By Teresa Ghosh from Uniform Teeth
“A warm smile is the universal language of kindness.” -- William Arthur Ward
With virtual meetings becoming the norm, employees are restricted to express happy emotions with a thumbs up and smiles inside a rectangular screen. As we see our own images on virtual calls, we might notice our smiles are not as perfect as we thought.
Unfortunately, misaligned teeth, or malocclusions as they are known in the dental industry, aren’t simply a problem for an unfortunate few. Instead, they affect around 20% of us at some point in our lives, causing gum problems, bite problems, and more serious disorders of the jaw joint, which can cause headaches, clicking, and jaw pain.
So that’s the bad news. The good news is that there are orthodontic and surgical procedures that can fix pretty much all alignment issues. Orthodontic braces and clear aligners are often used to treat crooked teeth. With the visual concern over “train track” style braces, many adults turn to clear aligners for enhancing their smiles.
Anyone who is seeking ways to align their teeth has probably heard of Invisalign. While Invisalign has led the way in the race for conventional brace alternatives for several decades, other clear aligner brands are catching up. Many of these brands appeal to 21st century, price-savvy consumers who are all about finding that mix of value, quality, and convenience.
So you might ask: aren’t all clear aligners created equal?
Let’s dive in and take a look at the science behind teeth alignment.
Teeth move like icebergs. The crown of a tooth is like the visible part of the iceberg. The root of a tooth is like the underlying structure below the surface. The primary factor that dictates how a tooth moves lies below the surface. However, many clear aligners are designed using the crown of a tooth to guess how a tooth should be aligned. Some use a teeth impression mold, while others use a 3D intraoral scan to capture 3D impressions of a person’s teeth. This method only answers half of the equation in accurate teeth alignment. Moving a tooth without a full understanding of its root could exert a significant amount of force on the tooth; this can cause loss of bone and hard tissue structures around the tooth.
You might wonder if clear aligner treatment is the way to go for aligning teeth safely and effectively.
Here are some tips for choosing orthodontic care:
We should never put teeth alignment into our own hands. Moving teeth is a medical procedure that requires the direct supervision of licensed dental professionals.
Choose a licensed orthodontist to align our teeth. Orthodontists are dental specialists who have additional education and training on aligning teeth and jaws.
Trust a technology that fits our individual orthodontic needs. Some technologies can only serve those looking for mild to moderate corrections.
With that in mind, let’s discover a new technology that incorporates root and bone structures into designing clear aligners.
In 2018, Dr. Kjeld Aamodt, Founder and Orthodontist at Uniform Teeth, invented the world’s first technology to combine a 360° CBCT x-ray with a 3D intraoral scan to produce a 3D model of teeth. CBCT x-ray takes 3D images of teeth, tissues, and bone structures. These images give an understanding of the root and how the root is related to other parts of a person’s anatomy around the tooth. While some dental practitioners use CBCT x-ray, Uniform Teeth’s unique patented technology is the only system that combines CBCT x-ray with 3D intraoral scan images to design clear aligners that are customized to each individual tooth.
Unlike other ground-breaking technologies, it doesn’t break the bank to benefit from Uniform Teeth’s unique Uniform Lab Technology. Orthodontic treatment costs with Uniform Teeth range from $3,000 to $7,000. On top of that, Uniform Teeth employs only licensed orthodontists to treat all of their patients; combined with Uniform Lab Technology, Uniform Teeth can move and rotate teeth from the roots up -- allowing for safer and faster treatment times.
Now that you have learned the science and latest technology in teeth alignment, here’s how you can boost your employees’ confidence in sharing their warm beautiful smiles:
Invest in orthodontic coverage in your employees’ dental insurance plan. Dental insurance plans that cover adult orthodontia may cover up to $2500 of orthodontic treatment cost.
Educate your employees about choosing the right orthodontic care. Remember, we should never put teeth alignment into our own hands.
Contact Uniform Teeth to learn more about their Corporate Benefits Program, and schedule one of their orthodontists to host a virtual wellness session.
For those of us who are in Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle, we can easily book a free consultation with a licensed orthodontist at Uniform Teeth, and begin our journey to warm and healthy smiles.
Cheers to a happy, safe, and healthy 2021!