Invisalign is a useful tool in orthodontics and can even be considered the best phase 1 product for alignment. However, those performing phase 1 orthodontic treatment cannot rely on Invisalign alone to handle all of their phase 1 cases. In this way, it’s important not to use Invisalign as a crutch for all of your orthodontic treatments.

 

Some cases are inappropriate for using Invisalign first due to the nature of the case. Let’s get into some examples where Invisalign is not going to make an impact in correction and what the alternative methods for correction should be.

Unfortunately, no use of Invisalign will help cases that require skeletal expansion in order to improve the bite and the airway. These cases in which the patient’s mouth is constricted by the small side of the palette require the use of a skeletal palette expansion, which cannot be performed by wearing Invisalign. In this case, the palette needs to be physically manipulated rather than just the teeth themselves.

 

Another example of where Invisalign will not make a big impact in phase 1 is habit correction. Harmful habits such as thumbsucking and pacifier use cannot be corrected with the use of Invisalign without first breaking the habit. Some habits occur when the patient is sleeping, such as mouth breathing or accidental tongue thrusting, which will misalign the teeth regardless of the correct alignment methods. As soon as alignment is over, the habits will once again misalign the structures you attempted to correct.

 

All in all, Invisalign is an extremely helpful tool for alignment, but when alignment does not solve the underlying issue, Invisalign should not be your first line of defense. In other cases, Invisalign is extremely helpful and should be in your toolkit for phase 1 orthodontics.

During the recession, it’s easy to see overall revenue go down because clients focus less on big procedures for their teeth and more on trying to save money due to fear. Recessions can be scary, but most economic downturns are made worse by hoarding cash and not reinvesting in the community. These behaviors hurt dental practices, especially because people undervalue the health of their teeth.

For dentists and GPs, the worst thing to do is to try just to wait out the recession and focus on bread-and-butter dentistry. Instead, why not look into a new aspect of dentistry and pick up performing phase 1 orthodontic treatment?



Phase 1 ortho treatment is the process of fixing bites for young children to set them up for further orthodontic and dental success. This process is incredibly easy to implement and learn and can be done completely with removables. You can learn through traditional courses and obtain CE credit, or learn through free online resources and launch phase 1 services easily that will bring in additional income for necessary treatments during a recession.

When you start taking phase 1 clients, you can begin by being picky with your clients to make things easier for you. These are clients that are considered “extra” to your practice, and by choosing the correct clients to start phase 1 with you, you set yourself up for success in the long term.

A good client for phase 1 is the right age and is responsible with their teeth. They are interested in having some corrections done, and they are doing good with their brushing and feel confident in the dentist’s office. The best part about starting phase 1 treatment now? Your clients will come back to you for their phase 2 treatment which will be just as easy after completing phase 1.

What You Need to Know About the In-Face Smile Feature

 

Have you ever wanted to find out more about the in-face smile feature offered as part of your Invisalign treatment plan creation? The in-face smile feature is an exceptionally helpful, AI-powered tool that can help you come up with the right treatment plan to create brilliant before and after photos of the patient’s smile. However, before you get started, you need to know a few key things about the in-face smile feature to help inform your decision.

What is the In-Face Smile Feature?

The in-face smile feature is a specialist tool offered by Invisalign that offers a before and after AI-powered simulation of how the patient’s smile will look. This tool allows the patient to choose the right type of option for their own treatment plan.

Using the In-Face Smile Feature

As part of your dental coaching, training on how to use the in-face smile feature is crucial. Indeed, this brilliant Invisalign tool can make it so much easier to show your patients the type of results they can achieve with Invisalign. As such, it’s incredibly valuable for informing your patients about how you’re going to proceed with their aligner case.

However, you can also use the in-face smile feature to help inform your treatment plan creation. For example, the in-face smile feature can be hugely helpful if you have a difficult case with lots of space or crowding in the mouth. The tool allows you decide which direction to move the teeth in, optimizing your treatments overall.

 

Keywords

Dental coaching

Invisalign

Treatment plan

 

As an orthodontics dentist, there’s a lot you’ll need to consider to ensure you’re interpreting your patients’ x-rays accurately. However, sometimes, it can seem incredibly difficult to understand what your patients’ x-rays mean and what you’re looking at. Of course, this can undeniably leave you scratching your head in confusion. Luckily, we’ve outlined some of the key things you should know as part of your ortho training to help you understand what you’re looking at and formulate the right treatment plan going forward!

Tricky Cases in Panoramic X-Rays You Should Know

There are numerous different challenges that can make your work in orthodontics a little trickier. However, for the most part – though this may vary from state to state, so check your local laws first – the x-ray taker is responsible for accurately reading and interpreting the x-ray results.

In line with this, it’s your responsibility to ensure that the x-rays are read properly before making a treatment plan.

#1 Odontoma

An odontoma is one of the most common tricky cases you’ll experience in panoramic x-rays. An odontoma will often need to be referred to OS due to the complexity of the case.

#2 Condensing Osteitis

Generally speaking, condensing osteitis may need a slightly different approach. If you have previous x-rays from the patient that show the growth or lesion hasn’t gotten any bigger, it may not need specialist support; however, if you’re unsure, don’t hesitate to get in touch with an expert for more help. However, tooth extraction may be required in some cases.

#3 Super Numerary

If you’ve completed your ortho training, you’ll likely have heard about super numerary teeth – in other words, this occurs when there is an additional tooth that is not usually found in series. Super numerary teeth may need to be surgically removed.

Final Thoughts

Treating more uncommon conditions can be a little tricky. Getting further support (such as from the CBCT) may be helpful if you notice areas of defined and undefined margins and areas on the x-rays, or if you see a case that needs a more specialized treatment plan than you can provide.

Remember: if you have any queries, don’t hesitate to reach out to our Straight Smile Solutions team today!

 

Keywords

Orthodontics

Treatment plan

Ortho training

What Packages are Available with Straight Smile Solutions?

 

Have you been looking to take your orthodontic solutions to the next level? If so, starting out with top-rated professional orthodontic courses could be just what you need, and our friendly team here at Straight Smile Solutions are on hand to help. So, with this thought in mind, we’ll be looking at some of the different online orthodontic courses we have available and how these solutions might work for your business’s needs, too.

Our Online Orthodontic Courses and Packages

Did you know that Straight Smile Solutions offers our clients several different online orthodontic courses and packages?

We recognize that no single solution is right for everyone, which is why we’ve created several plans to help you find the ideal option. Our solutions are available for any dental clinic, lab, or DSO, depending on your need for help.

One-Off Cases – $449

If you only need our professional support for a one-off case, our one-off plan, A-La-Carte, might be right for you. Our A-La-Carte package offers a single 20-minute case review and full HIPAA-compliant screen sharing, ensuring you can get support with your own dentistry needs.

Make sure you have all of the relevant analysis in place (such as a Ceph report)  and your ClinCheck or treatment plans are all set up and in place to streamline the process and ensure you don’t end up overpaying for multiple cases.

Ongoing Plans

If you need ongoing support, our subscription plans for online orthodontic courses might be what you need. We are proud to offer three packages for ongoing orthodontic courses, which vary depending on the support you require.

Premium – $899 / month

The premium package is our standard package for those needing an ongoing solution, offering several key features that make it an effective strategy for many businesses – mainly those with seasoned experience wanting occasional support. Our premium package includes secure mail communication and support for braces, Phase 1 interceptive, and growth modification. Premium plans include up to 10 cases per month.

Concierge – $1499 / month

If you’d like to take things a stage up, our Concierge plan builds on the value of the Premium plan to offer even more in-depth support. The Concierge plan is available for braces, Phase 1 interceptive, growth modification, Invisalign, and other doctor-directed clear aligners. The Concierge plan included unlimited cases.

 

Concierge plans come with both long and short meeting offers. Short meetings are on a one-case-only basis and run for up to 20 minutes, meanwhile long cases run for up to 50 minutes. Responses are available by numerous means of communication, including phone consultation, SMS, video chat, HIPAA-compliant Zoom screen sharing, and more. We aim to respond within 24 hours or less, making this the ideal option for your own needs.

VIP – $2999 to $9999 / month

Our VIP package could be the right option for you if you need a more tailored plan! Indeed, our VIP plan offers the greatest versatility overall in terms of the different plans available. As a result of this, if you have been looking for a thorough option that really helps support your ortho work, VIP could be the plan for you.

The Premium package includes full support for Invisalign, doctor-directed clear aligners, braces, Phase 1 Interceptive, and Growth Modification, just to name a few. As with the Concierge plan, our VIP package includes unlimited cases. You’ll also be able to get in touch with us by whichever communication method you prefer most, which includes:

• video chat
• secure mail
• HIPAA compliant Zoom screen sharing
• phone consultations
• on-call communication
• SMS
• planning portals
• co-hosted webinars

Contact our Experts at Straight Smile Solutions Today

With four different packages on offer, we here at Straight Smile Solutions are proud to support your work through our online orthodontic courses and services. With this thought in mind, if you need help or new ideas, please don’t hesitate to contact us today, and we’ll do our best to help you find the ideal strategies for your orthodontic needs.

 

Keywords

Orthodontic courses

Online orthodontic courses

Straight Smile Solutions

Working as a general dentist can sometimes seem tough, but this shouldn’t have to be the case. However, it doesn’t matter how much you study; orthodontic courses alone can only teach you so much, and in many cases, most of your expertise will come from experience and real-life ortho training rather than study. With this thought in mind, before you begin rushing into things, it’s important to look at the common yellow light cases and whether or not you’re suitably experienced yet to tackle these. First of all, it’s important that we consider when you can actually begin taking on yellow light cases yourself. Yellow light cases are something of an intermediate in terms of difficulty. They’re not necessarily hugely complex cases; however, before you begin taking on yellow light cases, you should ensure you have fully completed at least 50 green light cases. Yellow light cases are not suitable immediately after completing your orthodontic courses. There are numerous treatments that can fall into the category of being a “yellow light dentistry case,” and keeping these in mind can help you avoid taking on cases that are too complex for your current level. Common examples of yellow light cases that you should know as a general dentist include: – Slight Class 2 cases (up to 4mm on molars or canines, commonly in teenagers and children) – Deep or overbite cases (with any severity – never take even a mild case if you’re not experienced first of all) – Anterior crossbite edge to edge cases (this doesn’t necessarily apply to posterior cases) – Pre-diagnosed, minor open-bite cases up to 2mm (send patients to OMT first) – Pre-treated and managed mild periodontal disease cases with 3mm or less attachment loss pockets. Make sure the patient has received a one-month evaluation first; this will primarily be for older patients. – Any form of mixed dentition cases, especially for children and teenagers If you’ve only just completed your ortho training, or if you have less than 50 green light cases under your belt, we strongly recommend avoiding yellow light cases for the time being.

 

Working as a general dentist can come with numerous key challenges, and if you’re newly qualified, things tend to be even trickier. With this thought in mind, it could be worth looking at some of the most common red light cases you should avoid – in other words, the highly specialized cases that require expert orthodontic support. Fortunately, we have outlined the most common tricky cases you should know that are likely to present an issue for your own ortho work.

Red Light Cases You Should be Avoiding

There are several critical red light cases that you should avoid when it comes to your work as a newly qualified orthodontist or general dentist. These include the following issues:

• Negative overjet up to 2mm, class three
• Non-buccal impacted canines (buccal cases may be fine if you have experience)
• Full step Class 2 cases (especially among adults – this may be a little easier in children)
• Open bite of up to 4mm (all open bite cases should have a sign-off from OMT first anyway)
• Moderate to hard periodontal cases (these can still be tricky to tackle, even if they don’t seem it at the outset!)

If you get any of these cases, it’s generally advisable to refer the cases to a specialist team. Remember, these cases can be very fiddly and difficult to handle.

When to Tackle Red Light Cases

If you’ve got experience with several hundred “yellow light” cases under your belt by now, you could consider taking on a few of the simpler red light cases. However, this is provided that you still have support and supervision from an orthodontist. Don’t try to tackle these cases alone until you have a great deal of experience in treating similar issues.

Green Light Cases You Should be Accepting as a General Dentist

Have you ever wondered about which cases you should be taking (or not) as a general dentist? It’s not always immediately clear which cases you should or shouldn’t be taking as a general dentist, and this could leave you feeling a little unsure of how to proceed.
Fortunately, in this three-part article series, we’ve outlined a few of the key things you need to know about case selection for general dentists to help you take on the right cases for your experience. Today, we’re focusing specifically on green light cases; in other words, these are the cases you should pretty much always be accepting as a qualified dentist.
Cases to Accept as a Qualified General Dentist
As a newly qualified general dentist, selecting your cases very carefully is important. Indeed, there are many conditions that may require a more qualified dentist’s support – and in such scenarios, you may want to just step back and learn rather than tackling the case directly.
In line with this, as a newly-qualified general dentist, focusing on young patients is generally the best bet. Simple cases might only be a small percentage of cases taken by a clinic, but focusing on these can help you hone your skills.
When you take on a case, you should ensure that the patients have less than 6mm of crowding or spacing. If you want to take on a slightly more complex case, make sure to get orthodontic support.
What to Avoid as a Newly-Qualified Dentist
For your first 150 cases or so, there are several common issues that you may want to avoid until you’re more experienced. While these cases may not always be a problem, encountering any of these issues may make a case more complex, making it harder for you to resolve.
Some common issues you should avoid when accepting your first cases include:
– Missing teeth (ensure patients have not lost teeth between second molar and second molar)
– History of periodontal disease (for example, probing issues or attachment loss)
– Limited view of the lower incisors due to a severe overbite
– Open bite or crossbite cases
Hopefully, these simple tips will help you find the optimal solutions for your case planning.

What Are the Side Effects of Expansion in Schwartz and Rapid Palatal Expansion (RPE)?
Orthodontic expansion is a common procedure for adults and children alike. But what are the side effects of Schwartz and Rapid Palatal Expansion (RPE)? It’s important to be aware of potential risks before you or your child undergoes this procedure.
The Potential Side Effects
One potential side effect of Schwartz and RPE is root resorption, which occurs when the root of a tooth becomes exposed. This can cause pain and sensitivity; in some cases, the tooth may have to be extracted. Other risks include teeth tipping forward or backward, soft tissue trauma, displacement of teeth, displacement of the maxillary midline, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction.

Another risk associated with RPE is post-operative pain. This can occur due to muscle strain and inflammation caused by the device. In some cases, it may take several weeks for the pain to subside. Patients should also be aware that there is an increased risk of gum disease if they do not maintain proper oral hygiene following their procedure.

It’s also important to note that patients who have previously undergone orthodontic treatment may experience delayed results with Schwartz or RPE procedures because their bone structure has already been altered. Additionally, people who are missing permanent teeth are not candidates for these procedures because it could lead to further complications such as malocclusion (incorrect bite).
Conclusion
Are you considering expanding your palate? There are options for a fixed or removable device; however, rapid expansion may lead to more side effects than slow ones – so it’s best not to rush the process. The most common side effect is nosebleeds occurring once or twice during treatment – if they keep happening, then make sure to schedule an appointment immediately and consult your doctor.

Maxilla surgery is a common procedure, especially in younger generations. Millions of cases have been done with distraction osteogenesis, which involves stretching and popping the maxillae bones to create space for teeth eruption or jaw growth. For kids who lack development due to soft diets, improper breastfeeding, or other habits – these procedures could provide them with necessary expansion that an average mouth may never experience otherwise.

In many cases, fitting clear aligners such as Invisalign can seem difficult, to begin with. However, if you’ve been struggling, don’t worry – we’ve outlined some of the key things you need to know about the latest Invisalign delivery instructions to help make your efforts to fit Invisalign a little more successful.
The Latest Invisalign Delivery Instructions for Fitting Clear Aligners Successfully
If you’ve struggled to get good results from your Invisalign delivery instructions, these suggestions could help! With the following four simple changes, you should have very few revisions with your Invisalign clear aligners going forward.
– Optimize the ClinCheck: Learn to use and optimize ClinCheck successfully to help patients understand how their progress should go.
– Only send patients home with fully seated aligners: If aligner number one is not fully seated, send your patient home to use chewies. Once the patient has learned how to use chewies and tracking, recall them in around two weeks; the aligner should now fit.
– Create an accountability loop: Before your patients change their aligners, make sure you see them in person to approve moving to the next aligner.
– Provide instructions to patients: One of the most common issues people face is patients not knowing how their Invisalign clear aligners should work. As such, provide patients with clear instructions on using their aligners to reduce the risk of revisions due to mistakes.
If you’re still struggling with fitting clear aligners and need further support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our experts here at Straight Smile Solutions; we’re here to give you the skills you need to fit Invisalign braces perfectly every time.
Don’t forget, though: if your patient needs restorative work or if your patient has mixed dentition, there’s only so much you can do to prevent revisions.

Keywords
Invisalign
Invisalign delivery
Clear aligners