Software versus Hardware
Dr. Pfister meets with an adult patient interested in Invisalign treatment.
A while back, a friend of mine bought a Tesla sedan and ever since then, whenever we are together, he loves to expound on the virtues of an electric car…
He goes on and on about how quiet it is, how smooth it runs, the acceleration is breath-taking, and he truly loves driving past gas stations and never pulling in!
I have another friend who bought a 600 horsepower Durango SRT. His stories are quite different, but just as enthusiastically told… how it goes 0-60 in 4 seconds, the twin tuned exhaust system thunders on acceleration, the ride is a bit stiff as most people in the back seat become car-sick before destinations are reached, and you usually drive from gas station to gas station.
Both of these modes of transportation will get you from point A to point B. But one would have to admit, the experience of the journey will be quite different, depending on which vehicle one chooses!
Where am I going with this? Well, there is more than one “vehicle” to choose from when it comes to orthodontic treatment. And in the world of orthodontics, we have our Teslas, and we have our Durangos…
Recently, I’ve had a significant influx of questions on Invisalign from parents of patients during their child’s appointment. The discussion usually starts with, “Boy things sure have changed from when I had braces!” Then it escalates to, “Dr. Pfister, I don’t like this or that about my teeth.” (At about this moment, the mask comes down and parent points out the areas of concern.)
The discussion usually ends with three statements:
“I sure would like my teeth fixed.”
Followed by, “But no way do I want braces again.”
And ending with, “Dr. Pfister, could Invisalign help my smile and occlusion?”
Tesla created an entirely revolutionary way to move a vehicle, as it changed the transportation world forever. Invisalign changed the entire orthodontic community forever by producing a revolutionary way to move teeth without wires or brackets!
New technology creates many questions, at many levels, as we educate ourselves to a new way of doing something. My friend, who bought the Tesla, took months researching the electric approach to motion and, yes, he had plenty of questions every time he saw the salesman!
After 30 some years of creating smiles, it’s been a breath of fresh air to work with adults who are not satisfied with their current bite or smile and are open to possible alternatives to conventional braces in order to correct their dental situation.
Let’s take a closer look at this software-designed system of 3-D printed polymer trays (the technology used in Invisalign treatment), to answer the questions of what it can correct and who is a candidate…
I’m very excited this year for getting accepted into the Invisalign Fellowship for 2022, which is an academic platform of university professors and the creators of Invisalign — along with Orthodontists in the field — to share ideas and correct shortcomings of aligner orthodontics. Limited to 200 participants a year and only U.S. Orthodontists (now with weekly Zoom lectures, Q and A, and chat rooms), I have found it to be the most stimulating, educational and information-sharing program that I’ve ever had the good fortune of being part of in my entire career!
I was involved in 2008 with bringing Invisalign to Medina. But due to production problems and lack of predictability, we quit offering it in 2012. Patients were happy not to have braces but had hoped for better results. This was with their G3 polymer. (In other words, this was in the early days of the Invisalign evolution.)
I slowly got back into Invisalign therapy in 2017 with the G7 polymer. Last year, with the advent of the G8 Smart Track polymer, we can now duplicate and even surpass conventional braces in many various tooth-moving situations! I’m sorry to drag my readers through the Invisalign history, but I needed to let you know that Invisalign is not just another polymer-based, tooth-moving company in it only for the profit. Invisalign, along with creating an entirely different way to move teeth, has looked at the very foundation of tooth movement and has rewritten the book on Orthodontics from an entirely new engineering platform!
So here’s how Invisalign works…
Each patient is analyzed by a multi-level computer for proper function and cosmetic tooth placement. Then, as the Orthodontist, I’m presented the patient’s case before and after, along with an on-screen tooth-movement dashboard to reposition any tooth deemed not ideal according to my expertise. Even though the computer sets up the case to a baseline ideal setup, Invisalign demands human input from the doctor of record for the creation of the final smile. This has been, in my opinion, the best marriage of art and science for the creation of the ideal smile for each patient.
Who, then, is the ideal candidate for Invisalign therapy and what are the limits of polymer orthodontics?
Invisalign therapy, I feel, is very much like exercise. We all want to do it. We all know it enhances our lives. But it takes dedication and perseverance to be successful at it! My oldest patient was 82 years of age with 20, yes 20 crowns (a wife of a dentist). And my youngest is currently 12. Both were excited to start and both have been very successful achieving their goals and extremely glad they did it.
And then I’ve had patients go for months with minimal cooperation and eventually quit because it was the wrong time in their life for the commitment! The Invisalign commitment is quite simple — wear the trays for at least 20 hours a day. You don’t have to eat with them in, but you can drink with them in. Then, you change to new trays every one to two weeks. That’s it! But for some individuals, this is more than they want to do for a better and more relaxed bite and knock-out smile.
At least 90% of those wanting Invisalign would be great patients.
The biologically-limiting factors that could prevent Invisalign from being successful would include those individuals with impacted teeth, jaw asymmetries, and those individuals with excess or deficient lower jaws.
The best Invisalign patients are those who had braces years ago and can still remember the discomfort and hassles of the experience. Once in aligner trays, they are almost giddy with excitement, as they watch their teeth move and smile improve with every tray change!
Minimal discomfort, maximum oral hygiene, and life-changing results… these are the hallmarks of Invisalign therapy. You owe it to yourself to get an opinion from a qualified Orthodontist as to what it would take to correct your bite and improve your smile with Invisalign.
The results will not only help your teeth last longer, but they will give you a boost in self-confidence that I have seen in many of our patients after treatment. It is truly a game-changer!
I guess what I’m really saying is… next time you’re thinking about buying the Durango, you may just want to test drive the Tesla.
All the best Medina County,
Dr. Pfister
P.S. I’m so convinced that Invisalign is the best option for most of my patients (and future patients) that I’m giving all my loyal readers a discount on new Invisalign treatment. Just mention the “Pfister Blog Special” and we’ll give you $250 off your Invisalign treatment. Call 330-725-4220 to schedule your appointment today!