Summer is here, and while thoughts may turn to exciting holiday destinations, the long vacation is also the best time for orthodontics.
We wanted to learn more about orthodontics, so decided to seek out the best. There are less than 10 diplomats of the American Board of Orthodontics on the Chinese mainland, and only three in Shanghai. Two of them are in Shanghai United Family Hospital, doctors Sandy Tang and Wenlu Jiang.
Specialists trained in both China and the US, they have more than 10 years of experience providing treatment for patients of all different backgrounds. We sat down with them to learn more...
Why is orthodontics so important?
There are two main reasons it's important: for function and health and for aesthetics and self confidence.
Oral health is very important. It's impossible to have good health if you're not able to eat well, right?
So if you have a bad bite or misaligned jaws, that could cause health issues down the road, like tooth decay, gum disease, abnormal wearing of your enamel, and even head and neck pain or facial pain.
Orthodontic treatment also brings you confidence; so many people are self-conscious about their appearances these days. Orthodontics is able to solve dental issues and also provide a healthy smile, boosting your confidence and improving your self esteem.
At what age should kids first visit an orthodontist?
We recommend that children have their first checkup at an orthodontics office at age seven to eight. But, if you notice any problem before eight, it's recommended that you get a checkup right away.
The goal is to prevent the progression of any orthodontic issues that might be present. So even if you have not detected any issues with your child, it's still important that you get them evaluated to make sure their teeth and jaw are on the right track and everything is properly monitored.
What are the most common treatments children patients require?
For child patients, we usually divide treatment into phase one and phase two.
Phase one treatment usually takes place between ages seven to 10 during mixed dentition, when they have some primary teeth and some permanent teeth.
At this time, if they have any skeletal issue, we will use some functional appliances to help the development of their upper or lower jaw. This is the best time for skeletal development.
In phase two, once the skeletal part has been corrected, we then use braces or Invisalign to straighten the teeth.
So for phase one we use functional appliances, and for phase two we use some fixed brackets, braces and wire systems or Invisalign.
Should adults visit an orthodontist?
More and more adults are seeking orthodontic care. Some didn't have the chance to get orthodontic treatment as a child. And many adults want a professional look and beautiful smile.
Many patients are parents of child patients, who see how good the results of their children's treatment are, and want to get a correction for themselves.
Orthodontics is powerful; it can really improve the look of a smile and improve the functionality of our teeth.
Most of the time, we recommend Invisalign – an invisible aligner, meaning they don't require regular braces, which can look a little juvenile.
When it comes to adult treatment, while the mechanism of tooth movement is the same as with children (as the permanent teeth are all in place and the bones have stopped growing) the teeth don't move as easily or painlessly, so you do need to spend more time and effort and can expect some discomfort.
What are the most common treatments adult patients require?
Adult patients require more comfortable treatment; they have a lot of social commitments going on and don't like braces anymore. So for adult patients, we use a lot Invisalign, or sometimes lingual braces.
If an adult patient has a severe skeletal issue, they can no longer use functional appliances because their jaw is not developing anymore, so, if needed, we combine our practice with surgical treatment.
How do you know if you should visit an orthodontist?
There are a few things to watch out for. Firstly, if you are experiencing any pain or soreness in your mouth, teeth or gums, the situation might be being caused by a bad bite or misaligned jaw, or there might be some joint issues.
If you have difficulty chewing, or find yourself constantly biting on one side, or you're struggling to articulate and your upper and lower jaw can't fit properly together – those are pretty objective indications that you should see an orthodontist.
Finally, if you want a more beautiful smile, or if you have problems with the appearance of your teeth, you might want to seek treatment from an orthodontist as well.
How long does treatment generally take?
It really depends. For kids, if they have phase one in a timely manner to correct their jaw issues, then their second phase may only take roughly eight to 14 months.
For those that never did phase one but have severe crowding, then it can range from two to three years.
But even the most complicated cases should be within two-and-a-half to three years.
How does United Family select their orthodontists?
The first thing is education. Orthodontics is different from general dentistry; after dental school, specialist orthodontics training is required. We only hire people who have had that specialist training.
The second thing is experience. Because the orthodontic treatment takes so much time – up to three years – it takes a while to gain enough experience. We hire people with multiple years of practice in this field plus a certain number of cases completed.
The third thing is qualifications. You need to have all kinds of training certificates – for Invisalign, for lingual braces – each requires certification. Right now we have two orthodontists in Shanghai United Family Hospital, and both of us are American Board Certified.
How does United Family keep up-to-date with the latest developments in orthodontics?
We have continuing education and learning both within and outside of the hospital.
We have internal seminars going on every week, and we have case discussions across all the UFH dental departments nationwide.
We also share with everyone what we have learned about the latest developments in the field.
We go to orthodontic lectures, workshops, symposiums and conferences two to three times per year, the most recent of which had the theme of 'staring into the future' – all about the latest and most exciting new technologies in clinical orthodontics.
So we're pretty much always up-to-date with the latest advances.
What new technologies or procedures do you use?
We use a lot of digital technologies these days – 3D imaging, 3D digital scanning, 3D printing. We also have computer-aided designs that combine the scan of the patient's teeth and 3D CT imaging. Everything is 3D these days.
How do you keep treatment as non-invasive as possible?
This is what current orthodontics is trying to do, because we have a lot of adult patients. The most popular product on the market is Invisalign; you barely can see it, and if people comply well with it, it works really well – as well as traditional braces.
Is treatment guaranteed to improve a patient’s condition?
99% of people are satisfied. Their teeth are straighter, their facial appearance looks better and their bite is better, so they are happy with the results.
How do you keep treatment at a reasonable price?
Many people have the misconception that while we provide high quality care, our services are more expensive. However, our orthodontic prices are quite at par with other dental clinics, and there are various discount options available making our prices even more competitive.
Obviously, the longer the treatment takes, the more expensive it becomes, so we do encourage parents to bring their children in at an early age so they can benefit from early intervention and save a lot of time and money in the long-run.
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