Invisalign® | Laser Treatment | OrthoCAD iQ | TADs
Invisalign®
The Invisalign® system combines advanced 3-D computer graphics technology with 100-year-old science of orthodontics. Invisalign® aligners are designed to move your teeth in small steps to the desired final position prescribed by your orthodontist. Each aligner is precisely calibrated and manufactured to fit your mouth at each stage of the treatment plan. Your first step is to visit our office to determine if Invisalign® is right for you. After sending precise treatment instructions, Invisalign® uses advanced computer technology to translate these instructions in a sequence of finely calibrated aligners – as few as 12 or as many as 48. Each aligner is worn for about two weeks and only taken out to eat, brush and floss. As you replace each aligner with the next, your teeth will begin to move gradually -- week-by-week until the final alignment prescribed is attained. Then you'll be smiling like you never have before!
If you want to learn more about Invisalign® and how it works, please visit the Invisalign® Homepage.
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Laser Treatment
We use laser dentistry in our practice for hard and soft tissue procedures. The lasers used are narrow beams of light energy that can penetrate the tissue, producing the ability to vaporize, remove or shape soft tissues such as the gums, cheeks and tongue. It can also penetrate hard tissue and remove decay.
Laser dentistry can be used to correct many problems from uncovering partially erupted wisdom teeth to removing lip pulls in orthodontic patients. Lasers can also obtain small tissue samples in biopsy procedures to detect lesions or potential tumors in the mouth.
Using laser dentistry as opposed to other forms of surgery does have its advantages. Lasers can control the amount of bleeding during the treatment and can sometimes remove gum tissue without causing bleeding. In laser dentistry, there may also be less swelling and pain following the surgery as the laser can seal blood vessels and nerve endings.
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OrthoCAD iQ
In keeping with our quest to remain on the cutting edge of orthodontic technology, we are now offering a revolutionary new system in placement of our braces: OrthoCAD iQ. During your "records" appointment, a very accurate impression of your teeth is taken. This impression is scanned into the computer so that we have a digital "model" of your teeth. Virtual braces are placed on the model and Dr. Julien adjusts and refines your treatment electronically. Sometimes, several treatment options are modeled until a customized smile is created just for you. Once we have decided on your precise treatment plan, actual braces are placed into soft trays based on your computer model. When the day comes for your braces to go on, it's quicker than you can imagine! We clean your teeth, place the soft trays onto your teeth (much like bleaching trays are worn), shine a light on each tooth, and then remove the tray. The braces are on! By utilizing this method, your braces are attached much more quickly, more precisely, and with much less discomfort. You are quickly on your way to the customized, beautiful smile that you have dreamed of!
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TADs (Temporary Anchorage Devices)
One of the many important advances in orthodontics has been the development of temporary anchorage devices, or TADs. Made of a bio-compatible titanium alloy, TADs are miniscrew anchors which are inserted into specific places in the mouth to be used as a fixed point from which teeth can move. Before TADs, orthodontists who wanted to move some teeth while keeping others still, or to achieve orthodontic movement in a mouth with missing teeth, had to rely on headgear for their fixed point. But TADs now provide an option for that fixed point that is smaller, more discrete, more efficient and requires significantly less work for the patient.
Temporary anchorage devices may not be recommended for everyone, and in fact, anchorage devices at all may not be needed in all cases. Contact us if you’d like to know more about TADs and how they can potentially prevent you from needing orthodontic headgear.
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