Wednesday, January 28, 2009- COLLEGEVILLE AND KING OF PRUSSIA, PENNSYLVANIA – One of the most anticipated days of an orthodontic patient’s life is the day they have their braces removed.
Collegeville Orthodontist Dr. Adam Weiss is helping that day come sooner for many of his patients with SureSmile, a technology that enables orthodontists to reduce treatment time by as much as 40 percent.
Weiss has offered SureSmile since October 2006 and was the first orthodontist in Pennsylvania to offer the treatment.
“The SureSmile system is consistent with my long-time belief that moving teeth is not about the bracket, that it is all about the wire,†Weiss said.
Weiss always has viewed the orthodontic bracket as a handle for the tooth, so when he learned that SureSmile works with any bracket system he found it appealing, he said. He also liked the idea that this new technology would lessen the treatment time.
How it Works
SureSmile works by applying new technology to the traditional brackets and wires that have been used for more than 30 years to properly align teeth, according to the SureSmile Web site (http://suresmile.com/Why-SureSmile.aspx).
The process begins by capturing images of the teeth with the OraScanner, a hand-held device that functions much like a 3-D digital camera. The captured images create a 3-D model in real-time during the scanning procedure.
The proprietary SureSmile software allows orthodontists to design a treatment case on the computer by moving the teeth virtually in various simulations. This provides treatment options and assists the orthodontist in determining the best course of treatment, Weiss said. The optimum position of each tooth is planned in advance using this system so the orthodontist will be aware of expected treatment outcomes.
The SureSmile software assigns a quality score to his treatment decisions with a virtual American Board of Orthodontics grading system.