Protect Your Orthodontic Investment With Vivera Retainers

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – Some people have nightmares that their teeth have shifted and gotten out of alignment after orthodontic treatment.

Those nightmares could easily become reality if patients do not cooperate with the retention phase of orthodontics.

That usually means wearing a retainer, which depending on the case, means wearing one full time and eventually tapering down to wearing the retainer at night or several times a week. Dr. David Alpan offers his patients a variety of retainer options at Aesthetic Orthodontics, but Vivera Retainers are becoming more popular than ever.

“Retainers are an essential part of the treatment because periodontal ligaments take almost a year to solidify into their new positions after your braces are removed,” says Dr. Alpan, who is a Las Vegas pediatric orthodontics provider.

Align Technology, the makers of the Invisalign system, designed Vivera, a clear thermoplastic retainer designed to be used after completing orthodontic treatment. Vivera uses the same advanced fabrication technology used for the Invisalign system aligners to give patients an exact, seamless and comfortable fit. According to Align Technology, lab tests show that many leading clear thermoplastic materials from which retainers are made begin to deform in as little as two months of simulated wear. That is why Vivera is actually a series of four sets of retainers mailed to the patient’s home throughout the year to keep teeth in the final aligned position. Continue reading Protect Your Orthodontic Investment With Vivera Retainers →

Mar

2012

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More Than Just Straight Teeth

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – A better looking smile might be the motivation for some people to get orthodontic treatment, but Dr. David Alpan, a Las Vegas braces provider, says the benefits of braces extend much further than that.

“Misaligned teeth and an incorrect bite are often to blame for a variety of physical conditions,” says Dr. Alpan. “It can also be the source of ridicule, stress or poor self-confidence.”

Malocclusion, which means a bad bite, can cause speech impediments, jaw or TMJ pain, difficulty chewing and eating, sleep apnea caused by mouth breathing and snoring, grinding or clenching of the teeth, gum disease and tooth decay.

Because of the far-reaching effects of a malocclusion, the American Association of Orthodontists recommends that children should be seen for their first orthodontic consultation no later than age seven. This is about the time when children’s permanent teeth usually start to erupt and orthodontic problems become more obvious.

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Feb

2012

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How Can An Oral Piercing Affect Your Teeth?

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA—People get an oral piercing as a conscious decision to change their aesthetics, but many of them are unconscious of how that decision could change their aesthetics in addition to the new jewelry.

“Oral piercings can greatly affect oral and orthodontic health,” says Dr. David Alpan, a Los Angeles orthodontic specialist.

Tongue piercings and some other types of oral piercings typically interfere with speech, chewing or swallowing at least temporarily, which are inconveniences the person often is aware of. But many side effects of piercings can be serious and long-term or permanent problems that require expensive treatment or repair.

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Jan

2012

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Temporary Anchorage Devices Can Prevent The Need For Jaw Surgery

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – Many technological advances have been made in the field of orthodontics during the last decade, including the development of temporary anchorage devices that can be used to treat complex malocclusions and may prevent the need for oral surgery.

This orthodontic treatment is one that Dr. David Alpan has been using at his Las Vegas orthodontic practice since 2006. TADs are mini implants or mini screws placed in the jaw that are used to move teeth without using other teeth as the anchor.

“With traditional braces, the wire ties all the teeth together and any movement of one tooth will affect the others,” Dr. Alpan explains. “A temporary anchoring device allows one tooth to be moved without impacting the adjacent teeth.”

A treatment plan that includes TADs can shorten overall treatment time and prevent the need of mini implants or jaw surgery. Dr. Alpan uses the VectorTAS, which stands for temporary anchorage system, a product from orthodontic technology leader Ormco, who also distributes Damon Clear braces.

“Orthodontists can get better angles and forces using TADs to help move the teeth, usually much faster and often eliminating the need for headgear or oral surgery,” Dr. Alpan says, who provides braces for adults and children.

Continue reading Temporary Anchorage Devices Can Prevent The Need For Jaw Surgery →

Dec

2011

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Faster Results, Less Discomfort, Discrete Options With Damon Braces

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA -These days people of all ages are getting braces in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors.
At Aesthetic Orthodontics, many of them are choosing an option that treats faster and with less discomfort, according to Dr. David Alpan, a Los Angeles invisible braces provider.

That non-traditional option is the Damon System. These braces are a popular option because unlike braces that use elastic ties to keep archwires in place on the bracket, Damon uses a self-ligating bracket that does not require them.
“The system employs a slide apparatus which permits the archwire to be adjusted freely, allowing teeth to shift into position faster with fewer changes,” says Dr. Alpan, an orthodontist in practice since 1996.

Regular braces, including metal braces, gold braces, lingual braces, hidden braces or invisible custom-made Incognito Braces, require elastics that act like bungee cords, causing friction and pressure that makes treatment slower and often causes soreness, discomfort and pain. Because the Damon System self-ligating braces do not need elastic ties the brackets themselves are smaller, which causes less irritation to the lips, tongue and cheeks. Continue reading Faster Results, Less Discomfort, Discrete Options With Damon Braces →