“Invis me Bro!”
So when I was in dental school back in the day, gas actually went for less than a buck/gallon. I’m not totally sure whether if it had anything to do with the birth of Office Manager Dalila but I remember there was a certain uneasiness in the air. I thought it was Disco. And much like that Florida Gator kid who had a dread fear of being tasered (“Don’t tase me bro!!!”) I was more nervous than Sarah Palin in a roomful of Katie Courics whenever I heard the word “Orthodontics.”
When I was a student I thought orthodontists were just a bunch of wire-bending tooth engineer dweebs who would do just about anything to avoid the sight of blood or the prospect of giving an injection (even if they had to stay in school another two years.)
And if I could have found someone willing to bend wires for pay, I’d have considered it—right up until the vision of my dad dragging me out of the clinic by the ear lit up the flat screen in my head that could also pass for a brain wave.
I graduated with seriously crooked teeth and even as a dentist I wasn’t all that troubled until I started noticing the kids I was referring to the orthodontist had straighter teeth than me. And friends were pointing out I spent considerable time with my left hand in front of my mouth (I’m half-Italian; I need one hand for gesturing.)
TC’s own Doc Fong famously straightened out my wayward smile and I still nominate him for Nobel recognition every year but sometimes those guys are even worse than the BCS.
But today, I love orthodontics. And I even dream about Invisalign. Yeah, and I used to be normal. Sure.
Invisalign is the technology that straightens teeth without braces. I signed up for Invisalign as soon as it was offered to GPs and as soon as I made sure no wire bending was involved.
Invisalign technology uses 3-D computer imaging to stage treatment from start to finish. Clear, virtually invisible trays or aligners are produced from the outlined plan; they move teeth approximately two-tenths of a millimeter every two weeks. The aligners are removable but come out only for eating and oral hygiene at the risk of serious time spent in Orthodontic Purgatory (OP). Personally, I think Invisalign is the coolest innovation I’ve seen in dentistry during a time when the profession has been revolutionized technologically.
Invisalign works great for my Baby Boomer buddies who had orthodontics but didn’t drink the kool ade when it came to wearing their retainers. Thing is, teeth are always moving sort of like glaciers; as we age, most folks experience a tendency toward crowding of lower anterior teeth. Some of our most satisfying Invisalign results have come from patients who haven’t liked their smile for decades but couldn’t bring themselves to wear braces.
Invisalign is often helpful in addressing TMJ-related concerns; the approach also works well for folks being treated for gum disease. About 80% of orthodontics can be treated with Invisalign. 100% of the TCDC team is benefiting from Invisalign.
If you have insurance benefits that cover orthodontics, they will cover Invisalign. Most Docs offer monthly financing (some even have no-interest options.)
If you’ve ever had any misgivings about the way your teeth line up or you’re self-conscious about photo-ops, please ask your dentist about Invisalign. One question could lead to some great results you never thought possible.
February 5th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
Orthodontists or orthodontics treatment can focus on dental displacement only, or can deal with the control and modification of facial growth.Let me know if you have more info. about this,thank you for blogging this.
by:alpha