Orthotown June 2024 - 28

MESSAGE BOARD 4
Improving Efficiencies
A Townie asks for your guidance
2th mover
Post: 1 of 3
5/2/2024
I have been in practice for about 18 years. I use
twin brackets and have enjoyed good results over
the years. I want to reduce the number of days I'm
in the office, and am struggling with how to do that
without reducing the number of patients I treat.
In my mind, the only way around this is to see the
patients less often and to treat them faster, so I've
been trying to figure out the most efficient mechanics
without changing my systems too much.
Obviously, from an aligning standpoint, improved
bracket placement is critical. Maybe an indirect
bonding technique would help? I recently went to a
Lightforce meeting and that was extremely interesting,
but I am in a tight financial market and increasing
costs dramatically would be difficult. It would
also be difficult to change systems dramatically-
but this might be the way I have to go.
I'd like to know everyone's most efficient methods
on a few topics. What's been a game-changer in your
practice that gets things done quicker, easier, etc.?
1. Space closing: I mostly use power chains and
elastics to close spaces.
2. Class II mechanics: I use elastics and the
American Class II correctors. I've tried several
things-including Forsus, Herbst, Carriere-but
seem to keep going back to what I can hook on
the wire easily. Surgery is an option, but I am
looking at nonsurgical techniques that work,
are easy on the patient and are efficient.
3. Class III mechanics: I use elastics and CS 2000
springs from DynaFlex. Surgery as well.
4. Bite opening: I place bite turbos on either
the upper 1s or the upper 4s to help with the
mechanics of the wires. I also make sure the 7s
are bonded.
5. Bite closing: I have mainly used elastics for
mild open bite cases and surgery, extractions,
multiloop edgewire arch-wire (MEAW) appliances
for more serious cases.
I would love to get a public discussion going to get
some efficiency gems from some of you. Thanks for
your feedback. n
wjmardaga
Post: 2 of 3
How often are you seeing your patients? n
5/3/2024
ucla98
Post: 3 of 3
5/3/2024
I see patients every four weeks because I want to
make sure things like loose brackets, poor elastic
wear and poor oral hygiene aren't out of control.
Loose brackets and poor elastic wear are the main
culprits for delay in the treatment. Loose brackets can
be repaired sooner when I see patients more often.
A lot of visits are just quick reties because I see
patients more frequently. I've tried to be as efficient
as I can so I don't have to spend a lot of time on each
patient. That's how I'm able to see 60-70 patients
in just three to four hours. I only work from 1:30 to
5 p.m. weekdays and 8 to 11:30 a.m. on weekends.
1. Using a T closing-loop archwire should help
close the spaces quicker because it's frictionfree,
and you intrude the upper 2-2 and retract
them at the same time and don't have to worry
about the linguals of 2-2 touching the lower
anterior teeth during retraction. If you want to
retract the 3s faster and with continuous force,
you can instruct the patient to wear elastic
(1/8 heavy force) from 6s to 3s (and patient
needs to change it only once a day).
2.
I just use Class II elastics-much quicker and
easier for both the patient and the staff. You get
more emergency visits when you use appliances.
At the initial consultation, I tell both the parent
and the kid that wearing Class II elastics is the
only way to correct the overjet. I show them a
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Orthotown June 2024

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