Download Setting Things Straight: New Technology Improves Orthodontic Care

Setting Things Straight:
New Technology Improves Orthodontic Care
Dr. Jason Hodge, DMD
one of Apex Dental’s
dentists explains the
importance of bite
alignment to one of his
orthodontic patients.
New technology is
changing how patients
look at orthodontic care.
New advances in orthodontic care are providing more
comfort and better results
New technology is being
developed at a faster rate than at
any other time in history. One of
the most important and fastest
changing areas of technology
development is in the field of
medicine. New lasers, robotic
surgery, and genetic mapping often
make headlines, but if you are a
parent looking to straighten your
child’s teeth you may be surprised
at how far the field of orthodontics
has changed. New developments
in orthodontics are making braces
and other similar devices more
comfortable, less noticeable and
more effective. One device may
even reduce or eliminate the need
for braces altogether.
February
and
March
are
traditionally busy times for
orthodontists and dentists practicing
orthodontics. The holiday season is
over, new insurance benefits may
have kicked in, and families are
starting to get their tax returns
back. Parents wanting to help
improve the health and appearance
of their kid’s teeth through
orthodontics now have a wide array
of options to consider. Among the
most innovative of these options
Before and after Ortho-Tain®
Ortho-Tain® Advantages
• Ortho-Tain® appliances gently straighten the smile without the need for
intrusive wires or bands.
• At one-half to one-third the cost of ordinary orthodontic procedures,
Ortho-Tain® puts treatment for your entire family within financial reach.
• With Ortho-Tain®, you can continue to enjoy all of your favorite foods
as well as maintain proper dental hygiene.
• Ortho-Tain® is able to correct many orthodontic concerns, such as
overbite, overjet, rotation, crowding, spacing, and joint alignment for TMJ
treatment.
• Ortho-Tain® treatment helps your teeth resist relapse and future misalignment for many years to come.
is a FDA approved orthodontic
appliance called Ortho-Tain® that
may lessen or completely eliminate
the need for braces.
Perhaps the most exciting
part about Ortho-Tain® is that
it can function as a preventative
orthodontic solution for children
as their teeth begin to come in,
Ortho-Tain® guides the process,
preventing them from needing more
costly and invasive orthodontic
work later in life. Using OrthoTain® treatment early on makes
it far easier to avoid relapse and
future misalignment.
According to Doctor Neil Baird,
DDS, a dentist at Apex Family and
Cosmetic Dentistry and among the
most experienced Ortho-Tain®
providers in Utah, the device has
additional benefits beyond simply
making teeth straight. “OrthoTain® appliances are the only
removable orthodontic appliance
approved by the FDA to correct both
functional and aesthetic problems
for a great, healthy smile. Beyond
simply straightening teeth, these
devices are effective in treating
overbite, overjet (buck teeth),
crowding, spacing, TMJ disorders
and problems with the way teeth fit
together when biting or chewing.”
Ortho-Tain® devices are ideal
for children between the ages of six
and twelve years old. Beyond that
Dr. Baird recommends traditional
braces to correct straighten teeth
and correct malocclusion (bite
problems).
Ortho-Tain® has been utilized
by hundreds of dentists to provide
straighter teeth to over two million
patients. Best of all, Ortho-Tain® is
one-half to one-fourth as costly as
traditional orthodontic treatments.
It is an effective, proven method
that may help your children have a
beautiful smile for life.
Parents with children between
the age of six and twelve who
are wanting to know if OrthoTain® is the right choice for their
child’s orthodontic health can
contact Apex Family and Cosmetic
Dentistry. The doctors at both their
Draper office (801-754-5458) and
their Riverton office (801-758-5450)
have gone through the training and
education to provide Ortho-Tain®
for their patients.
The Latest Advances
in Orthodontic Care
For patients over the age of 12,
in which Ortho-Tain® may not be
available, traditional orthodontic
procedures are more effective than
ever before. During the last few
decades, Orthodontic Dentistry
has undergone a number of incredible changes to make treatment far
more comfortable, quick, and costeffective than it used to be.
During the modern orthodontic
process, you can expect two primary phases of treatment: The first
phase is called Arch Development,
and is designed to shape the arch
Advanced Wisdom Teeth Removal
Wisdom Teeth Why Removal
Can Be the Best Option
While wisdom teeth can be beneficial and useful if properly aligned,
this is often not the case.
Unfortunately, wisdom teeth entry
can complicate a person’s long-term
dental health, as well as cause the
misalignment of other teeth. Complications often arise when wisdom
teeth come in at a horizontal angle,
putting pressure on the surrounding teeth and sometimes damaging
nerves or the jawbone.
Additionally, as wisdom teeth
come in, they can often cause crowding and misalignment of the rest of
the smile. This type of crowding
often makes extensive orthodontic
treatment necessary down the road.
Oftentimes, simply removing the
wisdom teeth becomes a great option and can free up space, allowing the teeth to align properly and
naturally. If orthodontic work does
become a necessity, having the wisdom teeth already removed can ac-
celerate the treatment process, saving time and money.
It is very important that the patient
receive detailed x-rays regularly
from a dentist or oral surgeon in order to monitor the process of wisdom
teeth entry. A dental professional is
able to use modern day technology
to predict the potential for future
problems and make clear recommendations for the patient.
The Benefits of Laserassisted Extractions
The soft-tissue CO2 dental laser
is uncommon among dentists, and
yet studies show that it provides a
number of benefits during many
common dental procedures. During
tooth extraction procedures, the laser is utilized to clean and disinfect
the damaged tissue surrounding the
extraction site. This results in reduced chances of infection and postop pain.
In situations where the wisdom
teeth have not yet erupted through
the gums, a dental laser may be used
to minimize tissue damage during
the extraction process. With the dental laser, the doctor makes a small
incision in the gum to reveal the
tooth to be removed. The dental laser
cauterizes as it cuts, eliminating or
reducing bleeding and infection.
Sedation Eases Anxiety
During Extractions
Sedation is an excellent option to
alleviate feelings of anxiety before
dental procedures. It is especially
All doctors at Apex Dental are
trained and able to provide laser dentistry as well as sedation dentistry. If
you are interested in advanced care
for wisdom teeth removal or dental
implants please contact one of our
five convenient locations.
Riverton (801) 758-5450
Draper (801) 758-5458
West Jordan (801) 758-5457
Murray (801) 528-7373
Stansbury Park (435) 728-0708
The doctors at Apex Family and Cosmetic Dentistry: Jason Hodge, DMD, David Clonts, DDS; John Kwant,
DMD; Joe Maio, DDS; Neil Baird, DDS; John Armstrong, DDS; and James McConnell, DMD
FAMILY & COSMETIC
D E N T I S T RY
At Apex Family and Cosmetic Dentistry, we offer many options to help you maintain a healthy
smile in a comfortable relaxed environment including:
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•
•
•
•
helpful when performing lengthy
or complicated procedures, or during surgical procedures such as extractions and implants. While there
are many levels of sedation, intravenous sedation is popular because
it essentially places the patient in a
near-unconscious state. This form of
sedation allows the patient to breathe
naturally and to maintain their protective reflexes, but they will not
have any memory of the procedure.
through the use of removable appliances. This process is designed to
space the teeth properly and eliminate the need for tooth extractions.
Depending on how much arch development is required, this process
takes four to six months to complete.
The second phase of orthodontic
treatment is teeth alignment
through the use of brackets and
wires. Fortunately, improvements
in materials and technology make
this final treatment phase far
quicker and less painful than it
used to be. “Most of us remember
braces as being a pretty rough
process, especially for young
kids,” Dr. Jason Hodge, DMD,
dentist at Apex Dental in Murray
practicing orthodontic care, said,
“but there have been so many
incredible changes in the last little
while that make the whole thing so
much quicker and less painful.” Dr.
Hodge said that advances in every
aspect of the orthodontic process,
from materials to technology,
have translated to a less expensive
and ultimately easier orthodontic
process for the patient.
Wires used during orthodontic
work are now made of a material
called nickel titanium. Instead
of the older stainless steel wires,
nickel titanium applies a low,
consistent pressure which is spread
throughout the mouth. Not only
does this material eliminate the
extreme, painful force on the teeth
common with older orthodontic
methods, but it also enables far
quicker and more efficient teeth
realignment.
Orthodontic brackets, which are
used to realign each individual
tooth, have undergone a number of
advances that enable quicker and
less painful tooth realignment. One
of these advances is a new type of
bracket called passive self-ligating
braces, which drastically reduce
friction and pressure on the teeth
by allowing the arch wire to move
freely between each tooth.
If considering Orthodontic treatment for adults or children eleven
or older, please contact Doctor Jason Hodge, DMD at 801-528-7373
for a complimentary orthodontic
evaluation including x-rays to help
determine if any of these modern
orthodontic options are appropriate
for your care.
Complete cosmetic dentistry, from teeth whitening to full-smile makeovers
Advanced dental care for all ages • Safe, comfortable sedation dentistry
Root canal therapy
• Orthodontic care
Wisdom teeth removal
• Laser dentistry
Dental implants
• Gingivitis therapy
$300 off
Orthotain
Must mention coupon when scheduling.
Restricions apply. Expires March 15, 2014
$100 off
Any IV Sedation
Wisdom Teeth Removal
Must mention coupon when scheduling.
Restricions apply. Expires March 15, 2014
Complimentary Evaluation
for Ortho-Tain
or new Orthodontic Patient
Must mention coupon when scheduling.
Restricions apply. Expires March 15, 2014
Riverton (801) 758-5450, Draper (801) 758-5458 , West Jordan (801) 758-5457, Murray (801) 528-7373, Stansbury Park (435) 728-0708