What Does it Mean for Your Treatment?

Orthodontic treatment has come a long way over the years, and modern technology has played a significant role in making it more efficient and effective than ever before. From clear aligners to remote monitoring apps, there are many gadgets and apps available that can help improve the patient experience and treatment outcomes. In this age of innovation, orthodontists have access to a wide range of tools and techniques that can accelerate tooth movement, reduce overall treatment time, and provide patients with a more comfortable and convenient treatment experience. In this context, let’s explore some of the most popular gadgets and apps used in orthodontic treatment today.

CBCT 3D Imaging

We are able to capture 3D images of the teeth, mouths and faces by means of our Vatech GreenCone beam CT scanner with a very small radiation dose. We can change the view in order to concentrate on certain areas of interest, according to what your treatment needs are. In order to plan the therapy, we usually use a complete dental scan of the mouth that is going to emit no more radiation per patient than commonly used 2D panoramic orthomastography xrays and Lateral cephalometric xrays.

Full mouth scans are also recommended for dental implant planning, wisdom teeth extractions, and other surgical cases. To provide some perspective, the amount of radiation that a patient is exposed to during a full mouth scan is equivalent to the background radiation you would experience on a transcontinental flight. For such a low dosage, we are able to gain a wealth of diagnostic information that may otherwise be completely missed or overlooked with regular 2D imaging. With our Green CBCT machine, we are able to provide a much more accurate diagnosis and carry out treatment much more precisely. We can’t treat what we can’t see, so with CBCT 3D imaging, we can get a clear picture of exactly what’s going on in the oral cavity!

With our Green CBCT machine, we are able to provide a much more accurate diagnosis and carry out treatment much more precisely. We can’t treat what we can’t see, so with CBCT 3D imaging, we can get a clear picture of exactly what’s going on in the oral cavity!

iTero® 3D Scanner

For those of you who have had molds taken of your teeth with goopy, putty-like impression material, you will truly appreciate the revolutionary iTero 3D scanner. With this Digital Intraoral Scanner, it’s using laser technology to take thousands of photographs of your teeth and stitches them into an incredibly accurate three-dimensional model that won’t disturb the patient in any way. This is a 3D scanner that we use for Invisalign Orthodontic Treatment Planning, Retainers, Nightguards, Crowns, Bridges, Dental Implants and Other Oral Devices. The whole arch scan can take approximately 60 seconds, so you won’t have to spend hours waiting for what seems like endless time before the goop comes on. A full arch scan takes just about 60 seconds, so you’ll no longer have to wait for what seems like forever for goop to set.

Formlabs 3D Printer

Using the digital scans we take with our iTero® 3D scanner, we are be able to 3D print models of your teeth and fabricate custom-made retainers and clear aligners all in-house!

CariVu Caries Detector

The CariVu is an amazing device that we use during your dental exam to visualize and verify the presence of carious lesions (cavities) and cracks in the teeth. We are able to identify caries which may not be detected or difficult to detect in a conventional xray, with the use of transilluminated tooth laser technology. CariVu uses no ionizing radiation, so it’s completely safe for children, pregnant women and patients who are Xray averse.It also allows us to evaluate the extent of decay, so if a cavity is actually smaller than it appears on an x-ray, we can elect to perform more conservative treatment.

DenRobo track

A smart device for monitoring and measuring patients’ teeth gap in process of orthodontics treatment.

• This device can document all steps.
• Through the fingerprint of each patient, the device can be adjusted and make a document for each patient aromatically.
• This device is lightweight and easy to use.

Den Robo Track is a superior option when compared to 3D scanners due to its numerous advantages. Firstly, DenRobo Track is significantly more affordable than 3D scanners, making it an attractive option for businesses looking to reduce costs while maintaining accuracy. Secondly, Den Robo Track boasts high accuracy, which is essential in industries where precision is crucial. Thirdly, DenRobo Track is incredibly easy to install and operate, reducing labor costs and downtime. Lastly, DenRobo Track saves time by using fingerprint technology to quickly identify and track objects, streamlining the workflow and increasing productivity. Overall, DenRobo Track offers a compelling alternative to 3D scanners with its low cost, high accuracy, ease of installation, and time-saving features.

Artificial Intelligence in Orthodontic Smart Application for Treatment

The usage of the portable electronic devices such as the smartphones and handheld
tablets have increased over the years, and this is true in the health-care industry also. This
is because of the development of various patient management software. The use of
apps to manage, educate, and inform patient is not uncommon among orthodontists
nowadays.

Mobile Applications in Orthodontics

Mobile applications (apps) are to be a crucial tool in management of modern aesthetic and comfortable treatments where patient compliance is the key. They already play an increasingly important role in daily life and patients’ social networks like Instagram represent an aid to the standard verbal motivation performed by orthodontists towards young patients under an orthodontic treatment. With the number of orthodontic-related apps continuing to increase, and the rapid development of artificial intelligence, the potential to yield tremendous benefits to both clinicians and patients is apparent. More advanced features of artificial intelligence have been introduced to orthodontic applications recently. For example, three-dimensional convolutional neural networks (3D CNN) have high potential for automatized 3D cephalometric evaluation directly from the Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) or facial growth predictions.

These advanced forms of artificial intelligence can overtake also the process of orthodontic auxiliaries designing where currently dominates Finite Element Analysis (FEM)

Seven studies (35%) were based on apps used for diagnostics, and all were cephalometric apps.  7 studies (41%) investigating apps used for reminders were present. 4 studies (24%) investigated dedicated remote monitoring apps and all four studied Dental Monitoring.

In comparison to app analyzed in this research paper (StrojCHECK^®, Bratislava, Slovakia, 3Dent Medical, osim.sk (accessed on 1 November 2021)—Society for Medical Innovation (SMI)), most of the current apps used for orthodontic purposes, are simple apps without back-end or any Artificial Intelligence (AI) implementations. There is no publication about orthodontic apps other than simple reminders, basic diagnostics (cephalometry) or remote monitoring. Most of the app regarding orthodontic therapy are focused on oral hygiene status and coaching. Despite the current weak scientific coverage, there are no doubts tele-orthodontics is the future of dental digitalization.

In the current situation described above, I would point out that over 90% of all apps used in orthodontics are single applications which have no servers back up and possess truly intelligent behavior. Clinical effectiveness could be significantly increased with the use of algorithms based on Machine Learning and additional levels of artificial intelligence. The impact of updating a current orthodontic app with an artificial intelligence algorithm for decision making is described in this paper.

Technologies in our mobiles transformed almost every aspect of our lives. Smartphones enable patients to request, receive, and transmit information irrespective of the time and place. Also, the global pandemic has forced healthcare providers to employ TeleHealth technology to help handling this tense situation.

1.2. Tele-Orthodontics—Dental Monitoring

Tele-orthodontics—Dental Monitoring^® (DM) (Dental Monitoring Co., Paris, France) with distant monitoring is current reality in orthodontics. We can, as the clinical orthodontists proactively monitor our patients with virtual examinations to supplement chairside appointments. Though this approach is tainted with negative connotations associated with the direct to patient business model 9], there are undisputable advantages of remote monitoring to the clinical practice of orthodontics

Dental Monitoring is reducing (not eliminating) the need for in-office visits. However, nearly half of the studies currently published on this topic comparing clinical treatment with DM and without DM, frequently misunderstand the focus of this technology. The spotlight of this AI-powered DM is not on reduction of patient’s visits rather enhanced level of control over treatment development. As described earlier in this paper, the CAT in general, is prone to patients’ indiscipline. Patient not wearing aligners properly (more than 22 h per day), results in situation called “non-tracking”. This manifests as a discrepancy between shape of the aligner and real teeth position. This can be evaluated with DM. Possible lower frequency of physical visits to dental clinic is only secondary. However, it is beneficial for both the orthodontist and the patient, as the orthodontist can improve treatment and chairside efficiency, while the patients can avoid the extra financial and time costs of traveling to the practice. The key point remains that DM setup protocol allows better control over the treatment despite they might result even in more frequent patient visits as every lost attachment is noticed and the alarms are triggered. In contrary the frequency of non-DM-patient checkups are defined by the orthodontist and loss of attachment might be overlooked and despite longer time between in-office visits of such a patient, the treatment with CAT with missing attachments will probably result in aligner non-

A typical implementation of TeleHealth systems like Dental Monitoring^® (Dental Monitoring Co., Paris, France) require initial patient education. The patients’ own mobile is used for the app and the scanning. First patient downloads the free Dental Monitoring app and activates the free DM app.  Then the first scan is performed with support of nurses in the clinic. All consecutive video scans are created by patient usually in a home environment. Patient is provided with scan-box that improves quality of video scans

Use of tele-orthodontics like DM can improve the monitoring of patients during the COVID-19 dissemination. It allowed us to monitor all patients during pandemic lockdowns, reduced the costs and limited direct contact when was not necessary. With all these means it has decreased the risk of COVID-19 dissemination.

In conclusion, the advances of technology in orthodontic treatment have revolutionized the way that dental professionals approach correcting misaligned teeth. From 3D imaging and computer-aided design to invisible aligners and orthodontic apps, the use of various gadgets and apps has made orthodontic treatment more efficient, precise, and comfortable for patients. These technological advancements have also improved communication between patients and their orthodontists, allowing for better collaboration and more personalized treatment plans. As technology continues to advance, the future of orthodontic treatment is certainly promising, with the potential for even more innovative tools and techniques on the horiz.