that allow students to shadow them at work.
Visit cooneyorthodontics.com for more information.