Treatment of adults
The treatment of adults has been a core focal point ever since opening our practice. Through continuous research and development, we are able to offer our adult patients treatment options that are easily compatible with their professional life.
In today’s dental science, orthodontic treatment in adults presents an important link between parodontics, implantology, orthodontic surgery and prosthetics. Improved aesthetics and the desire for healthy, functional teeth are the key motives for undergoing treatment. In many cases, adults missed out on treatment at a younger age. However, modern orthodontics with its range of treatments can effectively take care of these misalignments even in adults.
before
shortly before removing the brackets
By offering specialised treatment techniques (see e.g. “lingual treatment”, “Invisalign®”), choosing particular materials (e.g. unobtrusive ceramic brackets) and offering flexible appointment times (e.g. on Saturdays and Thursdays until 20.00 hrs), we take the professional and social obligations of our adult patients into consideration.
Lingual treatment technique ("braces on the inside")
One talks of lingual technique, when the brackets of a fixed brace are attached to the inner side of the teeth.
The advantage of the lingual technique is that the teeth can be moved in all dimensions and, because the brackets are invisible from the outside, they meet the highest aesthetic requirements. So, if you are in a meeting, nobody will notice you are wearing braces. The inner side of your teeth is also more resistant to de-mineralisation, due to the self-cleaning attributes of saliva. Lingual brackets are either universal miniature brackets e.g. 2D, or can be custom-made for the patient, e.g. Incognito bracket.
2D-lingual bracket
The 2D-lingual bracket is extremely flat and with its specially rounded edges, the patient hardly feels it. We predominantly use this bracket in the lower jaw. In patients with a deep bite position, it has the advantage of not having to block the bite in order to position the brackets from the outside.
Incognito
The Incognito bracket differs from conventional appliances, in terms of conception as well as manufacture. The computer-designed brackets are tailor-made for each patient and manufactured in a complex production process (Rapid-prototype-process), ensuring an optimum fit in the patient’s mouth.
Making the brackets requires a highly skilled procedure and takes place in a specially equipped laboratory.
First, we consult with you to put together a treatment plan. Then we make exact silicon impressions of your upper and lower jaw. These are send to the specialist laboratory of the German company ‘TOP-Service for lingual technology’ in Bad Essen, where the brackets and arches are measured and designed with computer-driven CAD/CAM technology. The individual brackets are made from anti-allergic materials with a high gold content, and the archwires (orthodontic components connecting the brackets and thus teeth in order to move them) are precision-bend using a machine solely developed for this process. The result is a tailor-made bracket system. The appliance is then send back to us, and we can start the treatment. Using the so-called “indirect bonding technique” (glue tracks on the teeth), we fit the brackets in one treatment session.
With Incognitos, teeth movement and treatment results can be predicted even more accurately than with universal brackets.
Compared to conventional lingual brackets, higher patient comfort is ensured through:
1. a flat bracket design (noticeably smaller brackets than conventional systems),
2. an enlarged bracket to tooth bonding surface, and
3. the optimal positioning of the bracket, thanks to its computer-design.
As the brackets are made with a high gold content alloy, they offer a sensible alternative for patients with allergic reactions to nickel.
Invisalign®
Invisalign® is a treatment method used to correct moderate tooth misalignments, and works by inserting a series of individually crafted, transparent and removable plastic aligners. For more seriously mal-aligned teeth, Invisalign is only partially effective, or not at all, unless there has been pre-treatment.
The original condition of the jaw is captured in a virtual computer-animated model. Using special computer graphics, a pre-determined target is then modelled three dimensionally and sub-divided into the various treatment phases. For each of these phases, individual customised aligners are made, and every tray is worn for about 2 weeks.
During this time, continuous light pressure is exerted onto the teeth, to move them into the pre-calculated position. Once in position, the next tray (aligner) is used, until gradually the optimal treatment target is reached. Depending on the degree of the misalignment, the whole treatment takes on average 12 to 18 months.
Treatment of the jaw-joint
Most jaw-joint problems are caused by the relocation of a cartilage disc (discus, comparable to meniscus in the knee). Sufferers often complain of mouth-opening disorders, popping joints and pain in the ear. Even tensions in the cervical vertebra and relative disparities in the length of the legs, can be attributed to disorders of the jaw-joint. By using a special diagnosis (”manual functional analysis”), and if necessary consulting a radiologist (for an MRI of the joint), we can determine the cause of the above complaints fairly easily.
A custom-made bite splint (according to Prof. Gelb, New York) releases the jaw-joint and promotes healing. If treatment with a bite splint was successful, it is worth considering whether to bring about a more permanent position of the jaw- joint through orthodontic treatment, i.e. extensive prosthetic care. This leads to permanent relief and eliminates the causes of discomfort.
Treatment of snoring patients
The latest insights in sleep research show that snoring is caused by the backward tilt of the lower jaw during sleep. Snoring not only disturbs the peaceful sleep of your partner, but can also be dangerous to the snorer due to a temporarily occurring respiratory arrest.
With the aid of a simple treatment appliance, to be worn at night, snoring can be kept in check.
