Achieving Minimally Invasive Dentistry With Orthodontic Restorative Treatment

Cosmetic dental procedures like porcelain veneers, bonding, or clear aligners make it simple to improve smile aesthetics. For mild cases of crowding or spacing, veneers and bonding offer a quick fix to conceal imperfections. However, these quick fixes may not address future dental problems that are affected by crooked teeth. 

Many patients seeking a more attractive smile by opting for one or two-visit options don’t fully understand the long-term benefits of orthodontic restorative treatment. What’s even more consequential is that these patients will pay thousands of dollars for veneers or bonding only to experience oral health problems in a few years that could require expensive dental care. 

Orthodontic Restorative Treatment for Bruxism

Bruxism is nighttime teeth-grinding that wears enamel and shortens teeth. Affected teeth are typically the molars and premolars. And while bruxism is sometimes related to chronic stress or a medical issue, malocclusion is a common underlying factor. Normal chewing should not force back teeth to rub and scrape vigorously against each other to the degree of causing extreme wear. Braces relieve these excess forces by correcting the bite problem for good. Further, if bruxism attributed to malocclusion is damaging anterior teeth, orthodontic intrusion of the worn anterior teeth is the best treatment method prior to creating their final restorations and nightguard. This minimally invasive ortho technique removes the need for reduction before placing crowns.

Orthodontic Restorative Treatment Before Dental Bridges or Implants

More patients than ever are opting for functional and aesthetic replacements such as same-day implants and implant-supported bridges. Patients with multiple missing teeth and spacing issues should initially see their family dentist for a comprehensive evaluation. If their dentist determines that orthodontics is necessary before starting the tooth-replacement process, they should collaborate with orthodontic practitioners to ensure a successful outcome. 

The problems solved by restorative orthodontics include spacing and anchorage needs and reducing the risk of further teeth movement. In some cases, you may insert dental implants before or during treatment with an orthodontic approach to provide anchorage and minimize the chance of an implant positioning incorrectly. Collaboration between specialists is also critical to determining the optimal, permanent positioning of an implant.

Conservative Dentistry: Orthodontics Before Restorative Treatments

Principles of conservative dentistry recommend that dentists should always discuss pre-prosthetic treatment for veneers, implants, bridges, or other cosmetic dental treatments with patients. Digital software is useful for developing a treatment plan that shows both dentists and patients the projected movement of teeth and how orthodontics significantly improves the desired outcome of treatment. Predictive software also enables dentists to address unexpected variations to anticipated teeth movement and make appropriate changes on demand.

Patients wanting a straightforward treatment like in-office teeth whitening may also benefit from orthodontics before having their teeth whitened. Extrinsic stains caused by smoking, drinking coffee and tea, or poor brushing habits are the most common reasons patients want whitening in the first place. However, crooked or overcrowded teeth can make it more difficult to remove plaque even when the patient is brushing and flossing properly. Whitening can remove the yellowing around the sides of crooked teeth, but unless the crowding is relieved, stains will likely reappear over time. 

The Orthodontic Advantage

Dentists who have incorporated orthodontics into their practices frequently experience difficulty convincing patients to treat their malocclusion before undergoing restorative and cosmetic treatments. Effective communication techniques are critical to ensuring that the patient achieves their desired outcome with few to no issues. For example, the use of before and after images are helpful, enhanced by detailed summaries of what the images show and prove in context. Talking to patients about the possible consequences of going ahead with a particular dental procedure without having orthodontic work first may also help persuade patients who may not realize the importance of pre-prosthetic treatment.

In addition, offering orthodontics within your general dental practice allows you to provide the highest-quality care for all patients. With no need to refer patients to an orthodontic practice, you have the benefit of seeing the patient exclusively and housing all the patient’s information at your office. 

Comprehensive Orthodontic Courses from Synergy Orthodontic Seminars

The advantages of offering orthodontic restorative treatment range from expanding your client roster, growing your practice, gaining in-depth knowledge of dental treatments, and enhancing your reputation in your community. Enroll in Synergy Orthodontic Seminars’ comprehensive orthodontic courses by getting in touch with us today!