Let us show you why the MCO Downtown Toronto Invisalign, MCO Markham Orthodontist, MCO Scarborough Orthodontist, MCO Stouffville Orthodontist, and MCO Oshawa Orthodontist Teams are regarded as the top orthodontist in Richmond Hill, Toronto, Stouffville, Oshawa, Scarborough, Whitby, Bowmanville, and Markham Orthodontists for braces and Invisalign.
There are still many patients who come in to see us, their orthodontist in Markham, regarding the use of self-ligating braces such as Damon, Empower, or SmartClip. We tell that that orthodontics is a scientific profession and that we require sound evidence to show that there are differences in order to make such claims. Unfortunately, braces manufacturers sell these braces at a premium and market direct to public.
Here is a link to another recent Randomized Control Trial about the use of self-ligating braces vs traditional braces. Again, the study concludes that there are no differences.
Remember that the braces and appliances are simply a tool. Your results will depend highly on the experience of your orthodontist in diagnosis, treatment planning, and the use of the appliances to properly track you treatment.
At MCO Orthodontics, your Stouffville and Markham Orthodontist, we see hundreds of Invisalign patients in our clinic every single year. We often hear patients ask why our fees are higher. They will show us ads or team buys where Invisalign is a much lower price than what we are asking for.
Things to Consider When Getting Invisalign
The key thing to remember is that you are not buying Invisalign. You are buying Invisalign treatment by the doctor. It is a subtle but very big difference. Align's advertising, as well as that by many dentists will have you viewing Invisalign as a commodity or as a product. This is extremely far from the truth since the experience and skill of each doctor will produce different results. Therefore you cannot really compare costs between offices since you are not paying for the same thing.
You can read more about Invisalign as a technique rather than as a product at the Toronto Invisalign Website.
Recently, Dr. Tam received word that one of his Invisalign Teen before and and after results would be published by Align Technologies. It was selected as the top Class 2 malocclusion treatment with Invisalign in 2012. This is just another one of a long list of accolades for this top Richmond Hill Invisalign Orthodontist, who has worked very hard to understand Invisalign treatment properly to treat his patients and travels internationally to teach doctors how to use Invisalign.
Dr. Tam with the 2012 Invisalign Book
Remember that Invisalign is a technique rather than a product. The general public often believes that who they go to for their treatment does not make a difference. This is extremely far from the truth, since it is the doctor who should be designing the force system and movement of teeth by editing the ClinCheck program, rather than leave it to non-dentist computer technicians in Costa Rica.
Top Class 2 Invisalign Treatment of 2012
Dr. Tam has been fortunate to treat hundreds and hundreds of Invisalign patients, giving him the experience and foresight to use Invisalign in situations when other doctors might not be able or willing. Congratulations again!
One of the best ways to continue to improve is to be able to learn from very successful people who have different perspectives on various aspects in life. Dr. Tam has devoted his life to the continual improvement of his own orthodontic career as the top orthodontist in Stouffville and Markham. He has also worked hard to enrich the lives of his highly professional team, his patients, and their families.
Dr. Tam having lunch with MS Word creator Mr. Richard Brodie
Recently, Dr. Tam was fortunate enough to secure a one-on-one lunch meeting with Mr. Richard Brodie, the creator of Microsoft Word. Since leaving MS and becoming independently wealthy, Mr. Brodie has traveled the world and written several best-selling books including "Getting Past OK: The Self-Help Book for People Who Don't Need Help". It is an interesting niche for self-help for those who are already doing well in their lives.
It was a thrilling time for Dr. Tam as he bounced questions off Mr. Brodie ranging from family to investing to interpersonal relationships and more. Dr. Tam would like to thanks his friend Kyle Ray for introducing them and facilitating the meeting.
Dr. Tam, your Stouffville Invisalign Orthodontist, is on Align Technology's Speaker's bureau, with many orthodontists eager to learn about how to use Invisalign better from him. He recently flew out for a 12 hour trip to Calgary to deliver a lecture about how Invisalign is a braces technique rather than a commodity for this Western Canadian Invisalign Forum. Orthodontists from British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan flew in to listen to Dr. Tam teach them how to move teeth properly with Invisalign.
Invisalign Invitation to Orthodontists featuring Dr. Tam
Many people view orthodontic treatment as the same no matter where you go. This is particularly true with a brand like Invisalign. The key point for potential patients to understand is that your Invisalign results depend on how your doctor plans your treatment. You will get different results as you are paying for the orthodontist to straighten your teeth, not Invisalign.
Dr. Tam, his wife Amelia, and son Isaac at his 2nd Birthday Party!
The reason for Dr. Tam's short trip was to make it back in time for his son's 2nd birthday party the next day. They had wonderful weather and a great celebration!
MCO Orthodontics sees a high volume of adult orthodontics in Toronto . In many of these cases, treatment requires a combination of orthodontics and periodontics.
Stouffville Orthodontist with Toronto implant specialist in Miami
Adults are very suitable for orthodontic treatment, but many of them will want to have clearance to check on the health of their gums and bone prior to starting. We want to make sure that there is healthy support for the movements required. Treatment may also require the replacement of missing teeth as dental implants or gum procedures to help increase the level of gum support, or to decrease the amount, to increase the apparent size of a tooth. Needless to say, this type of treatment will require careful planning and excellent communication between specialists.
Markham Orthodontist with Taj Gibson of the Chicago Bulls
Dr. Tam recently met up with Dr. Veisman on a trip to Miami, a top periodontist for dental implants in Toronto. They discussed some of their mutual patients, various requirements for specific situations, as well as how to produce the best orthodontic and periodontic results. It was a very educational and enjoyable time at The Dutch in the W South Beach, where you might run into a celebrity or two. They ran into Carlos Boozer and later Taj Gibson of the Chicago Bulls! Always a good idea to mix some work with some fun!
As discussed in a previous blog entry on Vivera and retainers, one of the most important parts of orthodontic treatment is how to maintain the beautiful results that were achieved using braces or Invisalign. There are many different types of retainers, and one of the popular types is Vivera retainers from Invisalign.
Here are some of the important points to understand about Vivera:
1. You receive 4 sets. The first is fit at the office and three more are sent to you about 1 month later. Prior to this year, the additional 3 were sent at 3 month intervals, but this is no longer the case. Part of it is likely to help Align reduce shipping costs, but from a patient standpoint, it is also to realize that they do not need to be changed every three months, but as needed.
2. Our patients are finding that each Vivera retainer is lasting at least one year, with many keeping them quite a while longer. To draw a parallel with Essix retainers which also can last several years, the Vivera retainers are much stronger and can last longer than that. Therefore, your subscription for Vivera can last you many, many years if cared for properly.
3. The cost for Vivera is often not included in your original financial plan (we do, include it as part of the treatment for our Invisalign patients at MCO Orthodontics). The range of fees for the subscription can go from about $400 to $1600. If you consider a fee to be around $800, that would be $200 per set, or $100 per retainer, so there is quite a lot of value there. Other factors to consider are whether a scan/impression needs to be taken, and the cost of the visit to insert the retainer.
4. Vivera retainers can be created with a new scan, new impression, or from any stage of your ClinCheck. If you have attachments on your teeth prior to your original scan (as in refinement, mid-course correction, or custom attachments placed by your doctor), you may be better off having a new scan than asking Align to virtually remove those attachments. If you have braces on, the brackets can be much more easily removed virtually, and it is possible to get a scan with your brackets on.
5. Vivera retainers can be used in combination with fixed lingual retainers. They are not always a substitute for them and in some cases, both may be required.
