DO IT YOURSELF ORTHODONTICS???
April 7, 2016
I WISH IT WAS THAT SIMPLE
Every now and then a Do It Yourself article (DIY) on some form of orthodontic treatment will get posted on the news. It makes great headlines and seems so fantastically simple to just fix that crooked grill at home. Using rubber bands to pull teeth together or the most recent; DIY Invisalign. The news made headlines and it looks so simple because the results on this one example look great! Obviously, I am biased after spending 30 years studying orthodontics. The article seems to point fingers that the orthodontist is just scamming you and you can do it so much cheaper at home. Well, I think the real scam is lying to the public that it is simple. Orthodontic treatment is not that simple. It just isn’t. It is a complex marriage of science, bio-medical engineering, and a flair of artistic ability thrown in to make a great, pleasing, healthy smile and a healthy bite. Specialists in orthodontics have spent a minimum of 4 years in dental school and two years in residency studying those little white things called teeth and the surrounding facial bones.
Our training has Included:
An understanding of the growth and development of the human body. How the upper jaw and the lower jaw grow and develop separately and in relation of each other. How the teeth grow and develop within the jaws.
An understanding of the biologic process of the movement of a tooth within the bone. How bone grows and adapts and how this effects the tooth. How this process can be used for the good of moving a tooth but how it can also effect a tooth in a bad way.
An understanding of the engineering behind moving a tooth in 3 planes of space. The creation of appropriate forces that will stimulate the bone to allow a tooth to move but not damage the bone. How moments and force vectors and opposing anchor units effect the overall result.
An understanding of the oral diseases that can be present and should be considered in analyzing an individuals overall oral health.
An understanding of the way the teeth fit together. How this effects the health of the jaw joint, commonly referred to as the TMJ.
There are numerous aspects to our training, including treatment of facial syndromes and growth problems but these are outside the context of this blog.
Straight and simple, the general public attempting to do orthodontics can cause teeth to be lost, roots exposed, sensitive teeth, excessive tooth wear, TMJ problems, and bone loss.
See a specialist in orthodontics to get your teeth straightened correctly.
Invisalign is a process of utilizing specially designed removable aligner trays to hold on to the teeth in a special way and to apply the correct forces in the correct direction at the correct intervals for the teeth to respond. Aligners are not magic. They are just another way for the well-trained orthodontist to be able to hold on to your teeth and adjust the forces in a way to create bone growth and slow healthy movement of the teeth.
Invisalign is a great advance in orthodontics and is a good treatment for some but not all patients. Consult with our office to see if you are a good candidate for this type of treatment. Below is a video of the great results that well done invisalign treatment can provide for an individual’s life.