Surgical Assisted Accelerated Orthodontics
Richardson, TX
 Too often, patients decline offers for orthodontic treatment mainly because of the lengthy time commitment. Orthodontic procedures normally take over 18 months to finish (braces require adjustments roughly every six weeks, without surgery) and longer still for results to fully show. However, recent advancements in the field of orthodontics have led to developing new techniques, allowing most treatments that were once time-consuming with traditional methods to be completed 3-4 times faster.
While research is still being conducted, this drastic increase in speed without compromising effectiveness shows promise for the future of orthodontics. Moreover, it’s encouraging many more patients to seek and accept orthodontic help. Today, we here at Dr. Xixi Wu will walk you through the background, procedure, merits, and risks of these new surgical methods.
If you or a loved one are considering orthodontic treatment and have any questions about surgically assisted orthodontics or wish to schedule a visit, please call us at (972) 669-9444.
History Of Speeding Up Orthodontic Treatment
The basic idea of reducing orthodontic treatment time is nothing new. It’s long been highly desired in the dental industry. Due to the nature of bone, its process of change is very slow. Surgical methods have been proposed for decades to accelerate tooth movement, such as by stimulating cells next to patients’ teeth, decreasing resistance from supporting bone, and even mechanically shifting teeth.
How Is The Procedure Done?
Through the use of minor periodontal (gum) surgery, a patient’s bone density in the affected area is softened, which accelerates the process. When treatment begins, following the administering of a local anesthetic, Dr. Wu will make a few small incisions before an antibiotic saturated bone-grafting material is applied beneath your gums. This graft will be placed over specific targeted spots where bone tissue must be softened.
The softened bone then allows the teeth to move or, if necessary, be directly placed into their new position more quickly and easily. Braces are also needed to help move the teeth. Once in place, your teeth are held in position until the bone hardens around them once again. The newly hardened supporting bone tissue will help hold your straightened teeth together.
What Are The Benefits?
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Improved esthetics and drastic change in overall profile.
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Stable bone augmentation, as evidenced by CBCT (Cone Beam Computed Tomography) scans taken for patients two years post-surgery.
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As said, time for teeth to move is decreased thanks to the softened bone.
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Significantly reduced treatment time while still yielding the highest quality result. |
What Are The Risks?
Unfortunately, because the science of accelerated orthodontics has only begun to gain major attention in recent years, research is currently limited regarding the specifics of its potential drawbacks. Various procedures have been tested to determine the risk vs. reward of surgical intervention to speed up results, but these techniques’ effectiveness compared to standard orthodontic procedure is not yet known.
Remember, if you or a loved one are seeking orthodontic treatment and wish to schedule a consultation with Dr. Wu to discuss your options, please call (972) 669-9444. |
