| 19 Alpers Avenue Newmarket Auckland NEW ZEALAND 1001 phone [+64] 09 524 5056 fax [+64] 09 524 5057 contact us |
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home : about : orthodonticsA hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove...but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a childLove Your Smile You may feel that you or your child needs orthodontic treatment. You possibly know all the reasons: improved appearance and self image, or prevention of health problems that may result if crowding, malocclusions [under or over bite], protruding teeth, and pathologic or improper jaw relationships continue without correction.Selecting orthodontic treatment is a serious decision, One that should be made in the very best interest of the patient. We use removable appliance techniques that have been developed and refined around the world for almost 100 years. These appliances, frequently used in conjunction with short term [usually about 6 months] fixed wire appliances [braces], provide an outstanding treatment option. Consider the following advantages this treatment technique offers: • The results include a full broad smile, a pleasing facial profile, and the retention of healthy premolar [side] teeth • Existing temporo mandibular joint [jaw joint] problems [such as headaches and clicking jaws] can be relieved and healthy jaw joints protected • Removable appliances are usually quite inconspicuous – ideal for both children and adults – and treatment time can often be significantly reduced in comparison with traditional techniques • The appliances can be removed so that the teeth and gums are easily cleaned and are healthy after treatment is completed • Removable appliances are preferable for patients who have a high susceptibility to dental decay because of the ease of cleaning the teeth • Treatment can be started and completed at an early age with reduced incidence of relapse and with less need to wear retainers over an extended period. Look at David Page to learn more about early treatment • There is no wearing of headgear or straps behind the head and neck [we hate that stuff!] • These appliances can be removed for cleaning, sports, and for appropriate ‘special’ occasions like the School Ball • There is little or no discomfort in wearing removable appliances Where the lower jaw has to be moved to align with the upper jaw - common where the child has been a finger or thumb sucker and now has a 'weak' chin - we commonly use a 'functional appliance' known as a bionator or a twin block appliance. Using these appliances commonly avoids the need for jaw surgery!. We use functional appliances such as the bionator only to correct non aligned jaws. They are a part - but definitely not all - of our range of removable appliances. We have treated hundreds of orthodontic patients who have previously been told by orthodontists that they require orthognathic surgery [big words that mean your child requires his/her jaw cut into pieces and repositioned]. And we have treated these patients to GREAT SMILES - WITHOUT SURGERY of any kind. Dr H Blackwood III, an American speciaist orthodontist, had this to say in a letter to the Editor of the American Journal of Orthodontics in November 2002: Over the years I have noticed that at one time or another, all of us have taken out more teeth than we should have. We have obtained magnificent looking occlusions and terrible looking faces. Having seen many many faces ruined by compressive orthodontics, we couldn't agree more! And let's remember that the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights 1996 states in Right 6 - the Right to be Fully Informed that the 'consumer [patient] would expect to receive an explanation of the options available'. It is our finding that orthodontists routinely ignore this legal requirement and do not advise patients of the availability of removable and functional treatment options. These options may avoid tooth extractions and/or surgery but patients are not being told about them. We recently received a letter from the mother of a couple of boys who had been seeing an orthodontist for several years. The mother wrote that the orthodontist had given "me no direction of any alternative other than having annual appointments until the boys reached an age they can be operated on. Professional negligence? Absolutely! Where patients are not advised of any alternative [I wasn't even given the benefit of the orthodontist negating this side of the industry - this at least would have alerted me to investigate - silence on any alternative sealed my ignorance]. I had no idea the industry was so polarised to the detriment of the patient. If only the orthodontist had advised me of an alternative all those months ago, I would have at least enquired and informed myself, therefore taking personal responsibility for the situation the boys are now in. I was never given that opportunity!" "Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened" - Sir Winston Churchill Our method of orthodontics combines removable dental appliances [plates] with fixed appliances [braces] to achieve the different benefits of both treatment types. There are some malocclusions [tooth irregularities] that are best treated with braces, but there are many dental problems that are better and more simply corrected with the removable appliances that have been popular in Europe for close to a century. The dentists at the Alpers Dental are not specialist orthodontists. We are general dental practitioners who have a clinical interest in and long term experience of providing quality orthodontic care. At the initial visit we assess the type of orthodontic problem and discuss treatment options with both the patient and [where applicable] the parent. It is extremely unlikely that extractions will be part of the treatment, unless we find impaction problems with the wisdom teeth. And we are more than happy for you to obtain opinions from other dental practitioners before you decide on the best option for you or your child. Compared with the more traditional fixed appliance techniques used by orthodontists, removable and functional appliance methods commonly allow: • Earlier treatment – sometimes starting as soon as 5 years. For most problems, 8 to 9 years is an ideal time to start treatment • Fewer or no extractions • Usually only six months of fixed appliances when this procedure is required Dentistry is no longer a profession of ‘tooth fillers and extractors’. It is a vocation dedicated to the art and science of making you look good and feel good. We at Alpers Dental Group are proud to be amongst the leaders in the profession THE NECESSITY OF APPEARING IN YOUR OWN FACE There are days when that is the last place in the world where you would want to be but you have to be there,like a movie, because it features you -Richard Brautigan |
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