How Accelerated Orthodontics Treatment Can Help You

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Published by Dr. Charles Gemmi

A Board Certified Orthodontist and a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics, Dr. Charles Gemmi has been a practicing orthodontist with Orthodontics Limited since 2000 and is a member of the teaching staff at Einstein Medical Center. Orthodontics Limited is a Diamond+ Provider of Invisalign in Philadelphia and Hatboro, PA.

Accelerated Orthodontics

For both teenagers and adults alike, hearing that your orthodontic treatment is going to take eighteen months, two years, three years, and in some cases, even longer, can be difficult. Some teenagers wear braces from the moment they enter high school until the moment they graduate. This is a very long and significant time in a young person’s life, and hearing that they have to wear braces during the entire time is difficult.

Luckily, there are a few ways that you can speed up your treatment. These are accelerated orthodontics treatments, and they improve how effective your braces are. While there are also a number of smaller ways to speed up your treatment, these accelerated orthodontics are usually the very best way.

PROPEL System

What is PROPEL? In short, it is a procedure that Dr. Gemmi and Dr. Middleberg perform that helps to speed up how quickly the teeth move. It is an invasive procedure, but only a very minimal one. What this system does is incite inflammation in the gums that speeds up the movement of the teeth. It has been shown to greatly improve the speed at which the teeth move. Some patients have seen their entire treatment process shortened by 50%.

The PROPEL System is a very short procedure that is virtually painless. By stimulating bone growth, the teeth are stronger and respond faster to braces and other orthodontic treatments. For those that want an accelerated orthodontics solution, this is one of the best on the market and can be extremely helpful for those that want a straighter smile but that do not want to have to endure years of treatment to get it.

AcceleDent System

Like the PROPEL System, the AcceleDent System is designed to speed up an orthodontic treatment. Unlike the PROPEL System, however, this is not a micro-invasive procedure. It is, instead, a device that emits micro-pulses, which do essentially the same thing as the PROPEL System. This device, when used for twenty minutes a day, encourages bone growth and remodeling, which helps the teeth move faster. Many patients have also reported that it makes treatment more comfortable.

In this system, the patient is prescribed a mouthpiece, which she then inserts around her orthodontics. She then turns on the treatment for twenty minutes every day. The pulses that this device creates encourage movement and eases pain in the treatment areas. This method of accelerated orthodontics is extremely safe, and has been approved by the FDA. It is essentially the same system that doctors use to encourage the regrowth and mending of broken bones.

Other Ways to Accelerate Treatment

These two systems are not the only ways to speed up treatment. There are little steps that those wearing braces can do every day to make their treatment go as quickly as possible, especially when paired with one of these two systems.

1. Avoid hard and chewy foods.

Why? Because these types of foods can bend wires and snap off brackets. This means another trip into the office, to have that wire corrected or the bracket reapplied. During the time in between when that damage occurred and when it is corrected, the teeth are not being pushed or pulled in the correct directions. This makes treatment take longer.

2. Use your elastics properly.

It can be tempting to just leave the elastics off after you take them out to eat or clean your teeth. After all, they are a little annoying and very noticeable. These elastics, however, are designed to help improve your bite, and can only be effective if you are actually wearing them. Because Dr. Gemmi or Dr. Middleberg will be checking for improvements in your bite when you come in for your next appointment, if your bite has not improved, you will have to continue wearing those elastics. If you use your elastics as prescribed, you will not have to endure more months or years of treatment.

3. Cut up your food into bite-sized pieces.

While eating the right foods might not directly speed up your treatment, it certainly won’t hinder it. By cutting your food up into manageable, bite-sized portions, there is far less of a chance that the food will damage the braces, and therefore that you will have to have an emergency treatment or simply live with a bent wire or broken bracket until your next appointment, both of which greatly hinder treatment.

4. Keep your appointments.

It’s not always possible to keep every appointment. Things come up, we know that. But the more appointments you miss, the longer your treatment will take. We set up our appointments in order to ensure that your teeth are constantly on the move. If you miss an appointment, your teeth could be stagnant during the time before your next appointment, lengthening treatment.

5. Keep your teeth clean.

A healthy mouth responds better to treatment than an unhealthy one. Clean teeth and healthy gums will move faster than dirty teeth and unhealthy gums. Brush after every meal, as often as is possible. Be diligent with your brushing technique to ensure that you have removed all food particles and bacteria from your teeth and braces.

6. Don’t clench your jaw.

Clenching your jaw makes it difficult for your teeth to move, as the other teeth are holding them in place. If you find yourself clenching your jaw while you are awake, train yourself to relax those muscles and let your jaw hang loose. If you clench your teeth during the night, talk to Drs. Gemmi and Middleberg about a treatment that could keep you from clenching your teeth while you sleep.

Braces don’t have to be a long and arduous treatment. Using these treatments and tricks, you could see your treatment duration greatly reduced!

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