Getting braces used to be quite the ordeal. The ancient Roman Aulus Celsus used to reach into people’s mouths and attempt to push their teeth into alignment. A thousand years later, archeologists found Roman remains with gold wires wrapped around the teeth.
As braces evolved, dentists and orthodontists used lead, ivory, zinc, and gold to try and move teeth into place. More often than not, they started by removing a couple of teeth to give them room to work. Wires and clamps were wrapped around the teeth, as Superglue was not yet invented.
Just kidding! Braces did not necessarily start out this way, but sometimes as a patient back in the day, your experience may have seemed similar.
And then there was the mold…
For decades, the only way to get a proper look at tooth alignment was the use of a mold. Orthodontists would fill a dental tray with a pasty powder and insert it into your mouth to create an impression of your teeth. This was combined with x-rays to determine the best course of action for your treatment. While the pasty powder came in several flavors, it was still a pasty powder, and you had to sit there while the pasty powder turned into a concrete-like impression of the inside of your mouth.
Now let us introduce you to a modern tale of how orthodontic treatment gets started at Gardner Orthodontics!
Meet Owen! Owen is a delightful young man with a mouth full of teeth. We met Owen because his sister is a patient. A few weeks ago, Owen began his journey at our office with a consultation. We took a peek inside his mouth, scanned his teeth with our intraoral scanner (more on this below), and took a couple of x-rays before reviewing Owen’s treatment options.
His teeth are crowding each other, and he has a really deep bite. He isn’t so crowded that we recommended removing any teeth, and we offered him the choice of traditional braces or Invisalign.
Owen chose braces!
Instead of the pasty powder, Owen became another of our patients to leap into the 21st Century with a 5D scan.
You’ve heard of 2D – a simple picture. You’ve heard of 3D – This shows the actual shape of something.
Owen was treated to a 5D scan of his teeth. We’ll use this to create that traditional model of his teeth, but it doesn’t stop there. As we start, we can use that 5D image to show Owen what his teeth should look like at the end of his journey. Over the course of the next 18 months to 2 years, we can show Owen a sort of “time-lapse” so that he can see the progress that he’s making towards that Awesome Smile.
After his super hi-tech scan, we outfitted Owen with some spacers between his molars to create room for the bands that will hold his braces in place. In about a week, he’ll come back to see us, and we’ll put his braces on. After that, he’ll return every 8-12 weeks for an adjustment.
You, too, can enjoy a 5D scan of your teeth and move one step closer to an awesome smile! We can discuss options and answer your questions, and your first consultation is free, with no obligation to move forward.
Give us a call today!
* Update: Owen got his braces!
