The Jorgensen Orthodontics Blog

What is Invisalign and How Does It Move Teeth (Part 2)?

Posted by Dr. Jorgensen on December 30th, 2016

(This is Part 2 of a 2-part Invisalign post. Part 1 of this article discussed the design and manufacturing of Invisalign aligners.) After your Invisalign aligners have been designed by your orthodontist and manufactured by Align Technology, the entire set is shipped to your doctor’s office. There is more to achieving a successful result however than merely handing a box full of plastic shells to a patient. If that were not the case, Align would merely ship the aligners directly to the patient and cut out the “middleman.” There are three additional procedures provided by your orthodontist at the delivery…

What is Invisalign and How Does It Move Teeth (Part 1)?

Posted by Dr. Jorgensen on December 4th, 2016

Before 1997, practically the only way to straighten the teeth was with braces. While colored rubber bands made kids a little more excited about having treatment, adults were less enthusiastic, even if the braces were tooth colored or attached on the inside of the teeth. In 1997, a company called Align Technology introduced a technique for moving teeth using a series of customized clear aligners they called Invisalign. Invisalign is an orthodontic system comprised of a series clear plastic shells that fit tightly around the teeth. Picture the thermoformed plastic packaging surrounding most items you purchase at retail stores. This…

Why Are My Braces Having Trouble Closing the Spaces Between My Teeth?

Posted by Dr. Jorgensen on October 18th, 2016

One of the most frustrating problems that occurs during orthodontic treatment (or reappears afterwards) is space between the teeth that just won’t close. This may be due the teeth themselves, the bone around the teeth, or interference from teeth in the other arch. Let’s look at each of these possible causes. The most common reason spaces don’t close (or stay closed) is the size, shape, or position of the teeth themselves. A tooth may be too narrow at the top, too narrow at the bottom, or just too small overall. Such a tooth just can’t fill the entire space between…

What Is a Surgically Assisted Rapid Palatal Expander?

Posted by Dr. Jorgensen on September 22nd, 2016

One of the most common procedures in orthodontics for children and teenagers is palatal expansion (maxillary expansion). Orthodontists use expanders to eliminate posterior crossbites, reduce crowding, and broaden the overall width of an arch. Expansion in orthodontics can be classified into two categories, dental and skeletal. Dental expansion occurs when the teeth move outward to create an arch that is bigger than before treatment. In the front of the mouth, dental expansion moves teeth forward. In the back of the mouth, the teeth move sideways. If only the crown of the tooth (the top part of the tooth that is…

What is the MARA Appliance?

Posted by Dr. Jorgensen on August 26th, 2016

The MARA appliance is one of many orthodontic devices that is designed to correct overbites (actually called overjet in the dental community). The MARA (short for Mandibular Anterior Repositioning Device) is made by Allessee Orthodontics Laboratory in Sturtevant, Wisconsin. Because is it non-removable by the patient, it fits into the category of “fixed functional appliances.” Although there may be variations in design, the MARA appliance is basically a CAM system that requires a patient to position their lower jaw forward in order to bring their front teeth together. It is called a functional appliance because it requires the patient to…

Schedule an appointment with our talented orthodontist online