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As most orthodontic patient's might remember, getting alginate impressions of their teeth was never an enjoyable experience. The ooey-gooey material would take what felt like forever to set up and always made everyone want to gag! It was something you wouldn't forget and that you hoped you'd never have to do again!

Thankfully, technology has advanced so much over the years that alginate impressions are not as common in orthodontic offices. Digital intraoral scanners, such as the I-Tero, have been created to capture every nook and cranny of the teeth in a much easier and efficient way. The scanner is capturing hundreds of pictures per minute to create a 3D impression of the teeth. This 3D impression can now be used for the orthodontist to create a treatment plan. It can also be used to send to the lab to have retainers and other appliances made. So much easier than having to mail out an actual plaster model of the teeth!! It used to take forever!

Here are some of the benefits of using the I-Tero intraoral scanner instead of alginate impressions:

• Patient Comfort - One of the most important things that matters to our office is that our patients are comfortable during treatment. The I-Tero scanner is much quicker, easier, and much more comfortable than traditional impressions.

• No more mess or wasted materials - With traditional impressions, you need to size the impression tray meaning you would have to take time to clean the ones not used. Then, you have to quickly mix the alginate material with water really fast to then load it in the impression tray. It gets EVERYWHERE, all over the sinks, all over the assistants, all over the patients. If the impression did not come out good the first time, you have to keep trying until it is right. This means many wasted supplies and materials. With the I-Tero scanner, the only material being switched out for every patient is the wand tip. It is quick and easy to clean the device and put a new one on.

• Patient Involvement - It is so important for patients to be involved in treatment and understand why we recommend the things we do. With traditional impressions, patients most likely don't get to see their plaster models after they have the impressions done. The I-Tero scanner allows patients to see their teeth as a 3D model, right in front of them. Not many people get to see their teeth from that perspective. It also allows patients to point out their concerns and ask questions!

• Faster and More Accurate - Traditional impressions may have taken up to 10 minutes to do both top and bottom, but could be longer depending on if you had to re-do them and set-up time. Dr. Kennell's Orthodontic office averaged just over 4 minutes to scan the upper and lower arches with a bite scan. Way faster! The I-Tero scanner is so much more accurate and precise compared to traditional impressions that could have bubbles and voids.

• Efficiency - After impressions were done, they were made into plaster models of the teeth and had to be mailed to labs and also took up a lot of space to store them. Now, with the click of a button the 3D models can be sent to the lab in seconds. Then they are 3D printed to make appliances, aligners, and or retainers out of! Super efficient!

All three of Dr. Kennell's offices, Laconia, Littleton, and Plymouth are equipped with one or more I-Tero scanners of the newest model. After recently going to the AAO conference in Louisiana, the Kennell Orthodontics team was able to try out the newest I-Tero wand. Being able to physically try out the wand convinced Dr. Kennell and his team that they needed it in their offices!!

The I-Tero "Lumina" intraoral scanner has even more benefits:

• Takes high-quality, photorealistic scans
• Has a wider field of view, making it easier to capture
• Ergonomically easier on the assistants
• More comfortable for patients since the wand is 50% smaller than the older version
• 2x the speed to capture the entire mouth

Dr. Kennell's orthodontic office is excited to share this new technology with their patients to make for an even better experience! He will continue to stay up to date with the newest technology, who knows what will be created next!!

Dr. Kennell attends many orthodontic conferences throughout the year to expand his knowledge on what's new in orthodontics. He very kindly brought along the rest of his team members to join him this time! They arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana on May 2nd, attended the conferences for 3 days, and then headed back home to New Hampshire on May 7th! Then, they were right back to work the next day seeing all of the patients who had missed them while they were gone. Except now the team was ready with their new found knowledge!

The first day of the AAO conference, the opening ceremony included a jazz band to get everyone hyped of for the next few days of learning! There were classes for orthodontists, clinical assistants, and the administrative assistants as well! Classes were from 8 AM to 5 PM all 3 days and there were SO many classes being offered!

The assistants learned a new way of bonding Invisalign attachments to the teeth that will hopefully help in preventing them from falling off. The process will now include using an etch material and the use of a dryer to make sure the teeth are as dry as possible. The presenter, Dr. Doug Depew, stressed how critical and important it is to only get the etch material on the exact spot where the attachment is going. This will help during the Invisalign starting appointments when it comes time to remove extra material and will give the attachment a better seal to the tooth surface. They are excited to try out this technique and hope this will in turn benefit both the patient and the assistants in the long run.

The assistants also got to see some successful cases of Phase I Invisalign treatment. Dr. Kennell has done quite a few Phase I treatments so far, but it validated how well it is working for orthodontists everywhere. The information learned about having attachments stay better will apply to the deciduous teeth in Phase I treatment as well!

The whole team sat in on an OSHA presentation that mostly reviewed all of the safety rules and regulations that we follow each and everyday. Some were a reminder for us, especially how important it is for everyone to wear safety glasses and other protective gear. The presenter, Jackie Dorst also brought up a wonderful idea to set up practice scenarios in the office to be prepared in case any emergency situations were to occur! Something you don't always think about, but that is super important for your whole team to know.

There were many classes to help dealing with burnout, physically and mentally, which applied to everyone. They had classes discussing how to reduce stress and anxiety and how to have personal growth and success. These lessons are essential when it comes to how we treat our patients and each other!

To sum everything up, Dr. Kennell is an amazing orthodontist of the Lakes Region, who prioritizes his patients having the best success with treatment and the whole experience being at Kennell Orthodontics. He will go above and beyond to make sure that happens, even if that means going to New Orleans, Louisiana to obtain the best information!

With Invisalign becoming more and more popular, you may be wondering what to expect if you were to get Invisalign treatment. There are many common questions we get asked on a day to day basis at Kennell Orthodontics. Thankfully, Dr. Kennell and his team are here to put your mind at ease!

First of all, lets start with, How does Invisalign treatment work?

Using 3-D computer imaging technology, Invisalign creates a series of custom-made, clear aligners exclusively for your teeth, based on the treatment plan that we specify for you. Each aligner moves teeth incrementally and is worn for two weeks, then, is switched out for the next aligner in the series until the final position is achieved.

Will I experience pain during treatment?
Most people experience temporary discomfort for a few days after a new aligner is placed. This feeling of pressure is normal and is a sign that Invisalign is working by sequentially moving your teeth to their final destination.

Can other people see that I'm in treatment?
One of the benefits of Invisalign is that the aligners are clear. Most of our patients need to have little bumps placed on their teeth called attachments to help guide the teeth into the aligner, but luckily these attachments are tooth colored and are also not very noticeable.

Are there any foods I shouldn’t eat while in treatment?
You can eat normally during the entire course of treatment. One of the advantages of Invisalign is that the aligners are removable. We do ask for you to be aware that attachments could fall off if you were to eat something too hard, but other than that there are not restrictions to your eating. Simply take the aligners out before each meal, brush your teeth before reinserting the aligner. If you are unable to brush your teeth due to being at work or school, a good rinse with water will do the trick too!

What about chewing gum?
We recommend removing your aligners for all meals and snacks, as gum and other chewy substances can stick to the aligners.

How often must I wear my aligners?
The most important part of the Invisalign treatment is that you wear your aligners for any progress to be made. With saying that, aligners should be worn all day, except when eating, brushing, and flossing.

Will my speech be affected by the aligners?
As with any orthodontic treatment, aligners may temporarily affect your speech. If this does happen, your tongue will adjust within a day or two and your speech should return to normal.

Can I smoke during treatment?
We discourage smoking while wearing the aligners as they may become discolored.

How do I clean my aligners?
The best way to clean your aligners is by brushing and rinsing them in lukewarm water. Invisalign also provides you with "cleaning crystals" to put in a cup of water with your aligners. You can use these every so often and leave them in overnight to give them an extra good cleaning.

How often must I visit the office during treatment?
For most patients, we will provide you with 4-5 aligners at a time. This makes visits every 8-10 weeks which is frequent enough for us to determine that your treatment is progressing properly. We will provide you with a specific schedule that supports your individual treatment plan.

Dr. Alan Kennell has OVER 20 YEARS experience and extensive training with Invisalign. General dentists receive minimal orthodontic training in dental school and usually attend a weekend hotel course to learn how to do Invisalign. If your dentist (or your child's dentist) offers orthodontic treatment, insist on seeing an orthodontic specialist! If you have any questions please give our Laconia, Plymouth or Littleton offices a call.

At Kennell Orthodontics, we know orthodontic emergencies are never convenient nor timely. If you are a patient of Dr. Kennell's orthodontic office, he and his team are committed to your dental health and are more than willing to see you after hours or over the weekend. As a general rule, you should call the office when you experience severe pain. We’ll be able to schedule an appointment to resolve the problem as soon as possible. If you have a orthodontic emergency after regular office hours, you can still give us a call. If you are calling us after hours, please follow the emergency prompts to learn how you may be able to solve the problem yourself, or, if you cannot, how to contact Dr. Kennell and team. Someone is always on call and will be able to get back to you as soon as they can.

Tooth soreness is to be expected after getting braces or Invisalign treatment, this would not count as an emergency as it will take a few days to get used to them. Some things that help are sticking to a softer food diet (ex: ice cream, mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, etc). Taking Advil or Tylenol can help relieve the soreness as well. If your gums are irritated, using a warm saltwater rinse can help with healing. At our office, we provide wax to put on your braces to help protect your lips and cheeks from any other irritation as your mouth gets used to having them on.

You might be surprised to learn that you may be able to temporarily solve many problems yourself until you visit our office.

Common emergencies include:

-Broken Braces (If still attached to wire, you can leave it be or add wax if it's irritating you. This is not urgent unless it is causing persistent pain)
-Broken Wires (If it is poking you can try to put wax on it or use the end of a pencil eraser to protect your lips/cheeks. If it is not poking, you can leave it be and give us a call)
-Tie has come off of a Brace (This is not an urgent emergency, it can be fixed at your next appointment, but if you call and let us know we can fix it easily)
-Loss of a Separator (Give us a call, if it is close enough to the next appointment it should be okay, but if not, we will schedule you to come in and get it replaced)
-Wire Poking (At the beginning of treatment the wires tend to get long. You are welcome to try and clip the wire yourself with CLEAN nail clippers, or any sharp pliers that are small enough to fit in the mouth. You can try to cover it with wax, or a pencil eraser for the mean time)

To conclude, it doesn't hurt to give us a call if you are having concerns, but hopefully after reading this you can be alleviated that not all of your emergencies are URGENT!