Paris with 3M

I am a  mentor in the use of 3M’s Incognito lingual system. The company places a strong emphasis on supporting training and generously organized a trip for Dr Rachel Bradford and I to the Paris practice of renowned lingual orthodontist, Dr Catherine Galletti. Nick Henchy, the Lingual Business Development Manager for 3M accompanied us on the lightning visit, travelling on Eurostar from St Pancras.  It is remarkable that leaving Solihull at 1pm allowed us to be in Paris to check in by early evening, to enjoy a night out, to spend a full working day observing on Dr Galletti’s clinic and to be home in Solihull by 9pm.

There were 2 tremendous benefits for me from this trip. Firstly, the chance to spend time with experienced colleagues that inevitably leads to the exchange of ideas in a way that never occurs at busy conferences. Secondly, the opportunity to observe the clinical work of a busy expert learning patient treatment and management techniques that cannot be gained from a book or lecture. I returned with renewed enthusiasm and enhanced knowledge for a fabulous invisible treatment system. Thank you 3M!

Thinking about orthodontic treatment?

Thinking about orthodontic treatment?  Ask the right questions!

Tempted by offers of a ‘six month smile’?

Looking at Invisalign, Clearstep or Inman aligners?

BEFORE choosing your orthodontist, ask them:

Are you a Registered Orthodontic Specialist?  Have you any post-graduate qualifications in orthodontics?

Do you offer comprehensive fixed braces including invisible (lingual) fixed braces as one of the choices?  IF NOT THEY MAY NOT BE SO EXPERT

Is veneering planned after my orthodontic treatment?  If so, why?  Is this because my teeth won’t be completely straight after orthodontics?  Could this be avoided by the use of a different brace?

You may be surprised by the answers.

Why – read more below:

Orthodontics is a highly complex area of dentistry.  That’s why it takes a minimum of three years’ full-time additional training AFTER  a dentistry degree to become a Registered Specialist in Orthodontics, like my associate Virginia Rootkin Gray and myself, here at Orthodontic Excellence.

You might be surprised to learn that the General Dental Council allows any dentist who offers orthodontic treatment to describe him or herself as an orthodontist – even if their only training is the small part provided as part of their basic degree.

Treatments are only as good as the person providing them.

The internet makes it easy to shop around for treatment but websites also make it easy for clinics to make grandiose claims.  Is it likely that a practice that claims to be expert in a wide range of treatments can be so without any of its practitioners being registered specialists?

Beware of claims of speedy treatment.  Natural biology limits the speed at which teeth can move and if treatment is done in a hurry, there is a risk it may be incomplete.  Only very simple, minor movements can be done in that time.

‘Quick fix’ treatments are often followed by the use of veneers.  Veneers can be useful but attaching them does mean irreversible filing down of your teeth.  It may be that they are being used simply because your teeth have not been given enough time to become completely straight.  If the teeth are the correct shape and colour, then there should be no need for veneering after orthodontic treatment.

Technology allows a greater choice of treatments and appliance types than ever before.  The reason that there are many types of orthodontic treatment is because there is no single system that is best at treating all types of problem.

Does your’ orthodontist’ have only one treatment system on offer?  At Orthodontic Excellence we offer the full range of treatments so that you can have the system BEST for YOU.

SO before choosing your orthodontist, ask yourself –

Do I want to be treated by someone who has proven themselves to be an expert by thorough training, examination and experience?  Are they the best person for the job?

If you have doubts, why not come for a free consultation with us?

Insignia is not only a car!

Insignia - the car

                              

Insignia - the orthodontic appliance system

                                 

Eventually, all orthodontic appliances will be computer-designed and custom-made, just like those pioneered by Invisalign, now the world’s largest manufacturer of CAD CAM custom-made appliances. They recently lost a legal battle over software patents and as they were unable to pay the settlement, the Danahar Corporation was given 10 per cent of Invisalign.  The patents they infringed were owned by Danahar subsidiary Ormco, whose Insignia system I use.

Insignia’s impressive software allows us to modify the prescription for each patient’s fixed appliance with the brackets and wires being individually manufactured to achieve that prescription. The orthodontist can adjust each tooth in three planes and analyse the resultant occlusion, arch (smile) width and other important details. This improves the outcome and efficiency, achieving great results quicker. Such direct control has never been available before, as the other custom-made systems (Invisalign and Incognito) both involve a technician interpreting the instructions of the orthodontist.

Complex problems such as those with asymmetries, particularly of the underlying jawbones, can be managed to a much higher standard and with shorter treatment times. So if you are seeking the best treatment, as speedily as possible, then Insignia may be the option for you!

                              

Incognito Mentoring

3M, who make Incognito lingual (invisible) braces, recently appointed me one of their three UK mentors to give individual tuition, advice and support to orthodontists beginning to use these amazing braces.

Four experienced orthodontists joined me for a day’s tuition at my Solihull practice. It is clear is that even experienced orthodontists can find it challenging to get started with Incognito. This is partly due to basics such as bonding technique and ligation, which are fundamentally different, and also to the practicalities that have to be done differently, such as appointment scheduling, nursing procedures and chairside equipment.

Orthodontic specialists are used to taking fixed appliance bracket systems and improvising with them but Incognito requires a much more disciplined approach. However, once familiar with it, amazing results can be achieved for complex problems using these astonishing custom-made braces. “Secret” braces really are a reality, with compromises in the quality of outcome now a thing of the past. 

Back in Bristol

University of Bristol-lecturing on adult orthodontics

I have lectured to the postgraduate students of four UK universities on this subject and this is the second time I have been asked to do so at Bristol. 

Although treating adults is a huge growth area in orthodontics, the non-surgical management of malocclusion in adults is more of a marginal topic in the formal training of orthodontic specialists. Hospitals tend not to offer the range of aesthetic appliances that adults often wish to have and this, combined with waiting lists, plus the limited convenience available for patients treated in the setting of a teaching hospital, mean that adults make up a minority of the caseload of the average postgraduate orthodontic student. It is my experience that postgrads are eager to learn more about this topic and these lectures are enthusiastically received. 

I gave a half-day presentation to eight students who were preparing for their specialist M Orth examination finals. The small numbers allowed for an interactive format.  

Treatment planning, often requiring compromises in the adult due to the camouflage of underlying skeletal discrepancies, is at the heart of their management.  Additional complexity can be superimposed due to the need to manage dental health and restorative issues.  

The challenge of reducing deep overbites in non-growing patients requires a different approach, as does the management of retention, instability being a feature of almost all adult cases.  Working closely with specialists in restorative dentistry can be symbiotic - the orthodontic treatment making the options for and quality of, restorative treatment better and the restorative treatment helping to stabilise the orthodontic treatment as well as improving the final aesthetic outcome.

It was a pleasure to lecture to such bright and enthusiastic young specialists. I always find that my own enthusiasm for orthodontics is always enhanced by the teaching experience. I always return to work with a renewed desire to do better and learn more. Everyone wins!

Working Together

Tenth Alpine Orthodontic Conference, St Anton

I’ve been fortunate enough to have attended eight out of 10 of these annual conferences.  Always held in Austrian resorts, they offer a remarkable combination of learning about orthodontics, socialising and skiing (or in my case, snowboarding - aka “special needs skiing” according to skiers).

A tremendous camaraderie has developed between those who regularly attend. Their professional enthusiasm means there’s a constant sharing of ideas about orthodontics in bars and on ski lifts, as well as within the formal lecture programme.

Alpine conferences have allowed me to lecture on clinical topics that I find particularly fascinating.  It has been a revelation to discover that colleagues share my interests and wonderful for me to convey those interests through clinical photography.  My confidence in giving presentations has grown with the opportunities to present in such a “safe” environment. I have done so six times in the last eight years.

This year, my topic was “Post-perio orthodontics”.  I was able to put together a large amount of material thanks to a strong working relationship with my superb local periodontist, Henk de Waal.

His ability to motivate patients to achieve the highest standards of hygiene combined with meticulous surgery can halt even advanced periodontal disease. This can allow orthodontic treatment to restore smiles disfigured by drifted teeth.

My presentation illustrated the huge improvement in smile aesthetics that can be achieved for these patients. It also showed that significant gains in hard and soft tissues can be achieved. Moving roots into the alveolus can reverse recession, paralleling teeth and reducing tooth width can improve interdental papillae and moving teeth along the line of the arch can produce surprising gains in bone support.

This means that ortho can produce actual health gains rather than just aiming to do no harm whilst improving smile aesthetics. This is an exciting message for those affected by severe periodontal disease, as well as for those providing their care. It particularly shows the benefits of specialists working together.