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Accelerated Orthodontics — Superfast Treatment!

It seems to me that most orthodontic practitioners (general dentists and specialists) unfortunately try to force all of their patients into a box labeled, "Treatment Goal -- Orthodontic Ideal." In other words, every patient that winds up in that office is put through the treatment mill that spits them out in two or three years (and sometimes even four) with a perfect, or nearly perfect, occlusion. An occlusion which would be considered an orthodontic ideal that would pass the intense scrutiny of an orthodontic board exam.

However, does it occur to anyone that this may not be what our patients actually want? Do they ever come through the doors and say, "Hey doc, I want a perfect Class I Occlusion and I don’t care how much surgery or how many years of treatment I need to get it"? That’s not what patients say.

Must We Correct to Class I?

For a moment, think of all the people in your practice that don’t have a perfect Class I Occlusion and are eating and chewing just fine. In fact, if you ask your patient who has an "imperfect" occlusion about their chewing, and they report that all is well -- then is there really a problem with this patient’s "imperfect" non-Class I Posterior Occlusion that needs correcting? Let’s look at it this way: If that person endures two or three years of braces to get a perfect Class I Occlusion, will they now register a "10" instead of a "9" on the chew-o-meter (an imaginary device that measures chewing satisfaction) and report that they’ve noticed a huge improvement at meal time? I doubt it, because they were chewing just fine to begin with. Did you know that some experts estimate that as much as 1/3 of all orthodontic treatment performed is OVER-TREATMENT?!

What I’m getting at is this . . .

PEOPLE SEEK OUT ORTHODONTICS FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF IMPROVING ANTERIOR COSMETICS 98% OF THE TIME!!

Does that surprise anybody? Do you know how easy it is to give adult patients the anterior cosmetics they want without forcing them through the unnecessary grind of multi-year treatments to get a "better" posterior occlusion? The average length of orthodontic treatment for most adults in my office is 6 - 9 months.

We utilize what Dr. Jack Sheridan, professor of Orthodontics at Louisiana State University School of Dentistry, calls, "Air-Rotor Stripping" and what Dr. Ron Ashley, San Francisco orthodontist and accredited member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, calls Reproximation.

These are techniques that reduce the widths of teeth to gain the needed space to uncrowd them. They are the simple keys to straightening the teeth of our adult patients in such a short amount of time. Is it considered an alternative, second best kind of treatment? NO! It becomes the first treatment of choice -- especially if you listen to your patients and give them what they want.

However, if you need documentation from orthodontic journals and studies, Dr. Sheridan has 130 references to back up the technique. Read his book, The Updated Air-Rotor Stripping (ARS) Manual.

When we started marketing and advertising to the members of our community that we might be able to straighten their teeth with braces in as little as six months, our new consults shot way up! Patients who had treatment time estimates of two years or more (and sometimes even four!) were delighted to hear that we could straighten their teeth in 7 - 9 months without extractions.

My friends, it’s now time that we listen to our patients and give them what they want. All they’re asking for is this: They want better looking front teeth and they want it done fast and they want it done without extractions. Any general dentist who is already practicing orthodontics can start doing "accelerated orthodontics" with some very simple straightforward technique information.

Just in case you are still a little gun-shy to practice this technique, try looking at it this way: If a patient wants to change the look of their front teeth they have many options, including these three:

#1 - accelerated orthodontics

#2 - bonding

#3 - porcelain veneers or jackets

In each of the three options, the look of the front teeth will change for the better. In all three options, the back teeth were left alone. Cosmetic dentists will gladly bond, veneer, or jacket someone’s crooked front teeth to give them a better look. Do they make sure the patient is in a perfect Class I Molar position before they do that? Nope! Well, it’s no different with accelerated orthodontics. In all these cases, the bite remains virtually the same yet you can still deliver the cosmetic results that satisfies your patients’ primary (and usually only) goal.

In conclusion, I urge you to take a look at the accelerated orthodontic possibilities for your patients. They’ll be happier, and you’ll have more fun treating them. I also feel strongly that getting the word out through our advertising efforts about accelerated orthodontics was the single most important factor in doubling my net during a three year period.