...Two weeks ago, I decided my son would start orthodontic treatment even though the risks, time commitment, and costs were daunting. I feel confident it was the correct decision. Last year, my son’s dentist suggested he visit an orthodontist because he noticed he had an overbite and spacing issues. After evaluating several different orthodontists, conducting orthodontic research, and consulting with friends and family, I decided to have my son visit a local orthodontist for an evaluation. The orthodontist stated my son needed orthodontic treatment soon due to his small jaw size and overbite. His upper jaw was not growing enough and he would have problems with his permanent teeth coming in. Additionally, he was having issues with his breathing and chewing. Apparently, it is beneficial to start orthodontic treatment before all permanent teeth have come in (after age 6) and before jaw bones complete growing. It minimizes complications, discomfort, length of treatment and cost. Additionally, teeth will be more functionally healthy and stable. The treatment plan comes in two phases: Phase 1 (orthodontist places expander in upper teeth to make room for permanent teeth, thereby developing jaw, cost $4000, 14 month treatment time) and Phase 2 (install braces for proper tooth alignment, cost unknown, treatment time...
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...Many people experience dental problems such as poorly spaced teeth, jaw problems, and misaligned bites that can be corrected with orthodontics, a specialty that corrects improperly positioned teeth and jaws. Family First Dentistry in Anchorage, Alaska, is more than a family and general dentistry. They also offer complimentary orthodontic consultations to help patients determine if treatments such as braces are a good solution. If you dislike the idea of traditional metal braces, Family First Dentistry can recommend alternatives, including Incognito Hidden Braces. Incognito Hidden Braces perform the same corrections as traditional braces with one major difference. The Incognito Hidden Braces are worn without being noticed. Hidden behind your...
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...operations and SLA mold fabrication (See Exhibit 2). They can devise new technologies and procedures that reduced the variable costs, company can save a huge amount if they practice this thing. However, manufacturing fixed costs were too high because Align Technology had scaled its production capacity far above the real demand just because to achieve high tolerance and high volume manufacturing. The demand for Align’s ingenious product fell short of its manufacturing capacity and therefore, the company was not getting its financial targets (See Exhibit 3). It was estimated that in the United States alone over 200 million people had some form of malocclusion, or the misalignment of teeth, while less than 2 million per year actually began orthodontic treatment. The marketing department of the company was unable to convince the patient; mostly patients didn’t ask their...
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...About Orthodontics A healthy, beautiful smile is the ultimate objective of anyone needing to have orthodontic care. Does your smile make you self-conscious? You can dramatically improve the way you look and feel once you have those concerns addressed. Upon the completion of your treatment, you will finally get the smile you were looking for and it will immediately boost your confidence. Having you feel comfortable and confident all the way through your orthodontic treatment is important to us and we are dedicated to providing the highest possible care to you. The Way Orthodontic Treatment Works Plastic, metal and ceramics are the materials used in Orthodontic appliances. Some are removable, while others have brackets that are affixed to...
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...Sondhi™ Signature Treatment System Doing the Right Things Right Anoop Sondhi, D.D.S., M.S. – 3 AlastiK™ Easy-To-Tie Ligature Development Susan Tzou – 9 The Art of Scheduling Terry A. Sellke, D.D.S., M.S. – 12 Continuing Education – 18 A recently reemphasized paradigm of business is that time is one of the most important factors to be considered by an organization. To use time efficiently, we need to choose and implement those products, processes and practices which are effective within the time we can provide, while maintaining the highest standards of service. The articles in this issue of Orthodontic Perspectives address this topic, and offer insight into methodology and products that can help you be successful in your practice. I am pleased to introduce two new members of The Leadership Committee (TLC) of 3M Unitek who will have an important role in how we serve you in the years ahead. Ajay Myer is appointed Senior Laboratory Manager in charge of Research and Development, and Norm Clason is now Manufacturing Operations Manager. Both have long histories with 3M, and I’m sure you will be hearing about their activities in future issues of this magazine. Following is an article by Mike Lane, TLC member and Manager, 3M Unitek Global Marketing Operations, who offers a view of the increasingly important role of marketing in today’s orthodontic practice. Marketing: Planning for Success By Michael Lane; Manager, 3M Unitek Global Marketing Operations Orthodontic Perspectives is...
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...Orthsnap New York has the orthopedic experts to examine the cause of your oral health concerns, and to get you fitted for the aligners that needed to fix the problem. Here are some top reasons why Orthsnap surpasses other orthodontic aligners, and why the process is worth the time and investment. Orthsnap Starts in Back In order to move the teeth into their proper position, the back teeth have to move to make room for the other teeth to align properly. Unlike many other clear orthodontic aligners, your back teeth will first be moved to allow the...
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...Align Technology, Inc. is a medical device company who pratices the design, manufacture and marketing of Invisalign, the world’s leading invisible orthodontic product. Invisalign is a series of clear, removable aligners that both orthodontists and general dentists use to straighten their patients’ teeth. By aquiring the precise virtual image of a patient’s teeth, manipulating this image of the teeth in prescribed increments, creating positives of these positions, and then manufacturing thin plastic, invisible negatives of the teeth at each stage of the treatment, the company offered clear, removable appliances that effectively straightened a patient’s teeth. With more than twenty million unique aligners made to date, Align is one of the largest manufacturers of mass customized products in the world. However, the company was still far from profitable, and its technology had not yet been widely accepted as the treatment of choice by orthodontists. The problem being that the demand for Align’s product fell short of its manufacturing capacity and therefore, the company was not meeting its financial targets. With an average selling price of $1,600 per case at an average cost of $1,800 the company would never reach its targeted 50% gross margins by the end of the year (Bowen, p.1). Align is operating under a customizable made to order strategy, while maintaining 20% above demand excess. Align needs to find the correct mixture of demand and supply within its own manufacturing process...
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...It is estimated that anywhere from 25 to 50 percent of children require orthodontic treatment in order to correct problems they have with the alignment of their teeth. Most children do not like wearing braces, and they can be expensive. However, braces help straighten teeth, which has many benefits. Below is a list of the benefits of straight teeth: Improved Self-Esteem Smiling is something that comes natural for many people. However, some children do not want to smile because they do not like their teeth look. Straight teeth can improve a child's self-esteem and confidence. Children who are confident typically do better in the classroom. They are also more outgoing and have an easier time making friends. Healthier Teeth And Gums Misaligned teeth are more than just a cosmetic concern. It is a lot harder for children to clean their teeth when they are not lined up properly. This can result in cavities. Recent studies have shown that cavities are on the rise in young children. In fact, 42 percent of children who are between the ages of two and 11 have cavities....
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...Technology, Inc. Matching Manufacturing Capacity to sales Demand Align technology Inc has brought revolution in the technology of dentist field by offering that they can straighten patient’s teeth without metal braces invisibly and effectively. They made invisalign system which operates by obtaining virtual image of patient’s teeth, manipulating these images in prescribed increments, creating positives of these positions and then manufacturing plastic thin negatives of teeth for every stage of treatment which as a result was a clear and removable appliance that straighten patient’s teeth effectively. Operations of this system take place in US, Mexico and Pakistan. Issues These were some factors which effect company sales and demand: * Main issue with Align Inc was that the demand of its product becomes less than its manufacturing capacity so that company was not meeting its financial targets. * In US over 200 million people had malocclusion while less than one percent has treatment from orthodontist which results in less demand of their product. * Many of the customers (Orthodontist, GPD) were not interested in switching from traditional way (Metal braces) toward invisalign system. * The cost of the company was too high then its price which leads toward loss for the company. * Company was just marketing and providing training about its product to orthodontist not to the general practice dentist but many of the case were first go to them and stop there with...
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...Josh Ervin Dentistry/Orthodontist 8-30-12 The career I am choosing to go into is either dentistry or orthodontist. Originally I planned on becoming a orthodontist, but the longer I stay in college the less money and time I have and to be a orthodontist you must first become a dentist. I wanted to become one because bones festinated me and moving them around is just intriguing to me. To become a orthodontist you must first obtain a four year bachelors degree in a medical field usually a biology or pre-dental is what they get. I am majoring in Biomedical Science because it opens up the most fields for me. After you have finished you bachelor degree you must then go and apply to a Doctrine program specified in dentistry. Then you become certified and do a residency at a dental clinic while in the program. After you have finished you have now become a dentist and may open your own clinic if you wish. After that you will go to another school where they teach you to be a orthodontist. Day to day duties for a orthodontist would be to open up the clinic, adjust braces on patients, apply braces, mold for a retainer, meet with patients to see if they need braces, instruct on how to brush and floss with braces, and remove braces. Of course you will also have a staff that would do other jobs for you from what I learned at shadowing a orthodontist they have a well trained staff that all help in making the facility run smoothly without them the orthodontists job would be much...
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...being bullied and threatened by mean neighbors (87). Jeanette immediately reacted by grabbing her dad’s gun to protect her siblings. She scared off the boys and got the situation under control. Her quick and smart thinking saved the family and defeated the bullies. Additionally, the Jeannette Walls accomplished her poverty and malnourishment by always finding leftover food to nourish her body (68). Jeannette knew that she could not survive without finding a way to provide for herself. Even though she was struck with the issue of starvation, she never let it affect her and found a way to maintain her health. Lastly, Jeannette accomplished her poverty-stricken lifestyle by making her own orthodontic braces to improve her smile (202). Even though The Walls family could not afford orthodontic expenses, Jeannette found a way to overcome her self-consciousness and improvise with materials that she had. Jeannette did not let her lack of supplies stop her from getting what she wanted. Ultimately Jeannette did not allow her family’s troubles to stop her from accomplishing her problems. Jeannette Walls and her family experienced many obstacles over their years. When Jeannette was three years old, she was severely burned while cooking hot dogs (9). Jeannette’s parents were allowing her to make hot dogs on a fire when she was only three, resulting in serious injuries. Even though Jeannette was seriously harmed, this only sparked an interest in fires instead of creating a fear. Another...
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...three-dimensional model of how teeth should be moved incrementally, and that forms the basis for molding a series of customized aligners. Because there are no wires or brackets, the aligners are far more comfortable in the mouth than braces and don’t cause abrasions. They are removable, which means people can eat and drink without any problems. Also, unlike braces, regular brushing and flossing offer no extra challenges. With Invisalign, there is no need for lengthy adjustments at the office. Each set of aligners is worn for a couple of weeks or so then traded out for the next set in the series, and each set offers an incremental change. This moves teeth a little bit at a time each week until they settle in their final positions. During the treatment, a visit with Dr. Gulati every six weeks or so will ensure that progress is being made, and the total program should last from 9 to 15 months. Because the aligners are clear, there is a good chance that people won’t even notice you’re wearing them, and since they are removable, they don’t interfere with daily activities like eating. Since they are made of plastic, they tend to be less painful and easier to care for. Of course, Invisalign is not the best solution for everybody. In complex cases, where teeth are significantly out of alignment, other options might need to be considered. Traditional braces are still a great option, and modern braces have become smaller and less visible. Whatever your situation, Dr. Gulati can recommend the...
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...After almost a lifetime of going to orthodontist appointments for myself and my sisters, I had realized the large impact these people had on my life. When I was about 9 or 10 years old, I got exactly 4 brackets placed on my upper front teeth, and from then on lived with braces constantly poking the side of my mouth. When I was younger, I did not realized how important it was having a healthy set of teeth was until the doctor explained what was going to happen. I did not want to have a crooked set of teeth for the rest of my life, and especially did not want to get any diseases like gingivitis. Nearly 5 years after the first stage of my braces, I finally had them removed and received my first pair of retainers, and continued on with a new stage...
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...Braces have been a reliable, though perhaps undesirable, method of straightening teeth and improving oral health for decades. About 16 years ago, patients were finally offered another option for obtaining beautiful, straight teeth—without all the metal. If you’re considering Invisalign as a discreet way to straighten your smile, Kenai, Alaska’s favorite dentist, James Julien DDS, has the information you need. Invisalign aligners are custom-fit to your mouth and made out of virtually invisible clear material. Here are a few common questions about the aligners: How Does Invisalign Work? The custom-fit removable aligners are known for being comfortable. Although you can remove them, you should wear them at all times except when eating or drinking....
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...The novel smile is about a girl named Raina, who must get braces after she falls and knocks out two teeth. The novel goes through her experience with braces and all the pain, um oh wait I actually mean “fun” that comes with braces and getting them adjusted. The reason I included this is that I have had braces for almost five years. I got them in grade eight and had them on until tenth grade, I got them off for a little while but during the summer between tenth and eleventh grade, my orthodontist decided that I needed to have my braces put back on. I have had them on since then, I did not get them adjusted when I was living in Dubai, UAE, so my teeth got a bit of a break for about six and a half months. The reason I wanted this to be a part...
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