Custom Smile Aligners
The future of orthodontics is here!
Dr. Thornton’s custom smile system utilizes state of the art technology to give you the smile of your dreams faster, more efficiently, and more comfortably than ever.
It starts with a scan.
It only takes 15 minutes for our team to get an Itero intraoral scan of your teeth. Its much easier and less messy than traditional impressions and gives a more accurate 3D digital model of your teeth.
Dr. Thornton aligns your smile on his computer.
Dr. T has always been a video game buff! Orchestrate tooth alignment software allows him to move your teeth to the perfect position digitally before you even start your treatment. The digital environment allows magnification and 3D visualization that is impossible in your mouth. This leads to more accurate tooth movement.
On to the printer!
In the coolest part of the process, Dr. Thornton’s team prints a series of 3D models that take your teeth step by step through their future orthodontic journey. The changes occur with a gradual, step-by-step approach.
Transfer the changes to your teeth.
Finally, a crystal clear aligner is made from each of the models. Each aligner looks like a clear retainer, but is built from one of the printed models and will move your teeth one step closer to the desired position. After you’ve worn your aligner for 1 week you move on to the next aligner, then the next, until the sequence is complete.
You can take each aligner out to eat and brush, and you will experience much less soft tissue irritation than with conventional braces.
Why custom smile?
Quality orthodontic treatment requires experience to know what conditions are required to produce the most ideal tooth movement. Custom Smile aligners are made in Dr. Thornton’s orthodontic lab. He moves your teeth digitally and each step of the process is overseen by him. If additional tooth movements are needed, additional aligners can be quickly and easily fabricated. Local fabrication also allows cost savings, which are passed on to the patient with more affordable treatment.
Who is the ideal candidate for custom smile aligners?
Many of our custom smile patients have had orthodontic treatment in the past, but have not worn retainers and have seen changes in their orthodontic result. Custom smile aligners work perfectly for this type of correction, but can also be used if you have never had orthodontic treatment before, as long as your treatment needs are mild to moderate. More severe correction may require invisalign aligners or braces, depending on your needs. Our team is proficient in all of these treatment modalities and we would be happy to tell you which will work best for you.
