Over the past few decades, there have been significant advancements in orthodontic treatments that allow for more discreet and faster teeth alignment. Traditional metal braces were once the only option for straightening teeth, requiring up to 3 years of orthodontic treatment. Now, clear aligners orthodontic techniques are growing in popularity for their aesthetic and time-saving benefits.
This article will explore the evolution of clear aligner orthodontic treatment, outlining the technologies involved and their advantages over conventional orthodontics and braces. We’ll also discuss considerations around cost, comfort, and results when evaluating these innovative orthodontic treatments.
Given the complexity of accelerated tooth movement, orthodontic treatment time, and its impact on your dental health, you need to choose an oral surgeon who can provide the best possible service to you. We at Studio Smiles NYC take pride in providing top-quality services. Every oral surgeon on our team has extensive experience when it comes to any orthodontic treatment, especially complicated orthodontic treatments like accelerated orthodontic tooth movement. Contact us to find out how we can help straighten teeth using accelerated braces.
The Basics of Orthodontics
Orthodontics is the branch of dentistry focused on the diagnosis, prevention, and correction of malocclusion or improper biting. Every oral surgeon performing orthodontic treatment uses appliances like traditional braces to exert pressure on teeth, gradually training them into proper alignment. Traditional braces have been used for decades in orthodontic treatments and spacing issues by attaching brackets to each tooth connected by wire. While effective, they are highly visible and require extensive time for gradual movement. This led to a demand for more aesthetic and faster orthodontic treatments.
Properly aligned and straight teeth are important for oral health and functions like bone growth and jawbone movement. Crooked, crowded, or gapped teeth can increase the risk of tooth decay, gum disease, chewing issues, and pain in the jaw bone. Orthodontic treatment in childhood or adolescence can prevent more extensive dental work and treatment costs later and build confidence. Clear aligners and accelerated treatment options like Invisalign now allow for straighter smiles and straight teeth with shorter treatment times and without lengthy, obvious braces that your oral surgeon may have suggested earlier.
Clear Aligners: A Discreet Journey to Straight Teeth
Clear aligners are a game-changing innovation in orthodontic appliances. Instead of fixed brackets and wires that you find in metal braces, clear aligners are customized, removable plastic trays that incrementally shift teeth position. Invisalign is a great example of this, and it uses advanced 3D modeling to create a series of aligners tailored to each patient’s mouth. Aligners are worn in two-week intervals, gradually moving teeth until the desired alignment is reached.
Clear aligners offer an aesthetically pleasing alternative to metal braces or even ceramic braces. Transparent plastic is far more discreet than conspicuous metal brackets and wires used in traditional methods. Aligners are minimally invasive and can be temporarily removed for eating, brushing, special occasions, and sports, providing lifestyle flexibility braces lack. Patients report higher satisfaction with the comfort and ease of clear aligners versus braces that may require far more adjustment appointments, be it due to eating, rapid movements, or even just to make sure that the bone surrounding the teeth is not seeing any adverse effects.
Your oral surgeon will tell you about the pros and cons of both options and help you decide if you need to go for traditional orthodontics with metal and ceramic braces or accelerated braces for accelerated tooth movement.
We at Studio Smiles NYC offer our patients all the information they need and offer both traditional braces and clear aligner orthodontic treatment. The point is to straighten teeth, and we help you make sure you get the best possible result, preferably while using an advanced orthodontic treatment like accelerated braces.
Advantages of Clear Aligner Orthodontic Treatment
Clear aligners like Invisalign come with a whole host of benefits, and here are the ones that matter the most:
Aesthetics
Clear aligners blend in with natural teeth without unsightly wires and brackets. Many patients choose aligners to avoid the appearance of traditional braces.
Comfort
Aligners are smooth, custom-fit plastic trays that patients tend to find more comfortable than braces. There is no bracket or wire discomfort.
Removability
Aligners can be taken out for eating, cleaning, special events, and contact sports, offering more freedom.
Oral Health
Removable aligners allow better brushing and flossing access compared to braces. This can lead to better oral hygiene.
Better Speech
Clear aligners have minimal impact on speech compared to braces, which can affect pronunciations.
Discretion
The transparency of aligners is subtle and discreet. Many patients prefer this subtlety over highly visible braces.
Apart from these things, everyone may also feel other benefits that are specific to them depending on their overall dental health and how well they respond to oral surgery.
The Clear Aligner Treatment Process
Getting started with clear aligner therapy involves several steps:
Consultation
An orthodontist conducts an examination and takes X-rays and impressions to determine if aligners are appropriate. Options are discussed.
Treatment Plan
A customized 3D plan is mapped out detailing the sequence of tooth movements needed. Plastic aligners are precision manufactured.
Aligner Fittings
Aligners are tried on to ensure they fit tightly before wear. Usage instructions are provided.
Gradual Adjustment
Aligners are worn in two-week intervals, moving teeth incrementally until the treatment plan is fulfilled. Appointments monitor progress.
Retention
A retainer is provided to wear after treatment, holding teeth in a corrected position as bone reforms around them.
Accelerated Orthodontic Treatment: A Faster Path to a Perfect Smile than Traditional Braces
Accelerated orthodontics refers to techniques that expedite the tooth alignment process to be up to twice as fast as traditional braces like metal and ceramic braces or lingual braces. Instead of 18-36 months, treatment can be completed in just a few months or 6-18 months. These techniques stimulate bone remodeling to allow rapid, safe tooth movement. It provides a quicker solution for minor to moderate alignment issues.
Techniques like
micro-osteoperforations and vibrational stimulation are used in conjunction with orthodontic appliances. They help teeth respond faster to repositioning forces by impacting the bone growth pattern. Well-selected patients can see a significantly shortened
orthodontic treatment timeline and better bone growth as well.
Methods of Accelerated Orthodontic Tooth Movement
Several methods are used by an oral surgeon in accelerated orthodontic tooth movement protocols:
Micro-osteoperforations
Small perforations are made in the root surface of the alveolar bone using mini-screws. This activates the body’s healing response, making the bone more receptive to tooth movement as compared to traditional and lingual braces.
Vibrational Devices
Teeth are stimulated with high-frequency mechanical vibrations to boost cellular activity and accelerate orthodontic treatment with new bone grafts. This enhances the body’s physiological response to forces on teeth.
Low-Level Light Therapy
LED devices provide targeted, low-level light energy around teeth. This light therapy method softens jaw bone and even bone grafts and reduces treatment time and costs.
Corticision
A gum flap is slightly lifted, and the cortical bone is scored to enhance bone healing and accelerate tooth movement without oral surgery. The flap is stitched back over the area after the oral surgery.
These techniques stimulate natural biological processes, allowing for faster physiological tooth movement and bone adaptation in response to orthodontic adjustments.
To ensure rapid movement of the teeth, gums, and jaw bone along with reduced treatment time for the oral surgery, your oral surgeon will not only use accelerated orthodontic treatment but also utilize bone grafts in more serious cases. The purpose is to ensure that you recover after your oral surgery in the least possible time and encourage bone growth as well.
We at Studio Smiles NYC take your dental health very seriously and ensure that the treatment time is much lower than traditional orthodontics, where you may be getting metal and ceramic braces along with a significantly longer time spent actually wearing braces, thus putting your dental health at risk as well. So, if you want to get a treatment that is minimally invasive, FDA approved, and also virtually eliminates the need for adjustment appointments, then you can get in touch with us, as do most patients in our area.
Combining Accelerated Orthodontics with Clear Aligners
Accelerated orthodontic techniques can be combined with clear aligner therapy and self-ligating hardware for the same results but with faster, more discreet teeth straightening. Aligners that the patient wears can move teeth more rapidly when bone remodeling is accelerated by techniques like micro-osteoperforations or vibrational stimulation from an orthodontist via an in-office procedure or oral surgery.
This dual approach takes advantage of the aesthetic and lifestyle benefits of clear aligners like Invisalign while shortening the length of treatment by stimulating physiological processes for faster adaptation. Studies have shown an effective reduction in overall treatment time by 4-6 months on average, thanks to this acceledent system.
Patients report high satisfaction with accelerated orthodontics, both in terms of rapid movement and recovery and treatment time. Its advantages include improved aesthetics, reduced pain, and significantly shortened treatment compared to braces alone.
Patient Experience and Comfort
While accelerated techniques do intensify treatment, most patients report good comfort when protocols are followed properly. Advanced technologies like computer-controlled micro-osteoperforations allow the doctor to customize forces, locations, angles, and depths to minimize discomfort.
Vibrational devices use light forces and are fitted to remain hands-free and comfortable during use. Strategic repetition based on the body’s biological rhythms can lessen side effects. Proper over-the-counter pain management is still recommended for the first 3-5 days following procedures. Patients note short-term effects while appreciating the long-term rewards of treatment acceleration.
Monitoring Progress and Adjustments
Throughout clear aligner and FDA-approved accelerated treatment, orthodontists closely monitor progress through regular appointments, even though the procedure itself is minimally invasive. Adjustments keep the teeth moving properly toward the desired final position.
With clear aligners, patients switch to the next tray in the series every 1-2 weeks. Appointments ensure the aligners fit well and teeth are tracking correctly. Refinements are made to the treatment plan if needed.
During accelerated protocols, progress is monitored to adjust forces, repetition, and locations based on an individual’s biological response. This level of customization improves treatment efficiency and helps prevent complications.
Maintenance and Retention
After orthodontic treatment and oral surgery, retainers are necessary to hold teeth in their new aligned position as the surrounding bone reforms and stabilizes. Wear time is determined based on factors like age and treatment complexity.
Consistent retainer use is critical for the first 6 months, and nightly wear is often advised long-term. Accelerated orthodontics and bone grafts do not eliminate the need for retention. Using retainers properly maintains results and prevents teeth from shifting back. Regular dental visits help keep retainers functional.
Conclusion: Embrace the Future of Orthodontics
It is quite easy to see why one may think of accelerated braces as the future of orthodontic treatment. Conventional orthodontics has a lot of gaps when you compare all the advantages you get in terms of treatment time, treatment costs, and effectiveness.
To make sure you can get yourself the best possible orthognathic surgery from an FDA-approved dental health clinic, you need to contact us. We at
Studio Smiles NYC offer the best orthognathic surgery with the least possible treatment time and treatment costs. Book yourself an appointment with us via our online booking system or talk to us via phone to get your healthy bite and straight teeth back in no time!