Metal Mouth Message Board

If the teeth are not tracking with the aligners it is best to stop and "reboot" using mid-course correction. This will actually save you time in treatment in the end. Attachments that are not fitting properly into the aligners will actually cause unwanted movement, generally pushing the te...

Plaque deposits can become calcified and become what is called calculus... just like the spelling of the math subject. It is hard and you should not expect to be able to remove it with a brush/floss. The rate of buildup is going to vary between people depending on a lot of factors, including the min...

There is a feature in the creation of the video that allows the orthodontist to place or remove attachments. It may be that your treatment doesn't involve them, but it is also possible that they were removed to show you. If they were in the video, they would appear to be red to distinguish them from...

The center bite picture may be a bit deceiving because it looks like you are posturing your jaw forward. That being said, the upper jaw may need to be widened as the lower jaw comes forward. Using a lateral cephalometric x-ray, as well as other clinical measurements, your orthodontist and surgeon wi...

This is getting pretty technical but I'll give it a shot :). Braces have a certain dimension where the wire can fit in. Usually there is some play between the wire and the slot. When the wire slot is filled, the prescription in the bracket will be fully expressed. The largest wires are used towards ...

The location and type of attachment required depends on the actual movement of tooth required. They should be placed into a location where a "pushing" action will deliver the correct movement since aligners are unable to "pull" teeth in any direction as braces can. Other attachme...

This elastic pattern is also called a Class 2/3 shift. As you've mentioned, they are for correcting midlines, but should only be used if the movements required are to correct Class 2 and 3 malocclusions on their respective sides. If the wire slot is not filled completely in the anterior, the elastic...

-compliance indicators to gauge approximate wear time What are compliance indicators? Can doctors tell in general if a patient is wearing the aligners long enough other than the teeth not moving as well as expected? They are two "bubbles" attached to the aligner on the cheek side of the u...

One of the knocks against traditional Invisalign is that it is difficult to torque the anterior teeth. Therefore, while the crown may look like it is in a satisfactory place, the root of the tooth is too far to the buccal, resulting in decreased stability, and the appearance that something is just s...

Relatively new company is trying to some market share from Invisalign. Information is not readily available at this time. Here are some of the details:

http://markhamortho.blogspot.com/2009/0 ... ctors.html

I'm 59 and will be almost 61 when the braces come off!

Our office was part of the Invisalign Teen pilot project when Align Technology wanted to develop a product that addressed many of the barriers for teenagers to be candidates for Invisalign. Invisalign Teen is the same product as Invisalign with a few key differences: -compliance indicators to gauge ...

The traditional training has been to ask patients to take them out for any eating or drinking other than water. Some orthodontists are now asking their patients to keep them in the mouth while eating. The benefit of this is the same as that of using the aligner chewies in terms of seating the aligne...

X-Rays can be taken with or without the braces on. Your orthodontist is likely taking a panoramic x-ray which is a view of the jaws and the roots in one film. This one is not diagnostic for cavities or bone loss. As mentioned, it is generally looking for the position of the roots to make sure they a...

To say that Ormco's marketing is "just that" is like saying it is OK for McDonalds to market their hamburger as 100% Pure Beef , with the name of their brand being 100% Pure Beef instead of actually being all-beef. Companies should market their product in a manner responsible to the publi...