Q&A: Dr. Ingrid Murra, Founder & CEO, Two Front

Dr. Ingrid Murra discusses with RamaOnHealthcare how Two Front makes it easy for dentists to add orthodontics-as-a-service to their practice and provide patients with the highest quality teeth straightening care.

Dr. Ingrid Murra, Founder & CEO, Two Front

RamaOnHealthcare (ROH): Tell us about your background, what led you to start Two Front?

Dr. Ingrid Murra (IM): I realized the power that a smile holds at a very early age. When I was 8 years old, I decided that I wanted to be an orthodontist. From my own experience as a kid with a smile that made me want to smile without teeth, the impact that my orthodontist had was so immense that I knew it was the career path for me.

And it turns out this sentiment is a global phenomenon: 1 in 2 people in the world are looking to improve their lives by increasing their confidence through their smile.

Dentists are patients’ go-to for their oral health needs, yet dentists don’t have the expertise or operating system to deliver high quality clear aligner treatment. Ultimately, because of the high costs and long treatment times associated with offering teeth straightening services through products such as Invisalign, dentists lose revenue, and they also lose revenue by referring patients out to specialists.

Orthodontists have up to $1M in student loans and building a brick-and-mortar practice with traditional overhead is nearly impossible for new orthodontists when patients demand modern experiences at an affordable price point, and dentists no longer refer out. After a year of being a practicing orthodontist, I knew there was an opportunity to make this better for everyone.

ROH: What problem does Two Front solve? How does the offering work?

IM: Two Front services three groups of people: dentists, orthodontists, and patients.

For dentists, we provide them with an in-house service at no cost, other than the use of a dental chair for 1 day a month.

For orthodontists, we provide a way to kickstart your business with a streamlined end-to-end digital patient experience, without the financial burden or overhead of building a brick-and-mortar practice, or the difficulties of developing a patient base.

For patients, we provide them with the highest quality teeth straightening care and most convenient and efficient teeth straightening option: a digital-first, orthodontist-led experience from the familiarity of your dentist’s office.

ROH: What are the issues you see with the current options patients have today when it comes to orthodontia options?

IM: The largest problem we’re solving is that because of mass, false advertising, patients are unaware that orthodontics with clear aligners is a medical procedure. Patients are being bombarded with ads about mail-order aligner companies and don’t realize the associated risks.

But the good news is they trust their dentist, and if we empower their dentist with the highest quality option for their patients, and a business model that serves them, everyone wins.

I’m a general dentist first, orthodontist second, and as a general dentist, we don’t understand the fundamentals of tooth movement, well enough to give patients high quality care using Invisalign aligners. Teeth move — if you put your finger up to your tooth, it will move. But the question is — will it move into a stable place, healthily, in a position that doesn’t affect the opposing teeth, doesn’t affect your TMJ, and in a way that won’t cause root damage?

Two Front is focused on giving the best possible care while providing our patients with an educational-first approach. We are also committed to have all patients understand the long-term dental health benefits of teeth straightening, not just the cosmetic aspect — because the reality is that straight teeth and a healthy bite is the #1 most important thing someone can do to take preventative care of their teeth.

ROH: A lot of our readers are also interested in the business side of healthcare. Can you go into more detail on your business model and how it breaks the mold from other solutions in the industry?

IM: Two Front partners with dental offices and matches them with a top orthodontist who specializes in Invisalign. That orthodontist runs their practice on the Two Front platform to give their patients a seamless, end-to-end experience. This way dentists can serve the 50% of their patients who are inquiring about teeth straightening services, or simply searching for cheaper nearby alternatives.

We’re on a mission to rebuild the $925B orthodontics market by building a platform for orthodontists to build hybrid practices. Dentists leverage this platform to integrate orthodontics-as-a-service and generate up to six figures of passive income with a one-click experience that enables the best outcomes for patients, orthodontists, and dentists alike.

Ultimately, our vision is to build a world where everyone can afford a healthy and beautiful smile and dentists are encouraged to offer the highest quality care!

ROH: Congrats on your latest funding announcement! What’s in the pipeline for Two Front and where do you see the company headed over the next several years?

IM: Thanks so much! Because of the funding, I’ve been fortunate enough to hire a great team around me to help move Two Front to the next phase. We’re spending the summer working on our product and operating system, streamlining the patient experience, and we’re planning to begin onboarding new partners from our waitlist in the Fall. After that, we hope it’s off to the races!

About Dr. Ingrid Murra

Dr. Ingrid Murra, DDS, MMSc is a Harvard-trained orthodontist and the founder and CEO of Two Front, the collaborative care platform connecting dentists and orthodontists to provide the most convenient and efficient Invisalign® treatment experience ever.