Innovation is an important ability for all industries. It is what allows your fields and industries of interest to continue to grow and move forward. The dental and ortho fields have seen much innovation when it comes to devices people use and wear. Here are a few devices that highlight those innovations that have either made significant impacts on the dentistry of today, or will impact it in the future and time to come.
Retainers
Retainers are utilized after individuals have had braces on for a period of time. After the braces that have been used to correct teeth alignment are removed, there is a period of transition that the teeth and jaw must go through to get used to the new alignment without the gear. Retainers help reinforce this positioning, preventing teeth from moving and shifting. Depending on your braces and circumstances, some retainers are permanent during this process while others are removable. There are different designs, some that are less prevalent and visible than others, while some can be customized with colors and even pictures to fit the individual personality of the person. When these were first introduced to help straighten and position your teeth, they were revolutionary, and are still widely prevalent today.
Temporary Anchorage Devices
If you have had a lot of dental surgery or dental work done, you may have already been familiarized with these anchorage devices. This is the case for residents living in New York, New Mexico, and Texas, among others. These are used during procedures to move specific teeth while keeping others in their place. This is an innovative technology, as prior to this, many dentists and orthodontists had to use much larger headgear to do the job. This not only helps your Farmington orthodontist and other oral health experts but also translates to your own comfort and use as the patient. This is because these devices are much smaller and less obtrusive, meaning that they don’t look and feel as bulky, which makes it less work for you to take care of your teeth. These are becoming more and more common in dental and orthodontic procedures and treatments.
3D Printed Dentures
Technology has taken great steps in the field of dentistry and oral care, such as in the surgical room with lasers for your procedures. One other way technology has helped innovate the ortho industry is with 3D printing. This technology has made it easy to create molds that are better fitted to a person’s jaw or teeth without needing to take the same intrusive steps of more traditional processes. These 3D prints can be made faster and are also more affordable as well, ensuring that people have more access to dental needs and solutions than ever before. This technology will make such ortho devices across the industry much more accessible to the general public that cannot include dental needs into their financial considerations.
It is important to recognize the strides and innovations that have been made in the ortho fields. This allows you to continue to create and build off of what is working and learn what can still be improved. Such innovations strive to prioritize usefulness and accessibility for as many people as possible.