October is National Orthodontic Month
What better time to discuss smiles than the month where we carve groovy grins into our gourds. To help celebrate, here are a few of the top advances in orthodontics over the years that make our patients scream for joy.
1) Bandsylvania no more! Until the 1970’s, every tooth had to be wrapped with a band to create the force needed to move teeth. For those of us horrified by the thought of separators, this is indeed an orthodontic nightmare! Now we bond a small bracket to the front of the tooth with an adhesive similar to what is used for a tooth colored filling.
2) The wrong impression: One of our patients’ favorite upgrades to taking records or appliance fits in our office is that we no longer have to go through the impression process with “molds”. Nothing says “We Care” like getting rid of something that not only sounds legitimately gross, but is a gag for many patients as well. Paired with our 3D printer by Formlabs, we can use 3D scanner and re-create any mouth without the mold.
3) Invisable by Invisalign: The clear aligner technology with patient case videos has to be the most remarkable upgrade to orthodontia yet. Unlike “mail-order” aligners which have proven to have serious consequences for self-referred users, Invisalign has a tested, orthodontist-approved method of safely moving teeth in specific increments in the minimum amount of time possible. No bracket, no wires, no problem eating that candy!