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The 100-year-old orthodontics industry is getting wired: A
new company says its 3-D computer imaging system is the key to straightening
teeth without uncomfortable metal braces. Backed by $137 million in venture
capital, Silicon Valley startup Align Technology Inc. uses a high-tech system
-- called "Invisalign" -- that maps out a treatment plan with
computer images.
The software allows technicians to create clear, removable
retainer-like molds that move teeth with few hassles, little pain and no
obtrusive wires or brackets. In typical cases, a patient will wear more than 20
different aligners for two- to three-week periods.
The Invisalign treatment isn't recommended for teen-agers,
who make up approximately 80 percent of orthodontics customers. Adolescents
often don't have all their permanent teeth and may lack the discipline to wear
the aligners on a round-the-clock basis.
While orthodontists generally view Invisalign as a promising
new technique, some who have used the product have reservations.
"It's not a cure-all. It's going to be more of a niche
product," said Dr. Michel Van Bergen, who has orthodontics offices in San
Francisco and Fairfield. "There is also potential for abuse here. There
could be more dentists that may try to use (Invisalign) just to make patients
look good, but they might not get the bite quite right."
In his trials with Invisalign, Van Bergen said the product
had trouble moving some teeth to the desired position targeted in his treatment
plan.
Invisalign is expected to be 20 percent to 50 percent moµre
expensive than traditional braces, which typically cost from $3,500 to $5,000.
Susan Andre, a Sacramento resident who just finished
straightening her teeth with Invisalign, said the ability to remove the
aligners is one of the best things about the product.
"It gives you the power to control your pain," she
said.
Andre, 35, wore traditional braces as a teen-ager and signed
up for the Invisalign test to straighten teeth that had shifted out of place
again. She said the difference between Invisalign and traditional metal braces
is "like night and day." Here is another great post on Invisalign cost perth to read.
Align is targeting the millions of adults who have crooked
teeth, but don't bother to straighten them because they don't want metal in
their mouth for a year or two. Company research indicates about 50 million U.S.
adults between the ages of 25 and 49 wish their teeth were straighter.
"Orthodontics has been in the horse-and-buggy age for a
long time now. We are this industry's automobile," said Kelsey Wirth,
Align's 31-year-old president and daughter of former Colorado Sen. Tim Wirth.
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