Invisalign Orthodontic Summit 2012

Viva Las Vegas! This weekend, team awesome attended the very prestigious Invisalign Orthodontic summit in Las Vegas, Nevada. Having been invited to this conference is an extreme honour. Dr. Luis and the team will be with the best Invisalign doctors and teams in the world learning about the latest advances and techniques used with Invisalign. Our goal is to continue to be the leading Invisalign provider in the Waterloo region and continue proving that every patient is a candidate for Invisalign! 


At the summit, Invisalign introduced SmartTrack^™, a highly elastic aligner material that delivers gentle, more constant force to improve control of tooth movements with aligner treatment. This new aligner material could be one of the best advances that Invisalign has launched in the last few years. It has been compared to the introduction of Nickel Titanium wires which revolutionized the world of braces by providing gentle, more constant force delivery. Dr. Luis indicated that "these are exciting times for Invisaglin and Invisalign providers".

 

Invisalign Outcome Simulator To Use Digital Scans to Help Patients Visualize Treatment Benefits

According to Global Newswire, Align Technology is previewing the Invisalign Outcome Simulator, the Company's first chair-side application powered by the iTero intra-oral scanner. This interactive application is designed to increase patient acceptance of Invisalign treatment by showing prospective patients -- in a matter of minutes -- an image of how their teeth will look after Invisalign treatment.

The Invisalign Outcome Simulator is an easy-to-use software application that will help Dr. Luis educate his patients about the benefits of Invisalign treatment. The application uses iTero digital scans of the patient's own dentition to create a detailed, highly accurate image of the teeth. Then, within minutes, the application creates a simulation of how the patient's teeth will look after Invisalign treatment. Dr. Luis can then use the Invisalign Outcome Simulator's dual view layout to show the patient his/her current dentition next to their simulated final position. Intuitive tools in the Invisalign Outcome Simulator allow Dr. Luis to modify the final position in real time, making it easy for the him to show the patient the benefits of Invisalign treatment.

The Invisalign Outcome Simulator is currently being tested in-market, with general availability expected this summer.

It is Time to Rethink Braces for your Teen!

Most teenagers realize that their smile can be improved greatly through orthodontics and up until the past 4-5 years have had only one choice….fixed braces and wires.

Now with Invisalign Teen, teenagers do not need to have fixed braces placed on their teeth during their most self-conscious years and can still achieve a beautiful, healthy smile.

A survey done by Align Technology found that 94% of teens prefer Invisalign over braces. Our experience in our offices verifies this fact: Teens want a beautiful smile, but they DO NOT WANT braces.

We have finally realized this to be true. While most children under the age of 12 are very excited about silver braces and all the great colors that go on the teeth, by the time these children reach junior high school, the excitement about silver or clear braces, has all but disappeared.

Besides the fact that teens do not want fixed braces on their teeth, there are some significant advantages to Invisalign for the parents of these teenagers.

Most parents are both working or have other children that need to be driven to sports practices, music lessons and school events. With Teen Invsialign, there are no more broken brackets at 8pm at night or a wire that is poking through the cheek at 7am. Parents will not need to make extra time for emergency visits to get a bracket replaced or a wire trimmed.

Another huge advantage is sports. Your average teenager today is involved in sports that often means travel out of the area. What do you do when you are 100 kilometers from home and it is Saturday at the hockey tournament and your son just got hit in the face and half his braces are hanging out of his mouth?

With Invisalign the aligners can be worn during all sporting activities and can actually protect the teeth from injury. No need to worry about a Saturday night visit to the emergency room to get braces removed that have been embedded into your child’s cheek.

Another big advantage for the parents and teens with Invisalign, is the fact that you do not need to change your diet. No special foods or dinners need to be prepared for your child during his or her Invisalign treatment. They take out their aligners and eat their favorite foods, brush their teeth and put them back into place.

Since they are removable, oral hygiene is a breeze and the permanent stains that can sometimes occur with fixed braces, will not happen with Invisalign due to ease of brushing and flossing.

In general, you will have less visits and less time spent in the orthodontic office and your end result will be as good if not better than fixed braces.

Why do parents still choose fixed braces for their teens?

One reason is the perceived cost. When Invisalign first came out in 1999 it was very expensive compared to fixed braces. Since that time, the technology has improved and the costs have come down significantly to where in most offices, it is the same price as fixed braces.

A second reason, is that parents are worried their child will not wear them or lose their aligners. Thousands of doctors who have be polled, all have had the same experience we have had, that is, the teens wear their aligners better than most adults and they rarely misplace them.

The good news is that up to 6 aligners can be reordered at no charge if needed. We often find this not to be necessary as the patient has worn the misplaced aligner long enough to just move forward to the next one a few days early.

We believe that clear removable braces, like Invisalign, are the future of orthodontics and the best choice today for both Teens and adults seeking a beautiful, healthy smile.

Invisalign Braces and Justin Bieber

Teen sensation, Justin Bieber used clear removable aligners called “Invisalign Teen” to straighten his teeth. Invisalign aligners are worn for 20-22 hours per day and each aligner moves teeth about 0.25 mm. Since the movement is so subtle, the amount of discomfort is minimal. The movements are prescribed by your doctor and the aligners are manufactured by Align Technology. These aligners are only removed when eating or brushing your teeth providing Teens with an alternative to unsightly metal braces.

Unlike the traditional metal braces, you can eat relaxed without the worries of breaking brackets or wires. That means that you do not have any dietary restrictions. Cleaning your teeth also is less challenging since you can simply remove aligners to brush your teeth normally.

Another huge benefit is that with no wires there is also is no chance of poking cheeks or irritating lips. This usually leads to fewer visits to the orthodontist since emergency appointments are rare.

If you play contact sports, you can wear your aligners under a properly fitted mouthguard to protect your teeth from being injured during practices or games.

Like Justin Bieber, many teens want to have straight beautiful teeth, but do not want to have the nickname “metal mouth”! Teen Invisalign delivers results as good as or even better than traditional braces. The good news is that you do not have to be a “Teen Idol” to have Invisalign. The cost of Invisalign is about the same as metal braces and if you have orthodontic insurance, it will cover Teen Invisalign.

Waterloo Orthodontist on Invisalign G4

Invisalign is proud to introduce Invisalign G4, the next generation of SmartForce clinical innovations engineered to deliver even better clinical results. Nothing is more important to Dr. Luis than delivering great results for his patients. That is why this weekend Dr. Luis attended the 1st Annual Canadian Invisalign Summit held in Toronto.  

 

Present at the Summit was John Morton, Align Technology’s Director of Research and Technology, who provided an inside look at the new features of Invisalign G4. This presentation covered how the principles of biomechanics have been applied to deliver the clinical innovations in Invisalign G4.  These new features include applying two force systems to one tooth or creation of moments. This is accomplished by attachments and/or pressure points, where one feature will counteract the negative forces caused by the first. They are supposed to allow for simultaneous movements such as extrusion and rotation, as well as translations.

This next-generation SmartForce clinical innovation, Invisalign G4 is expected to provide the much-needed solution to some significant treatment challenges faced by the doctors.  Invisalign G4 will help enhance open bite treatments, more predictable movement of upper laterals and improved root control for canines and central incisors.

In recent times, Align has undertaken several strategies to improve adoption of Invisalign. These include acceleration of product and technology development and extension of clinical effectiveness. Several orthodontists are now able to treat almost any orthodontic problem with clear aligners. This is becoming a great alternative for moving teeth, not just for patients not willing to wear braces, but for all orthodontic patients.

Imagine No More Dental Impressions!

Millions of impressions are taken each year for the fabrication of orthodontic models and appliances. Orthodontic offices take a number of these “patient hating” procedures on a daily basis. A new system is now available that creates digital free impressions of a patient’s teeth.

The iOC Scanner, a digital orthodontic impression system powered by iTero, ensures a more accurate impression from the start, which results in improved orthodontic treatment.

The iOC scanner will eliminate the need to take physical impressions of a patient’s mouth. Instead of taking oral impressions which is one of the most anxiety producing procedures for patients undergoing orthodontic care, we will soon be able to use the iOC scanner which employs laser technology to capture accurate images of the mouth, doing away with the traditional messy impression. Imagine no goop, gagging or discomfort!

The iOC Scanner is the product of Cadent, now a part of Align Technology. It scans the mouth with a radiation-free laser and in six to eight minutes renders a digitally perfect, 3-D impression of the teeth and soft tissue structures. The iOC Scanner can be used for any orthodontic treatment including traditional metal braces and clear aligner-based orthodontic systems and it is the only product that can be used with Invisalign.

RiteBite Orthodontics, one of the top invisalign providers in the Waterloo Region with practices in Cambridge, Waterloo and Listowel, continues to embrace cutting edge orthodontic technology. If these scanners prove to be as accurate as they claim, you can rest assured that we will be one of the first offices to bring this technology to the Waterloo Region.

Tips on Removing your Invisalign Aligners

Are you breaking your nails taking off your invisalign trays? Or, are you getting so frustrated that you don’t even want to take them off? If you answered yes to any of these questions, don’t panic! We are going to share a few tricks that we have shared with our patients and even some that our patients have shared with us that will make removing your Invisalign trays a lot easier. Here we go…

Start at the back. We always recommend starting to remove your aligners from the back and usually on the tongue side of the dental arch. First, lift the aligners off the molars on each side of the mouth, then gradually work towards the front. Some patients prefer to remove from one side of the mouth to the other. If you choose to use this approach be careful to not use too much force since it can lead to aligner breakage.

Start away from attachments.  Lift off easier sections of the tray and leave tougher areas for last such as, crowded areas and areas with several attachments. So if a specific area is too difficult try another area until gradually the whole aligner is off. When you reach those areas, lift tray out and over the attachment

Use a paper towel. Several of our patients have sworn that using paper towels increase the grip on the aligner allowing them to grasp the aligner firmly thereby allowing them to pull the trays off the molars. This might not work for every patient especially if they have several attachments. However, if you try this approach, it is helpful to keep your mouth as dry as possible.

Use an Outie. An outie is an invisalign removal tool although it is not provided by Align Technology.  It looks similar to a crochet hook and is designed specifically for removing clear braces by hooking under the edge of the aligner and lifting it away from the tooth. They are especially helpful for people with attachments. If your orthodontist does not provide you with them you can find them online (http://www.shop.outietool.com/). 

Try changing aligners at night: Similar to wire changes during braces, new aligners are going to feel tighter (if they didn’t then your teeth would not move!). For this reason, some patients prefer to insert new aligners prior to going to sleep. The rationale is that your teeth will get adjusted over the course of the night making them easier to remove in the morning.  Additionally, the discomfort is more tolerable if you are sleeping and not thinking about it. However, if they keep you up at night, you may want to reconsider this approach or take a mild painkiller to get your through the night.

Removing aligners gets easier with time: Initially, if you try to remove your new aligners, you will find that it is quite challenging. Be patient as your teeth adjust and you will notice that the aligner becomes much easier to remove the longer you wear it. So wherever possible, try to hold off removing your trays.

Hopefully you will find success with one of the above tips. However, if all else fails, do not forget to stay calm. Take a deep breath and relax. Removing your aligners gets more difficult when you panic and become frustrated. Good Luck!

How to keep your Invisalign aligners clean

A quick rinse and gentle scrub with a soft bristle toothbrush is a good idea after eating.  This is a good habit to get into and will prevent unpleasant odours from developing. Although a toothbrush is recommended, we suggest staying away from using toothpaste since it tends to be abrasive.  Such abrasion results in tiny scratches providing a breeding ground for bacteria. We recommend using a mild dishwashing soap such as Dawn instead. If brushing and rinsing alone is not effective in removing unpleasant odours, soak your trays in mouthwash for a few minutes while you brush and floss your teeth. This will help your trays and mouth stay fresh and clean!  Failure to clean your trays on a regular basis will result in your aligners looking foggy and murky. It is this build up that is responsible for these unpleasant smells and if left long enough, it becomes very difficult to remove.

A more thorough cleaning once a week with a retainer (Retainer Brite) is also recommended. Leaving trays in a bath for 10 minutes usually allows for a thorough cleaning and neutralizes any offensive smells. Remember to rinse under water and give trays a quick scrub with a soft bristle toothbrush after removal from bath. If you are looking for an effective but more economical home-made option, you can soak your aligners in diluted vinegar or hydrogen peroxide solution which is mixed with 50% water.

Lastly, your Invisalign cases need cleaning too. When you remove your aligners they often have excess saliva that can easily be transferred to your case. After a few days, these cases can turn into a science project! Giving them a good rinse daily can solve this problem. As with the Invisalign aligners a gentle scrub with a soft toothbrush can help them stay hygienic.

It is also a good idea to sterilize your Invisalign aligners before storing them. As you finish with each set of trays, sterilize them using a denture cleaner and place them back in the re-sealable bag in which they arrived. If you need to reuse them for any reason at a later date they will be clean and ready for use.

Invisalign: Are You Getting Your Money's Worth?

When seeking Invisalign treatment, price should not be the deciding factor.  Considering who is going to do your Invisalign treatment should be a key consideration.  As with any procedure, it's essential to find an experienced doctor that you can trust. 

 

An orthodontic specialist will typically charge slightly more for an Invisalign case than a general dentist will  because orthodontists specialize in straightening teeth and correcting bites. Furthermore, orthodontists undergo three additional years of training after the required four years of dental school.  This fact is important when comparing fees for Invisalign treatment in the Waterloo Region, since fees can range anywhere from $4,000 to $7,000. Therefore, if you are comparing Invisalign prices, it is important to factor in whether it is a dentist or an orthodontist who will be doing your Invisalign treatment.

If you decide to have an orthodontist help you with treatment, something else to be aware of is that not all orthodontists are equal, especially when it comes to Invisalign. Many orthodontists decide against treating patients with Invisalign because they are not familiar with this technique and are more comfortable treating patients with braces. Before making your decision, ask your provider if they are Premier or Elite providers.  Alternatively, visit www.invisalign.com to locate the right provider.  
You want to make sure that you select an Invisalign provider that has achieved a significant level of experience in treating patients with the Invisalign system.

Treatment price will also be affected by the complexity and the duration of your treatment. If your case requires more than just straightening your teeth, it is worth the extra cost to get those problems also resolved. These could include functional issues like how your teeth come together or if they are in their proper positions.  Many of these issues can be resolved with Invisalign treatment by an experienced provider as well, although it may be more involved and of course, more expensive. So, if you are told that you cannot be treated with invisible aligners, always seek a second opinion.

Finally, after you select a dental professional, you might then wonder why the cost of Invisalign, even if it is by the same doctor, will frequently be $500-$1000 more expensive than braces treatment.  The higher cost reflects the lab fee that the dentist or orthodontist must pay for the Invisalign trays. This may not be necessarily the case at all offices but if it is at the office you attend for a consult, you will now know why there is a difference in cost.

In the end, we recommend you take your time to search for an experienced Invisalign provider if you are seriously considering being treated with invisible aligners. As with any investment, always remember that if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

What are Invisalign Attachments?

When our patients are treated with Invisalign, Dr. Luis always reviews the need for using attachments. Attachments are small tooth-colored bumps of dental bonding material that are bonded to surfaces of selected teeth. The idea is that the placement of the attachments provides an anchor point on teeth around which an aligner can firmly grasp. This allows the aligner to direct its forces to the tooth more effectively than it would otherwise be able to do. Imagine trying to pull a door open without a handle or a door knob. 

Does this mean that all your teeth will have attachments? No. An attachment might be needed in those instances where a particularly difficult type of tooth movement is required (such as tooth rotation or pulling a tooth up/down). An attachment might also be needed in other situations but Dr. Luis will best determine this on a case by case basis. 

Placing of attachments is similar and as easy as bonding brackets (braces). This procedure is painless and does not require any needles. We receive a plastic template from Invisalign that essentially looks like any other Invisalign tray but has small bulges on it that we can fill with bonding material. The template is then seated over the teeth and after the bonding material is set, the tray is removed leaving behind the attachments on specific locations of selected teeth.

Attachments, in most cases, are not visible to others.  However, their visibility will depend on where they are placed, if you consume large amounts of food or drink that have staining properties (e.g. wine, coffee, tea) and how well the color of the bonding material actually matches the color of your teeth. Even in cases that require attachments on patient’s front teeth, these are not as noticeable when wearing trays which patients are encouraged to wear 20-22 hours per day. In instances where attachments do become heavily stained, you can always request to have them replaced.

Removal of attachments occurs at the end of your Invisalign treatment and it is easily removed with a dental drill that only removes bonding material (i.e. does not scar enamel) and the surface of the teeth is then polished so that the glue on the teeth is completely buffed off. 

So don’t panic when it comes time to get your attachments on or off. It is a simple and painless procedure that is a beneficial part of your treatment and makes your final orthodontic outcome that much better!

Is Invisalign Teen different from Invisalign?

For the most part, Invisalign has always been considered a method of treating adults. However, with the launch of Invisalign Teen, we now can provide the same advantages of Invisalign treatment to our teenage patients in the Waterloo, Cambridge and surrounding areas. 

Invisalign Teen has several features that are different from Invisalign. One of these features includes its ability to allow for partially erupted teeth (teeth that are not all the way through the gum tissue) to now be included as part of treatment. Previously, teenagers were only considered a candidate for Invisalign if all their permanent teeth were present. This is no longer the case.

A second feature is its compliance indicators. Since Invisalign is a removable appliance, it is different from traditional braces which are used to treat the majority of teenagers, since these are glued to the teeth for the length of treatment. Therefore, Invisalign treatment was considered an unsuitable treatment option in the eyes of most orthodontists for teens.  To work effectively, a patient needs to wear their aligners 20-22 hours a day. Invisalign Teen introduced compliance indicators, which are colored indicators that fade with use, allowing your orthodontist to gauge if the appliance is being worn the required amount of time.

Finally, Invisalign Teen also provides up to six free replacement aligners should they be lost or broken. This was in recognition that teenagers may not be as responsible as adults. However, since the launch of Invisalign Teen, research has shown that there has been no significant difference between teenagers and adults when it comes to losing trays.

If you are a teenager and are considering improving your smile but don’t want a mouth full of metal, contact an orthodontist who is a specific Invisalign Teen designated provider and who specializes in using Invisalign for teens in the Waterloo, Cambridge and surrounding areas.