E A R N E D P L AC E M E N T Fig. 4: Conventional treatment versus minimum-touch orthodontics then upload it to DM. The scan is then used going forward to compare the patient's updated self-scans with the position of the teeth at the beginning. I can set the DM system to alert me if hygiene is declining or gingival margins are receding, and it will do so much faster than I can discern it myself. The DM software also tracks the velocity of tooth movement, and at what rate and whether a wire is still active. " Eventually, we'll be appointing patients only when we receive a message that the wire is inactive. Think what this will mean for fixed appliance treatment! DM can already do it; I'm just now figuring out how to integrate it into our virtual workflow. " MTO beyond this time It was the COVID-19 pandemic that prompted patients and orthodontists to be more open to remote monitoring and minimum touch orthodontics. Now, it seems, MTO is a natural evolution in patient care. Many aspects of protocols and systems we've instituted for this crisis will likely continue to be warranted as the pandemic recedes. Carrière summarizes, " I think we'll come through this crisis with the means for further customizing each patient's experience with a creative formula for safe in-office and remote appointments while delivering the highest quality care. Great opportunities are often disguised as the most frustrating of obstacles. " n orthotown.com \\ APRIL 2021 OT0421_HSO_Earned-Placement.indd 37 37 3/24/21 3:36 PMhttp://www.orthotown.com