Appliances

Memory Wires

Memory wires are very flexible wires with low stiffness and excellent "memory," allowing them to be tied to very crooked teeth, placing only soft force on the teeth. The memory of the wires means they will return to their manufactured shape over time. They are the fastest and most comfortable way to move teeth. Wires with these properties are made of nickel and titanium. Whereas it used to be necessary to see patients every four weeks to adjust or change wires, the same tooth movement can occur in a shorter time frame, by seeing the patient every 12 weeks using these newer, gentler wires.

Back to top

High-Tech Braces

One way that braces have become high-tech relates to how the bracket positions the tooth. The other way relates to how the bracket attaches to the wire.

The bracket is the square-looking fixture that is glued onto the tooth. In recent years, the brackets have become individually designed for each of the 28 teeth in the mouth so that the average patient will have straight teeth by the time the wire has returned to its original shape (see Memory Wires above). Previously, all the brackets were the same, so the wires had to be bent in order to position the teeth correctly.

Back to top

Damon Brackets

The latest innovation in high tech brackets is the Damon bracket, which connects to the wire by sliding a door over it. This method creates very little friction on the wire, so the teeth are free to move with low pressure, and therefore they move faster with less sensitivity. (The earlier method involved tying the wire to the bracket, which put a binding force on the wires. This caused more friction, and movement was slower.)

Back to top

Clear Braces

Clear braces have evolved over the past several years. The earliest clear braces were plastic, but were hard to tie to the wire and wore down excessively from chewing forces. The earliest hard clear braces (made of sapphire) were very difficult to remove from the teeth. Modern clear braces are hard and durable, but easy to remove when treatment is finished.

Clear braces are the obvious choice for most adults who are concerned about the metallic appearance of braces. Also, some children select clear braces.

Back to top

Invisalign®

Because of our large volume of experience, we are listed at the top of the list of providers for our area at the Invisalign website (ELITE PREMIER PROVIDER).  Because we have treated so many people with Invisalign, we have partly re-defined what problems can be successfully treated with Invisalign. Conventionally, large overbites and underbites and crossbites and openbites, and moderate to severe crowding, have been considered better treated with braces than with Invisalign, but with the innovative use of elastics and fairly unobtrusive attachments to the teeth, and with occasional re-shaping of some teeth, we have been able to provide significant improvements in appearance and function for many people using Invisalign where a few years ago we might have considered it impossible without braces.

Teenagers are now also good candidates for Invisalign, with a new product called Invisalign Teen which keeps track of how much they wear it, and which has special features to allow for new teeth growing in, and which has a generous allowance for lost aligners not available to adults.  This Teen product cannot be offered by general dentists, but only by orthodontists.

http://www.invisalignteen.com

Back to top

Overbite Corrector

Overbite is when the top teeth stick out too far beyond the bottom teeth. To correct it, pressure must be applied, either to push the top teeth back, or to push the bottom teeth forward.

The old method to push the teeth backward was a harness device called headgear. Since it was so unpopular, its use has faded.

Dr. Eckhart has developed an overbite corrector that attaches to the back teeth and guides the patient to hold the bottom teeth forward. Held for a year or so, the teeth actually migrate into the new, correct position and remain there permanently. This method works on children and adults. The device is now the second most-used overbite corrector of this type in the country.

Back to top

Jaw Expander

Frequently the upper jaw is too narrow and has to be widened to create a nicer smile and more room for the teeth, as well as for a better fit for the teeth.

The common method for widening is to place a turn-screw device in the roof of the mouth, which the parent is expected to turn once per day for several weeks. We noticed that many parents were uncomfortable being asked to do any treatment themselves, because their eyesight is inadequate or because their hands tremble, or because they are just squeamish about putting their fingers in their child’s mouth.

Looking for a jaw widener which does not require parent help, we found one that does the widening itself, automatically, and that stops when it reaches a predetermined width. This has been a big relief for parents in our practice.

Back to top

TAD's

With the use of Temporary Anchorage Devices (TAD’s), which are mini-screws placed in the jaw near the teeth to help move the teeth in otherwise-difficult directions, we have been able to perform types of tooth movements not previously possible, and have saved many patients many thousands of dollars in implants or jaw surgeries that they did not need to have.  In order to assure that the TAD’s are correctly placed, Dr. Eckhart has placed them himself for some time now.

Back to top