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The straight truth.
Orthodontic facts that keeps your thinking straight and your teeth even straighter.
The pleasing smile.
Having a pleasing smile can be life-changing and comes with good things to elevate your psyche. Here are the top 5 psychological benefits a pleasing smile provides:
Makes you feel more attractive
Improves other's perception of your
competence and likeability
Boosts your mood,
relieves stress
Boosts your self-esteem,
you will belong anywhere
Makes you
more successful
The crooked smile.
aka. malocclusion:
mal·oc·clu·sion
noun
imperfect positioning of the teeth when the jaws are closed.
Malocclusion means having crooked teeth or a “poor bite.” Bite refers to the way the upper and lower teeth line up.
Malocclusion often leads to a poor smile appearance and can lower a person’s self-esteem. It can also make cleaning difficult, which may lead to tooth decay, tooth loss, or gum disease. When the poor bite is severe, eating and speaking can be noticeably impaired.
Up to 65% of the US population has some degree of malocclusion that can benefit from orthodontic treatment.
Source: American Association of Orthodontists
The causes.
Malocclusion is usually caused by problems with the shape or size of the jaw or teeth.
A common cause is having too much or too little room in the jaw. If a child’s jaw is small, the teeth may grow crooked. If there's too much space in the jaw, the teeth may drift out of place.
Other causes of malocclusion may include thumb-sucking, pacifier use, and tooth loss, gum disease, and long-term mouth breathing.
Big Misconceptions
01
“I was told that I am not suitable for Invisalign.”
Invisalign is simply an aligner material (a tool that your doctor uses). Invisalign does not treat your malocclusion. Your doctor does. Invisalign material is the best aligner material available in the market today. Whether a doctor can treat your malocclusion with Invisalign depends a lot more on the doctor's experience and training than it does on the type of aligners being used.
02
“I had perfect teeth and then my wisdom teeth grew in.”
The simple truth is wisdom teeth are highly UNLIKELY the cause of your teeth crowding. Studies have shown wisdom teeth do not exert adequate pressure to push all the molars and premolars forward and cause front teeth crowding. Instead, crowding is a part of aging as our jaw muscles constantly apply forward pressure on our teeth. There is a reason your mom always nagged at you to wear your retainers at night.
The treatment.
aka. orthodontics:
or·tho·don·tics
noun
the treatment of irregularities in the teeth (especially of alignment and occlusion) and jaws, including the use of braces.
Orthodontic specialty is the oldest specialist profession in dentistry and has been around for over 120 years. Traditional treatment involves the use of metal or ceramic braces that go on the front of teeth.
Modern esthetic options include clear aligner therapy and lingual braces. Clear aligner therapy involves the use of a series of 3D-designed aligners that applies gentle pressure to move teeth and bone. Lingual braces are metal braces that go on the inside of teeth so it is not visible to other people.
Invisalign clear aligners are the highest quality aligner material available. They are manufactured by Align Technology which is the leading pioneer in aligner material science. Fellow Orthodontist partners with Align Technology to manufacture our aligners so we can deliver the highest quality of care in a predictable and safe way.
Brius is a revolutionary lingual braces system that uses the same material as used in NASA technology. It is similar to braces on the outside but is truly invisible because the braces and wires are hidden behind teeth.
IN CASE YOU MAY BE WONDERING
Top 7 dubious claims on the internet
DUBIOUS CLAIMS
by online companies
Your teeth straightened 2-3x faster.
Your estimated treatment time is 4-6 months.
Our cost is 40-60% less.
We use a proprietary tooth vibrator.
Our treatment avoids the need for filing.
Our aligners avoid the need for attachments.
Our aligners are more clear and therefore, more superior.
TRUE FACTS
about orthodontics
Speed of tooth movement is determined by your bone biology. Different plastics have very little impact on the speed
Not all orthodontic cases are equal. You can't compare simple cases to complex cases. Estimated treatment time varies by individuals.
Some orthodontic offices provide the same “limited treatment” for less than $3000.
Multiples clinical trials have shown teeth vibration does not reduce treatment time.
This is a clever tactic to turn at-home aligners’ limitations into a perceived “benefit.” When crowding is significant, filing is beneficial to prevent pushing teeth outward which can cause severe bone loss and gum recession.
Another clever tactic to turn at-home aligners’ limitations into a perceived “benefit.” Without attachments, moving teeth is unpredictable. It is like trying to grab a wet bar of soap with your hand.
Clarity has no impact on treatment efficiency. We use Invisalign because its material is a multi-layered plastic that mimics the gentle pressure of conventional wires to provide a more predictable result.
Considering mail-order aligners?
There are many online companies touting the ability to create a beautiful smile without having to go to a dental office. Is this too good to be true?
In this guide, Dr. Lin discusses the Top 7 Secrets Mail-Order Aligner Companies Don't Want You to Know. Sometimes what appears as cheap can become an expensive recovery journey.
