Straightening Teeth With Invisalign Part II

Competing Products vs Invisalign

Invisalign was introduced to the world in the late 1990’s.  Prior to its arrival dental labs had been making plastic overlays to move teeth small distances, for many decades, and they still do.  But those labs do the work by hand on physical models of the teeth, actually cutting the teeth off the models and re-positioning them, and making aligners to fit those newly re-positioned models, and the reliability of that method was and is limited to moving front teeth only, and only for up to 5 stages.  The primary patent that gives Invisalign its advantage is that the tooth movement is first done virtually in the computer using unique proprietary software, and then they can manufacture a large number of progressive stage models, moving both front and back teeth simultaneously, and the method has proven to be very reliable in producing the desired results. 

 

©2011  James E. Eckhart, D.D.S.,  Inc.

www.eckhartorthodontics.com

1101 N. Sepulveda Blvd,  Suite 202, 

Manhattan Beach,  Ca.  90266  (310) 546-4724

21210 Anza Ave., Torrance, CA 90503 (310) 540-5911  

 

 

 

 

Straightening Teeth With Invisalign Part I

How Invisalign Works

 

Invisalign is a system of clear plastic overlay sleeves custom-made to fit your teeth, which gradually move your teeth from the beginning crooked positions to the desired straight positions. 

An accurate impression is made of your teeth by a doctor, and it is sent to Invisalign.  They scan the impression into a computer.  Using proprietary software, a computer technician then moves all the teeth simultaneously in a computer simulation from the beginning positions to the desired final straight positions as requested by the doctor, but the tooth movements are controlled by the software to be in very small increments equal to how far teeth can biologically move in two weeks.  There may be anywhere from 10 to 30 stages, depending on how far the teeth need to be moved overall.  The software then guides a machine to carve a new model of the teeth out of plastic for each two-week stage, and a plastic overlay sleeve (called an “aligner”) is made to fit over that model.  Each “aligner” is imprinted with the stage number, and packaged into a ziplock bag.  The entire group of aligners is then shipped to the doctor, who then delivers them in stages to you.  How many stages you get at a time varies with different doctors.

You wear the aligners full time, taking them off only to eat and brush your teeth.  You change aligners each 2 weeks.  As you near the end of the series of aligners, your teeth will look much better.  If you are satisfied, you will switch to wearing part-time retainers to hold the teeth in the new positions.  If you would like them even nicer, you can have a refinement, which is another series of aligners to produce more movement of your teeth, and then have retainers after that.

 

©2011  James E. Eckhart, D.D.S.,  Inc.

www.eckhartorthodontics.com

1101 N. Sepulveda Blvd,  Suite 202, 

Manhattan Beach,  Ca.  90266  (310) 546-4724

21210 Anza Ave., Torrance, CA 90503 (310) 540-5911  

 

Overbite Studies

There are 3 overbite studies I am initiating.

 

1. How much can the forward growth of the chin be enhanced during overbite correction using the MARA overbite corrector?

It is expected that adolescent teenagers will experience considerable forward growth of the chin using the MARA overbite corrector carefully, trying not to lengthen the face but to direct the growth of the lower jaw horizontally.  I will study whether there is a difference between boys and girls.  I will also study whether adults can experience some forward growth of the chin, even though they are “done” growing.

This study will be compared to an untreated group of adolescent teenage boys and girls, in order to understand how much change in the horizontal chin position the MARA produces.  These untreated teenagers have head xrays stored at the University of Michigan from years ago, and are available for studies such as this.

 

1. How fast can overbite correction occur and still be stable?

By combining braces with the MARA overbite corrector, and starting elastics wear earlier too, we will study whether the treatment time for overbite correction can be reduced from 33 months average to 20 months average.  The groups to be studied are adolescent boys, adolescent girls, and adults.

 

1. How reliably can overbite correction be accomplished using Invisalign instead of braces, along with the MARA overbite corrector?

A group of adolescent boys and a group of adolescent girls and a group of adults will be treated with first the MARA overbite corrector, and then after the MARA is removed, with Invisalign, to see how nicely the bite can be corrected without braces.

 

©2011  James E. Eckhart, D.D.S.,  Inc.

www.eckhartorthodontics.com

1101 N. Sepulveda Blvd,  Suite 202, 

Manhattan Beach,  Ca.  90266  (310) 546-4724

21210 Anza Ave., Torrance, CA 90503 (310) 540-5911  

 

Can Braces Cause Cavities?

With Invisalign, the aligners can be removed for brushing.  Poor tooth brushing causes cavities.  Most orthodontists monitor tooth brushing carefully and reward good brushing.  The good brushing habits formed during braces last a lifetime.

 

A person seeing an observant orthodontist once every month or two is less likely to have new cavities undetected than a person who only sees the dentist once or twice a year.

 

Orthodontic patients get their brushing graded at every appointment, and they are provided brushes and other cleaning supplies.  They also get instruction on diet, fluoride rinses, etc.

 

In the old days with bands wrapped around the front teeth, sometimes loose bands were hard to detect and would decay underneath. Nowadays, with bonded brackets, it is easier to tell.

 

Today's orthodontic cements have fluoride in them and the teeth are sealed for protection before gluing the braces on.

 

If an orthodontist realized that a patient was not brushing adequately after  many lessons, he would just remove the braces and discontinue treatment, before any serious cavities developed.

 

 

©2011  James E. Eckhart, D.D.S.,  Inc.

www.eckhartorthodontics.com

1101 N. Sepulveda Blvd,  Suite 202, 

Manhattan Beach,  Ca.  90266  (310) 546-4724

21210 Anza Ave., Torrance, CA 90503 (310) 540-5911  

How Do You Find a Desirable Orthodontist?

There are 4 popular ways to find an orthodontist.  The most popular is still to ask your general dentist for a recommendation.  The general dentist gets feedback from earlier referrals and has an idea of how happy patients have been with an orthodontist, and sees the quality of treatment when the patients return for dental checkups, and is in a position to judge that quality. 

 

The second most popular way to find an orthodontist is to do an Internet search for “orthodontist” in your town or zipcode, and to look on Page One for directory listings that have lots of favorable reviews of  an orthodontist.

 

The third most frequently used method for finding an orthodontist is to ask your nearby personal contacts (friends, neighbors, workmates, relatives) who they have used and how happy are they with that choice.

 

A fourth way to find an orthodontist is to ask you dental PPO insurance company for a list of providers in your area, and then to compare that list to the reviews findable on the Internet in option 2.

 

©2011  James E. Eckhart, D.D.S.,  Inc.

www.eckhartorthodontics.com

1101 N. Sepulveda Blvd,  Suite 202, 

Manhattan Beach,  Ca.  90266  (310) 546-4724

21210 Anza Ave., Torrance, CA 90503 (310) 540-5911  

 

 

Selecting an Orthodontist Part 3- How Many Opinions Should You Get?

One school of thought says that you should get at least two opinions.   The theory is that you choose after considering different points of view, and you are better off because of being allowed to weigh options.  The weak part of this approach is that many times a person who is confronted with choices will not choose anything because they are confused.  Lacking in-depth knowledge of dentistry can make a person uncertain of their ability to choose wisely.  They do not have enough education or experience to know what to believe or how to choose, so they do nothing and they might as well not have gotten any opinions.

 

During consultations with patients who have had prior opinions, when the patients are invited to disclose what the differing opinions were, the immediate orthodontist can explain the thinking behind each point of view, and should state that each opinion has merit, and that the orthodontist responsible for each opinion could in all likelihood succeed with their approach, so that the patient is justified in selecting whichever plan appeals the most, and the important point is to start with some treatment.

 

©2011  James E. Eckhart, D.D.S.,  Inc.

www.eckhartorthodontics.com

1101 N. Sepulveda Blvd,  Suite 202, 

Manhattan Beach,  Ca.  90266  (310) 546-4724

21210 Anza Ave., Torrance, CA 90503 (310) 540-5911  

 

 

Selecting an Orthodontist Part 2: When Should An Adolescent Be Taken to an Orthodontist?

The last thing a teenager wants is to find out at age 16 that they need braces. Their self image is often shaky during this transition from child to adult, and the thought of Senior pictures with braces on has prompted many moans and questions regarding why they were not started earlier. Your general dentist  may overlook impacted upper cuspids which are frequent causes of these delayed referrals and the dentist should be suspicious whenever the upper cuspids are not present or palpable in the mouth by age 10-13.

 

In general, bring your child for orthodontic screening any time after age 7.  The orthodontist will not mind even if nothing is necessary to do now.  A typical age for beginning orthodontic treatment is 11 or 12. ©2011  James E. Eckhart, D.D.S.,  Inc. 1101 N. Sepulveda Blvd,  Suite 202,  Manhattan Beach,  Ca.  90266  (310) 546-4724 21210 Anza Ave., Torrance, CA 90503 (310) 540-5911   www.eckhartorthodontics.com