SureSmile

SureSmile is an orthodontic technique that allows the orthodontist to treat cases using traditional orthodontic braces and roboticly created wires. The orthodontist submits records including precise orthodontic models and scans of the patient's teeth with braces in place. The scans can be produced on a light scanner or by cone beam computerized tomography, a radiographic study similar to a CAT scan. The records are processed and made available online to the orthodontist to produce a virtual treatment objective, the teeth as they should look and work when the case is complete. The orthodontist then specifies a wire of particular dimension and strength. A wire is roboticly produced to be placed by the orthodontist in the patient's mouth. The orthodontist then monitors the changes over time. A new wire can then be designed, changing the size, strength and shape of the wire to refine the results.

The technique is reported to reduce the time required to complete orthodontic treatment and increase the precision of the results. The negatives include increased costs, the time for taken for the scans, and the x-ray exposure when using the cone beam scans. The advantages include shorter treatment times, more precise results.

References

• Sachdeva, Rohit C.L., Journal of Clinical Orthodontics, volume. XXXV, number 4, April, 2001, p. 245-253