Inivsalign Teen Toronto: Mom Blogger Straight Talk #InvisalignTO

What a wonderful event hosted by Mom Central Canada and Kathy Buckworth at Brassaii on King West.  I had the opportunity to speak to about 25 mom bloggers from all over the Toronto area about Invisalign Teen.

My treatment coordinator in the Stouffville office, Mandy, joined me for the evening, along with our President's Circle Invisalign representative, Craig MacIntyre.  I was also fortunate enough to have a few patients and their mothers join us in case the bloggers wanted to ask questions about their experiences.

We started off with some technical difficulties in getting the projector to work, but after switching a few laptops and ultimately, a cable, all systems were a go.  After a half eaten, but great dinner, it was showtime.

I know a lot of speakers for Invisalign and many of them tout aesthetics, generating income from new patients, and getting that movie star smile without braces.  Unfortunately, the marketing for Invisalign is far ahead of the training and skill level of most doctors.  Certainly aesthetics are an important part of Invisalign treatment, but as health care professionals, we have to remember that there are health aspects to orthodontic treatment that cannot be overlooked, just because our patients are seeking a specific treatment type.  My goal was to present an analytical and informative session so that parents can make the right decision for their teens, rather than basing it on smoke and mirrors.

Here are the key points from the evening:

• Invisalign has been used with over 1.4M patients
• Invisalign Teen was developed in 2009 with specific needs of teens in mind
• Benefits of Invisalign Teen include improved oral hygiene, no restrictions on eating, superior aesthetics, and the opportunity to teach teens responsibility.
• Orthodontic consultations are recommended at age 7.  Generally, this is when the upper front teeth have come in.  Dental development, rather than chronological age is the more important determining factor
• Many orthodontists offer complimentary consultations
• A referral from a dentist is not required to get an appointment with the orthodontist
• When thinking about medical procedures, everyone would prefer to go with a specialist for specialist work.  The same should apply to dental procedures, including orthodontic treatment.
• Orthodontic insurance will cover Invisalign and braces.
• It's more correct to ask "Can you correct my teeth with Invisalign?" than to ask "What can Invisalign correct?", since the skill and experience of the doctor will determine your final results.
• Invisalign isn't only for Teens.  If your teeth, gums, and bone are healthy, it is never too late for orthodontic treatment.
• Excellent dental resources include the Invisalign website, American Association of Orthodontists, Canadian Association of Orthodontists, your primary care dentist, online forums, and the Toronto Invisalign site.

I really enjoyed meeting a number of the mom bloggers and it was nice to be asked to work on future segments with them.  I learned a few things about parenting from them and will also be looking at a Disney cruise on the advice of Jen Reynolds :).  Overall a great evening!

-Dr. Tam

MTV Live Canada's Paul the Intern Visits MCO Markham Orthodontist

Dr. Tam, your Toronto Invisalign specialist, offering FREE Invisalign and braces consultations was recently on MTV Live with Paul the Intern.  The interview was supposed to be about Invisalign, braces, and Halloween.  Footage was filmed over the course of a few hours, but was parsed down to a 2 min segment.

None of the questions were prepared in advance and in typical Paul style, he seemed to want to trip up Dr. Tam.  Check out the video from MTV here:

Here are some out-takes that didn't make it to TV:

Facebook pics of Markham Orthodontist and Paul the Intern

Fun times!

Invisalign in Toronto- Dr. Tam Discusses Invisalign G4

In early October 2011, your Toronto Invisalign Specialist followed a program in which Invisalign announced a series of features known as Invisalign G4.  They sought to address 3 major issues that some Invisalign doctors had been having issues with.  These include:

1.  Greater root tip control for canines and upper laterals

2.  Improved predictability for upper laterals

3.  Better clinical outcomes for open bite treatments

There was a theme that Invisalign is based upon the science of orthodontics.  Namely, we have to think of a desired movement, determine a force system, and then design an appliance.  At this point, all other aligners other than Invisalign skip the middle step of determining a force system.  This is asking for failure of treatment when the proper orthodontic forces are not applied.  Anyone can make an aligner or video look good from start to finish.  The key is whether the teeth will move that way also.  Can you move roots with Invisalign?  According to the new changes, they should allow for root movement using new attachments.

In order to achieve these difficult movements, one of the newest features is to apply to force systems to one tooth.  This is in the form of attachments or a pressure point, where one feature will counteract the negative forces caused by the first.  They are supposed to allow for simultaneous movements such as extrusion and rotation, as well as translations.  There is a claim that these new attachments are more aesthetic than previous attachments, with the more gingival attachment often covered by the lip.

It was also announced that optimized attachments with G3 can now be used with precision cuts on canines.  This was not previously possible.  The cuts are not yet tested with G4 attachments, and thus cannot be used simultaneously.

Also, an update on the iOC scanner was given.

Over 1000 scanned cases have been submitted, with greater accuracy in seating, less spring, improved retention, and proper contouring around the gingiva (according to these numbers, your MCO Markham orthodontist has submitted about 3-4% of world-wide scans).  Patients have reported less saliva trapped under the plastic, likely since the aligners comform better to the teeth.  Rejections of scans to date have been virtually non-existent, since any deficiencies in the scans can be corrected easily chair-side.  Clinchecks are also back in the doctor VIP page on an average of 2 days vs 10 days for PVS impressions.

Overall, Invisalign has been very dedicated to the science of tooth movement with aligners and listening to concerns of doctors and patients.  However, remember that the most important factor in treatment is going to be proper treatment planning by your orthodontist of choice.  It is his/her job to decide exactly how the teeth will move and when to use specific features to help aid in these movements.

Stouffville Orthodontist Hosts Local Dental Community and Mayor Emmerson

In our first year here in Stouffville, MCO Stouffville Orthodontics has been very active in the community.  We've been at the Strawberry Festival, on the ice at the arena, and fundraised for Markham Stouffville Hospital.  Last week, the office held a reception with Stouffville Mayor Wayne Emmerson and a number of members of the dental community in Stouffville and Uxbridge.  Overall, it was as great evening and fun was had by all!

Enjoy the pictures!

Mayor Emmerson in a ceremonial "ribbon cutting" outside MCO Stouffville.

Dr. Tam with Dr. Lin, Enza, and Dr. Bhalla from Markham Dentistry for Children.

MCO hygienist Aya, Dr. Charles Shin, Dr. Dimple Bhatia, and Dr. Tam

MCO Treatment Coordinator Mandy and Dr. Beth Williston's Dental Assistant Sabine from Park Drive Dentistry

Dr. Tam with Dr. Maneesh Gupta from Bur Oak Dentistry (also the Colgate Commercial Dentist!) 

 Dr. Hagi, Dr. Michael Banh, Dr. Fab Bianchi, Dr. Tam and Dr. Veisman

Dr. Tam with his wife Amelia and their parents.

Stouffville Orthodontist Defines Orthodontic Malocclusion

Your orthodontist in Markham and Stouffville, Ontario wants to keep you educated on all aspects of your orthodontic treatment.  The technical term for a “bad bite” is a malocclusion. There are many different types of malocclusions depending on what the exact nature of the problem.

Orthodontists use a 3 classification system to describe malocclusions:

1.  Class 1-  the back teeth fit together as they should, but there are other issues such as crowding, rotations, spacing, etc.

2.  Class 2-  the upper teeth are too far forward compared to the bottom teeth, along with issues described above (typically referred to as an "overbite", but the technical term is overjet)

3.  Class 3-  the lower teeth are too far forward compare to the upper ones, along with issues described above (often referred to as an underbite)

The problem with malocclusions is not only cosmetic.  They may cause teeth to be more easily traumatized, cause excessive wear of enamel, and contribute to issues such as TMJ disorder.  Fortunately, Dr. Tam and his team at MCO are specialists in correcting these kinds of issues so that you can have both a beautiful and healthy smile!  We have many different options including Invisalign, so don't be afraid to come in for a free consultation :).

Ask your Markham Orthodontist... do I need to extract teeth when I get braces?

Whenever possible, your Stouffville Orthodontist will avoid extractions for orthodontic treatment.  If there is any possibility that treatment can proceed without tooth removal, Dr. Tam will delay extraction as long as possible.  Generally, braces are placed on the teeth before any teeth are taken out.

 There are a few ways to avoid extractions in treatment:

1.        Start off with adequate space to align teeth.

2.        Expand the jaws in children before puberty.

3.        Procline the teeth to increase arch perimeter.

4.        Distalize teeth, pushing them back along the ridge of bone in the jaw.

5.        Judicious IPR, slenderization, or selective grinding of the teeth to create space.

However, there are times when extractions should cannot always be avoided:

1.        Excessive crowding.

2.        Protrusive profile (too many teeth for the mouth, causing an overly full profile or open mouth, even when relaxed)

3.        Existing bone loss or thin bone that would be compromised by excessive expansion of the jaws.

4.        Correction of excessively non-coincident midlines.

5.        Removal of wisdom teeth

Dr. Tam customizes your orthodontic care to deliver the best orthodontic treatment possible for each patient.  Contact us at if you would like to come in for a free orthodontic consult!

MCO Stouffville Orthodontist Office Offerring Braces and Invisalign!

MCO Stouffville Orthodontics  is now open and fully running, servicing Stouffville, Uxbridge, Newmarket, and surrounding communities.  Dr. Tam and his team have years of experience in providing excellent orthodontic care and the best customer service possible, with one of the most popular offices in Markham.  We have a proven track record and have treated many dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants in North America.

We are proud to support the community and have participated at the Strawberry Festival, supported local sports teams, and Markham Stouffville Hospital.  We look forward to showing you the MCO difference and becoming Stouffville's choice for orthodontic care :).  Click here to book your  free orthodontic consultation with us today!