Technological advances
delight orthodontists
Wearing braces isn't just for children or to create a nice smile, says one of the 18,000 delegates attending an American Association of Orthodontists' conference at the Hawaii Convention Center.
"You can have your teeth straightened from age 7 to 70," says Dr. James Klarsch, an orthodontist who has a private practice and teaches part-time at St. Louis University in Missouri.
Seeing a patient smile after removing braces is one of the most rewarding gifts an orthodontist can have, he said.
But he cites many other benefits from straightening teeth: "You have a better bite; you're able to keep your teeth cleaner; you have better oral hygiene; you can floss and brush your teeth better and chew more easily.
"You have a more pleasing smile and improved self-esteem. You can improve your career."
Technological advances in orthodontics have brought revolutionary changes in techniques and materials, Klarsch said.
"We've seen a major transition in anesthetics of our braces," he said, with clear ceramic brackets replacing stainless steel.
Arch wires used now to straighten teeth are made of heat-activated nickel-titanium alloy, he said. "The wire is very soft and flexible. It becomes stiffer as the temperature warms up in the mouth and there is very gentle movement of teeth. Patients tell us there is hardly any discomfort."
Stainless steel bands involved much heavier pressure to straighten teeth and were uncomfortable, he said.
Heat-activated arch wires and other materials being used now in orthodontics were developed through NASA, Dr. Robert Scholz, a San Leandro, Calif., orthodontist, pointed out. The nickel-titanium alloy was engineered to automatically activate antennae or solar panels of spacecraft orbiting into the sun's rays.
And some of the resilient brackets were engineered from the same materials used in rocket nose cones, he said.
Another development is film-free "panorex," he said, or panoramic X-rays used to determine how teeth are coming in and which ones need to be moved where.
In development now is computer-imaging software capable of showing the potential result of orthodontic treatment, a "virtual face" -- in three dimensions instead of only two.
Klarsch, secretary-treasurer of the Midwestern section of the orthodontists' association, said the conference, continuing through Tuesday, is intended to educate professionals on the new technology.
About 3,000 exhibitors are displaying new products at the convention center that the orthodontists can see and try out.
The association recommends that every child get an orthodontic screening before age seven. A child by then has enough permanent teeth to evaluate relationships developing between teeth, jaw and bite, said Dr. Michael Rennert, Montreal orthodontist.
Klarsch said he participates in a cleft-palate clinic in St. Louis, correcting congenital deformities of patients and transforming lives.
"Thirty years ago these people never felt socially comfortable to go out in public ... they were so self-intimidated by their looks and face. Now, with advances in plastic surgery and orthodontics, they can lead a normal life. "