Understanding Round-Tripping in Orthodontics Cases

Have you ever heard or used the term “round-tripping” for your orthodontics cases? Whether you’re a patient or an orthodontist, understanding this term can help you ensure you’re creating the most effective treatment plan based on your patient’s needs – and giving better results, accordingly.
What is Round-Tripping?
First, we need to define what round-tripping is. For crooked teeth on the lower arch (in braces or aligners cases), round-trip cases aim to resolve crowding by straightening out crooked teeth first and then adding IPR before retracting the teeth.
For those who want to do IPR early or late in treatment, this is something that should be notified when creating the initial Invisalign or clear aligner treatment plan.
Is Round-Tripping Always Right?
In some cases, round-tripping may be possible. For example, when you take a CEPH, you can look at the labial bone to see if it’s possible to round-trip safely. However, in other cases, this could compromise the results of the treatment plan and cause irreversible damage to the teeth (e.g. sensitivity issues, perio issues, or permanently mobile teeth).
In addition to taking a CEPH, there are many physical features you can look for that can influence whether or not you should round-trip. For example, look for blanching or root scalloping to help inform your decision.
If you’re not sure about whether to do round-tripping as part of your patient’s treatment plan, make sure you’ve considered the aforementioned points. And, if you still need support in finding the perfect treatment plan, our Straight Smile Solutions orthodontics experts can help!