Invisible Orthodontics

Every kind of tooth malocclusion can be treated with lingual bracketless orthodontics, that is to say Angle’s first, second and third class malocclusions, characterized by excess and defect dento-basal disharmony.

No, since the repositioning of the teeth is possible at any age.

It is possible to start when you are 4-5 year-old. Essentially, we are talking about visits for preventive purposes, because it is very difficult to have to treat children at such a young age, unless serious dental or skeletal abnormalities are evidenced. However, there are some bad habits that influence the skeletal-dental development (e.g. the kind of breathing and swallowing) that, if highlighted and corrected, prevent children from the future necessity to be submitted to an orthodontic therapy.

The treatment lasting depends on the severity of the malocclusion that has to be treated. It is very variable, ranging between a few months to about 3 years.

In the last years, the request for dental alignment therapies from adult patients has surprisingly increased. The raising focus on esthetics and the awareness that a beautiful smile has a great value for the harmony of the face and for the increase of self-esteem is one of the reason of such a phenomenon, but not the only one. It is now well-known that misaligned teeth cannot be cleaned in a correct way; plaque and tartar accumulation is a consequence of this condition and contributes to the onset of gingival inflammations that, if not treated, can cause periodontal disease with loss of the bone sorrounding the teeth. Scientific studies proved that tartar not only causes damages at a local level, but even at a systemic one. The increase of bacteremia that is present in patients affected by periodontitis is correlated to an increase of cardiovascular illnesses. Abnormal dental contacts due to malocclusions facilitate the onset of parafunctions, such as bruxism, which can cause dental wear or increased mobility. A correct dental alignment also enhances the mastication, the first and one of the more important factors allowing for a proper digestion.
So it is clear that orthodontic therapies play a fundamental role not only for esthetics or periodontal health, but also for the general health of our organism as well as for a complete psychophysical wellness.

Yes, but only to reposition natural teeth, since implants cannot change their position because of osseointegration.

Yes, it is possible and sometimes it is necessary because, in the presence of missing teeth, the remaining elements can change position, moving in an uncontrolled way into the spaces deriving from the absence of teeth. Such movements often make oral hygiene more difficult and can create anomalous contacts between teeth with altered occlusion and joint problems. The orthodontic therapy restores correct dental positions, that is necessary even for the creation of proper spaces for implant insertion or for the placement of prosthetic devices substituting missing teeth.

Yes, but only if patients are under periodontal control and the periodontitis is not in active phase.

Usually the patient has to be monitored once per month.

Sometimes it is necessary because some kinds of malocclusions are characterized by maxillary and/or mandibular skeletal disharmonies that can only be corrected with surgical procedures.

No, it does not. At the end of the therapy, the dental adhesives used to make the orthodontic brackets adhere on tooth surfaces are selectively removed by means of dedicated burs that do not damage dental enamel.

Lingual bracketless orthodontics is an innovative technique that allows for the resolution of dental malocclusions with appliances that, apart from being invisible, are extremely convenient for the tongue and the mucosae, being nowadays the most thin available device. This technique requires the use of orthodontic wires directly attached to the lingual surfaces of the teeth, without the application of brackets, avoiding their thickness and obstruction. The used dental adhesives have identical properties to those used to bond the brackets and they do not cause any damage to the teeth.

At the end of an orthodontic therapy it is necessary to perform a maintenance phase (called “restraint”) that can be made using removable night appliances or lingual fixed orthodontics made up of passive retainers applied on the lingual surfaces of anterior teeth. This phase can last for 2 to 3 years, due to the seriousness of the malocclusion, and during this period the patient has to be followed-up every 4-6 months. However, it is recommendable to be checked-up by the dentist at least once per year, since the position of teeth is influenced by many factors, such as bruxism and bad habits (e.g. nail eating, mouth breathing, bone loss, traumas) and can always change, but it is possible to correct any alteration if early intercepted.

No, orthodontics by itself does not decay teeth but it surely necessitates a better home oral hygiene maintenance. This is due to the inevitable room taken up by the orthodontic, devices that could favor plaque accumulation that, if not removed, turns into tartar. However, the patients are always monitored by the dentist, who will give them all the indications to clean the teeth correctly and will establish possible professional tooth cleaning sessions, in order to keep good periodontal health.

The pressure exerted by orthodontic appliances does not cause pain but tension, due to the activation of the periodontal receptors. This kind of sensation is felt every time the orthodontic devices are activated (usually once per month) and it gradually fades till it completely disappears in 2-3 days, thanks to the adaptation of periodontal receptors.

Yes, it is possible to apply orthodontic devices on prosthetic crowns, because they move exactly like sound teeth.

The main factors to be considered are the presence of crowding, rotated and/or inclined teeth, spaces between teeth and dental wear. However, uncorrect occlusal contacts between dental arches (that can cause joint and muscle problems with the onset of headaches and neck pain) are not always detectable by the patient.