Technology advances have revolutionized patient care and diagnostic accuracy for orthodontists, providing greater patient experiences while simplifying procedures. From 3D imaging to remote monitoring tools, these advances enable orthodontists to offer their patients more effective care experiences.
New appliances also help shorten treatment times; for instance, self-ligating braces use small clips instead of elastic bands to decrease friction and speed up tooth movement.
Digital Impressions and Scanning
Traditional impressions required the use of putty-like material to form an impression of each patient’s teeth, often creating discomfort for those with sensitive or gagging reflexes as well as errors such as air bubbles or distortions that caused inaccurate models that resulted in poorly fitting orthodontic appliances.
Digital impressions offer patients a comfortable, stress-free way to take impressions, with the iTero(r) intraoral scanner taking high-resolution images of their mouth and converting them into 3D models for faster restoration turnaround times and more precise data transmission to laboratories.
Digital impressions also allow for easy storage of scans and eliminate the need to ship physical stone models back and forth between dentists’ offices and dental laboratories, saving both money and reducing carbon emissions.
3D Printing
3D printing holds great promise in orthodontics. Digital workflows eliminate the need for dental impressions and processes like gypsum casting, improving accuracy and efficiency as well as decreasing material waste for practices and patients alike. The process also reduces material costs thereby saving both practices and patients both money.
Three-dimensional printers that utilize additive manufacturing principles to produce dental appliances represent one of the greatest advances in orthodontic technology. This method, unlike traditional subtractive approaches, builds objects layer by layer allowing for more precise and complex objects to be created. This new technology is being implemented into various orthodontic appliances, such as clear plastic aligners (such as Invisalign), nasoalveolar molding devices, orthognathic surgical splints and more. Combining them with adjunctive procedures like TADs, these new tools allow practitioners to efficiently take on difficult orthodontic cases faster with greater precision and efficiency. Williams GP Orthodontic Seminars offers comprehensive orthodontic courses that provide insight into these groundbreaking innovations and how they can elevate patient care.
Self-Ligating Bracket Systems
Bracket systems that do not use elastic ties reduce frictional forces involved with tooth movement, while using a spring-loaded clip to hold in place the archwire in passive and active modes. We offer them for your consideration!
Self-ligating brackets not only reduce frictional force, but they don’t need elastic bands, making cleaning teeth less cumbersome and decreasing infection risks faster. Furthermore, no ligatures means food remains out of brackets more easily which reduces risk and speeds treatment up.
Forestadent 3D torque-lingual SLB bracket system is one of the most favored ligature-free bracket systems available, which utilizes a vertical slot to enhance archwire dynamics and facilitate control in all three dimensions. However, this may not be suitable for patients with small teeth or allergies to metal components as this system can cause discomfort during archwire ligation – therefore not recommended for those who have low pain thresholds.
Cone Beam CT Scans
Cone beam CT scans (also referred to as 3D dental X-rays) enable orthodontists to take a high-quality image of your mouth and maxillofacial region in just one scan, providing orthodontists with information that helps them identify soft tissues, nerve pathways and bone in one image; this data helps diagnose issues like impacted teeth, abnormal jaw bones or tumors more easily.
3D CBCT scanning processes are much quicker and less painful for patients than traditional X-rays; only exposing you to a fraction of radiation like traditional X-rays do, they are designed to cover only areas needed in your case.
Dental CBCT scans take only minutes or seconds for full-mouth scans and less for regional exams, with patients remaining completely still during each scan to ensure quality images. As with any X-ray procedure, wearing metal jewelry or dentures during CBCT exams could negatively alter images produced.
