I have to say, in all my years as an orthodontist, I’ve only met about 2-3 patients that didn’t desire this. As I mentioned earlier in the book, “How long will my treatment take?” is one of the first questions asked.
Spectacular Smiles, Superior Customer Service: Today’s Orthodontics
Bill M. Dischinger, DMD
Key Takeaways
- Patients universally want faster orthodontic results, and modern technology is making this possible.
- Light-force orthodontics and more frequent clear aligner changes naturally speed up tooth movement.
- While surgical options exist, non-invasive micro-pulsation (vibration) devices are the most common and effective way to accelerate treatment today.
- These acceleration devices can reduce treatment times by up to 30% while also significantly reducing the pain associated with tooth movement.
The “Now” Generation
This has become increasingly more important as our society, our entire world, has become the “now” generation. Everything is right at our fingertips immediately. At the time of writing the first addition of this book, Amazon has recently launched its 1-hour delivery.
Seriously!?!? That’s crazy! I don’t have to go to a store, and I don’t have to wait days for it to arrive? Sign me up!
What if we could speed up the whole orthodontic process and shorten our treatment times? Again, sign me up!
Speeding Up Treatment Naturally
Remember in our earlier chapters reading about the light forces we now use with orthodontic treatment? That alone speeds up the rate of tooth movement for the physiological reasons discussed.
The same thing can also be done with Clear Aligner treatment too by doing less movement per aligner but changing the aligners twice as fast. This again lowers the forces; the teeth move faster and you can progress through the overall treatment faster.
Surgical Approaches to Acceleration
There are a few other ways of shortening the length of treatment. These involve additional procedures or devices added to the treatment plan.
For many years there has been a technique available that introduces trauma to the bone, which causes the rate of bone healing or change to occur faster. It is quite involved and is done outside the orthodontists’ office. A dental surgical specialist makes cuts in the bone after temporarily pulling back the gum tissue.
This trauma increases the amount of blood flow to the area, leading to an increase of bone change rate, thus faster tooth movement. Okay, hopefully we’ve all recovered from fainting now and we are ready to hear of a better way to do this.
In-Office Procedures
More recently, this process has been simplified and now is done much easier in the orthodontic office. Some simple local numbing is done and then we orthodontists actually use a little pin to “punch” holes into the bone, creating a similar response to the scary procedure talked about above.
For sure, this may still sound scary, but I can tell you, its actually quite easy. The drawback, though, is that it has to be done twice during treatment as the effects only last for 6 months. Still feeling a bit light headed? Well, there are two other techniques, both of which are not invasive.
Non-Invasive Technology: Light and Vibration
A brand-new technique uses a specialized type of light that produces what is called a photo biomodulation response at a cellular level. Basically, the cells make more energy and can work faster at changing the bone to allow tooth movement. It’s pretty exciting, but at this point in time, fairly expensive. The take home units are close to $1,000 USD.
The most common type of tooth acceleration technique being used today are micro pulsation units. For many years, orthopedic surgeons have used this technique to aid in bone fracture healing. In 2012 the technique was approved for orthodontics.
The patient is given a mouthpiece that attaches to a small, rechargeable unit that delivers these micro-pulses to the teeth (basically vibration). It is used every day for 5 to 20 minutes depending on the frequency level used (we use the 5 minute version in our office).
For Clear Aligner treatments, it allows us to change the aligners twice as fast (each aligner is worn for half the normal amount of time), thus reducing treatment time. For braces, I am seeing about a 15% reduction in treatment time using this device. For Clear Aligners, we are seeing about a 30% reduction in treatment time. We can now treat many Clear Aligner cases in one year.
An Added Bonus: Less Pain
Reduced treatment time is not the only benefit, though. The process lowers the amount of inflammation that occurs during tooth movement, which thus lowers the level of pain.
Typically, orthodontics can at times hurt at about a 5 on a 1-10 pain scale. Using this technology brings this down to a 1 or 2 for both braces and Clear Aligners. These micro-pulse devices typically add an additional $300 to a patient’s treatment. This cost will most likely continue to go down.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can orthodontic treatment really be sped up?
A: Yes. In addition to naturally faster tooth movement from light-force brackets and aligners, there are specialized devices and procedures designed to safely accelerate bone remodeling and reduce overall treatment time.
Q: What is a micro-pulsation unit?
A: It is a non-invasive, rechargeable device that you use at home for a few minutes each day. The mouthpiece delivers gentle vibrations to the teeth, which stimulates the bone, speeds up tooth movement, and allows you to change clear aligners much faster.
Q: Will accelerating my treatment make my teeth hurt more?
A: No, it actually does the opposite! Using micro-pulsation technology reduces the inflammation associated with tooth movement, which typically lowers the discomfort level from a 5 down to a 1 or 2 on a 10-point pain scale.