David Taylor - McAllen Invisalign and Braces

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Invisalign- About the Company

invisalign-retainerMany of you may be under the impression that Invisalign is the name of the company that gave us an alternative to the dreaded “metal mouth.” However, Invisalign is actually a product manufactured by Align Technology, Inc. They are a company that has set out to provide the dental and orthodontic industries with innovative products that began with Invisalign clear aligners, but now includes iTero Intraoral scanners and OrthoCAD digital services. These technologies have allowed dental professionals, all across the world, to achieve outstanding results with their patients. The first sentence of Align Technology’s website sums up their company perfectly:

“Align Technology is dedicated to transforming lives by improving the journey to a healthy, beautiful smile.”

It All Started With Invisalign

Amazingly, the Invisalign product was not created by a dental professional. In fact, it was created by an orthodontic patient by the name of Zia Chishti. It’s reported that Chishti conceived the idea when he was given a retainer to finish out his orthodontic treatment. His thought was that a series of retainer like devices would be able to slowly move teeth into proper placement.

Chishti partnered with fellow Stanford business graduate, Kelsey Wirth, in 1997. By 1998, their product was approved by the FDA and made available to the public a year later. Invisalign was initially met with resistance from the orthodontic community. This was due to the fact that neither Chishti nor Wirth actually had any credentials or expertise in orthodontic science. Like with many industries, this resistance gave way to the realization that there was a large amount of consumer interest.

Invisalign quickly gained popularity among orthodontic patients, especially the increasing number of adults seeking treatment. As it turns out, Chishti and Wirth were not prepared for the problems that come along with growth. After a series of misguided business and marketing decisions, they resigned from the company and were replaced by Tom Prescott. Fortunately, this change proved to be beneficial for both the Invisalign product and Align Technology as a whole.

“What I saw was a great opportunity with talented people and a very disruptive emerging technology. We rallied the management team to focus on fewer, more important priorities and were able to advance the business substantially.” – Tom Prescott

Align Technology has since grown to be a company of nearly 4 thousand employees. In 2007, they introduced a revolutionary technology in the form of the iTero Intraoral scanner and services. A simple explanation for this system would be that physical impressions of a patient’s teeth are now a thing of the past. This scanner creates a 3D image of the patient’s mouth that can then be used for a variety of procedures and treatments. Always looking to better educate their patients, a simulator was developed to show patients the outcome of their Invisalign treatment. Their commitment to the industry and its patients is nothing short of outstanding.

The Future of Align Technology and Invisalign

“We’re a young company. We still have more of a startup mentality. We see the opportunity for the very long term to become a standard of care in orthodontics and a leader in digital dentistry.” – Tom Prescott

Align Technology will undoubtedly continue to set the bar for innovation in the orthodontic and dental industries. There are currently over 45 thousand trained Invisalign doctors and over 3 million people have been treated. Align Technology’s ambition to continuously deliver cutting edge orthodontic and dental solutions will ensure that those numbers continue to grow in the years to come. If you’re considering orthodontic treatment with clear aligners, joining the Invisalign family is the best choice you could make.

Filed Under: General, Invisalign October 1, 2015 By Website Contributor Leave a Comment

What is the American Association of Orthodontists?

AmericanAssociationofOrthodontistsThe American Association of Orthodontists was founded in 1900 and is the oldest and largest dental specialty organization in the world. It’s membership consists of more than 17,000 orthodontist members throughout the United States, Canada and abroad. In order for an individual to become an orthodontist they must first complete dental school. They are then required to attend an additional 2 to 3 years of schooling at an accredited orthodontic residency program. Only then are they allowed to call themselves an orthodontist and gain membership into the American Association of Orthodontists. What this means is that it is made up of highly qualified and educated individuals and their positive reputation is well earned.

What Does the American Association of Orthodontists Do?

As stated on their Mission and History page, they are “dedicated to:

  • Ethically advancing the art and science of orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics worldwide.
  • Improving the health of the public by promoting quality orthodontic care, the importance of overall oral health care, and advocating for the public interest.
  • Educating the public about the benefits of orthodontic treatment and the educational qualifications of orthodontic specialists.
  • Supporting AAO members in the practice of orthodontics.”

American Association of Orthodontist Foundation

Through their charitable entity, the American Association of Orthodontist Foundation, they provide funding and support for orthodontic research and education programs. Over $10 million in funding has been provided in support of Junior Faculty since 1994. The result of which has been the publishing of over 100 articles in orthodontic journals and even many publications outside of the profession. Dozen of lectures at orthodontic, dental and various other scientific meetings have also been made possible by this funding.

The American Association of Orthodontist Foundation also aids in professional advancement.

“Of the 66 Department Chairs and 36 Program Directors (total of 102) in the 72 graduate orthodontic residency programs in the U.S. and Canada, 31 were supported early in their academic careers by the AAO Foundation.”

Along with supporting Junior Faculty, the Foundation has started the AAOF Craniofacial Growth Legacy Collection and launched a new campaign, Research Initiative. The first is a massive collaboration of orthodontic collections with the intent to both preserve these records as well as make them available for academic research and other clinical purposes. Research Initiative is their latest fundraising effort with the goal of realizing $5 million in new pledges by December 31, 2015. The result of which would be an additional $300,000 dedicated strictly to orthodontic research.

My Life My Smile by the American Association of Orthodontists

My Life My Smile is all about helping and educating the public. Through this website you can learn about, and find information on, treatment options available to you and what to expect during treatment. You can use the site to locate an orthodontist near you that is a member of the American Association of Orthodontists. There are over 250 reports, essays, and clinical summaries available and even public service announcements; the latest of which warns against do it yourself orthodontic methods. To put it simply, the American Association of Orthodontists created My Life My Smile to provide a wealth of knowledge and resources to the consumer.

The American Association of Orthodontists strives to improve and further orthodontic science while also educating not only their members but the public as well. It is for these reasons that they will undoubtedly continue to grow and reshape the orthodontic industry.

Filed Under: General August 28, 2015 By Website Contributor Leave a Comment

Choosing the Best Invisalign Provider in McAllen Texas

shutterstock_261696827Like many individuals, you have decided to receive orthodontic treatment and improve your smile.

After researching the options available to you, you’ve come to the conclusion that you would like to be treated with Invisalign. But how do you go about finding the best Invisalign provider in McAllen, Texas (or any area for that matter)?

Step 1: See Who Invisalign Recommends

The first place to begin is the Find a Doctor page on the Invisalign website.

The results of your search are listed according to three important ratings awarded by Invisalign: Preferred, Premier and Premier Elite, the requirements of each being listed below.
Preferred Invisalign Provider
● Treat 10 new cases per year.
Premier Invisalign Provider
● Has treated a combined total of at least 50 cases.
● Treat 25 new cases every 6 months.
Premier Elite Invisalign Provider
● Has treated a combined total of at least 300 cases.
● Treat 50 new cases every 6 months.

There is also a fourth ranking, “Top 1%,” which, needless to say, is reserved for the most experienced doctors. It’s also important to note that if a doctor provides Invisalign treatment to teenagers (ages 11 to 19) it will be specified by both a tag in their profile and a star in their ratings icon.

So how do you use this information to help you find the best Invisalign provider in McAllen, Texas? What the Invisalign rating system does establish is the level of experience held by the doctor. Just like any other skill, practice makes perfect and time invested directly correlates to the quality of the outcome. Another factor that is overlooked is the effect of word of mouth. An Invisalign provider doesn’t have hundreds of cases under their belt by producing anything less than top quality results.

In this instance, Invisalign shows that Dr Taylor is the top Invisalign provider for McAllen and in fact the entire Rio Grande Valley, because he is the only Premier Elite Invisalign provider.
While these ratings can provide a great deal of insight when trying to decide on the best Invisalign provider in McAllen, there are some other things to consider.

Click Here to See Invisalign Recommendations for McAllen Texas

Step 2: Chose an Orthodontist over a Dentist

Invisalign can be delivered by any dentist. However normally a regular dentist will charge a similar amount for Invisalign as an Orthodontist. So if you are paying more or less the same, why not go to the specialist? You owe it to yourself to get the best possible practitioner for your Invisalign invisible braces. Look carefully at the qualifications listed for the dentist who is advertising Invisalign. Is he or she an Orthodontist? There are years more training required to become an orthodontist and they specialize only in braces. There are many advantages to choosing someone who is a specialist. In a very technical world specialists have the time and training to really understand what they are doing and this very true of orthodontists.

Step 3: Check Testimonials

Often you can find testimonials from previous patients. Google reviews are a great place to start. For example if you Dr. David Taylor’s reviews (click here) you will see he has a 4.7 star rating out of a maximum of 5 stars. This is very high and a good indication that you are going to get good service there too.

Your smile is important to you and before starting any sort of treatment you want to be sure you’re in the right hands.

By using and understanding the Invisalign ratings system you shouldn’t have any trouble finding the best Invisalign provider in McAllen, Texas.

Filed Under: General, Invisalign July 29, 2015 By Website Contributor Leave a Comment

Orthodontics Brings Hope and Smiles For Patients With Disabilities

invisalign-1As one might suspect, the physical and developmental challenges of special needs patients can present a certain level of difficulty when it comes to orthodontic care. But according to a recent article published by The American Association of Orthodontists, this is fortunately beginning to change. Patients with physical, cognitive and developmental disabilities are able to have their orthodontic needs taken care of thanks to advances in treatment technology, as well as education in caring for these types of patients, becoming more widely available to orthodontists.

An orthodontist with a history of treating special needs patients stated that “As recently as ten years ago, many orthodontists lacked the education and experience to work with patients with disabilities, and as a result, patients and caregivers were frustrated.”

This frustration is completely understandable not only because of the importance of oral health but also because, just like the rest of the population, these patients would benefit greatly from the boost in confidence gained by a healthy, beautiful smile. Organizations such as the American Association of Orthodontists are looking to have an impact by offering doctors continuing education on the matter. Doctors are documenting their successes and producing case studies to help further the level of education that is available. What’s even more amazing is that some orthodontic practices are taking it a step further and reaching out to special education teachers within their communities in order to learn about how to work with specific disabilities. These combined efforts are having a huge impact on the orthodontic industry and the lives of adults and children with special needs.

Patients with cerebral palsy struggle with excessive saliva, muscle control and an open bite with protruding front teeth that is coupled with tongue thrusting. Because of their open bite they are unable to close their lips which also contributes to their excessive flow of saliva. Through the use of removable aligner trays, temporary anchorage devices or simple surgeries, many of these problems can now be addressed. For example a case handled by an orthodontist out of California, is sure to tug on the heartstrings. This was a patient with cerebral palsy who struggled to eat on her own and required supervision during every meal in case she began to choke. As the orthodontist explains, “By straightening the patient’s teeth and aligning the jaw, she is now able to eat on her own. This is a huge lifestyle change for both patient and caregiver.”

Additional benefits are being had in the oral hygiene of these patients as well. Oftentimes the teeth of patients with cerebral palsy are crowded or poorly aligned. This results in the patient, or caregiver, having a difficult time with flossing or brushing of the teeth. With the option to remove the aligners that comes with using Invisalign removable aligners, and as the alignment of the teeth are corrected, this becomes an easier task. Due to the fact that the condition of their teeth is too complicated to use removable aligners, patients with downs syndrome are often fitted with traditional braces. In cases such as these, orthodontists are able to use tools like smaller hygienic brackets to make oral hygiene easier on both patient and caregiver. It is also noted that electronic and ultrasonic tooth brushing systems are beneficial to all patients.

While not all orthodontic practices treat special needs patients, the number that do will surely continue to grow as awareness increases, technologies improve and the level of education is expanded upon. In just ten years the orthodontic industry has come a long way in the treatment of special needs patients.

We can only imagine what will be possible with the advancements brought on in the next ten.

Filed Under: General June 23, 2015 By Website Contributor Leave a Comment

Invisalign Survey

invisalign-retainersThe Invisalign website published a fun article late last year for National Singles Week. Invisalign had commissioned a survey to find out how much having straight teeth affected romance.

They had 2000 people surveyed in the US to find out if an improved smile (which of course is what Invisalign is all about) increases your chance of getting kissed! And of course it does.

The survey showed that almost three out of four (74%) would rather kiss someone with a nice smile as opposed to someone with crooked teeth. Well, that makes sense.

You can see the infographic that invisalign published with this report here.

The invisalign article also quoted Justine Santaniello as saying about dating that

“It’s an inexact science. There’s no perfect recipe of style, looks and other personal traits that boosts a single’s chances of success in finding their soul mate, or at least of steering away from the dating duds. But what is clear from loads of research and my personal experience is that having a winning smile often influences whether you even get that first date.”

 

I am not sure that survey was really needed to establish that. Straight teeth enhance beauty and looking good is a factor in dating, work and even getting off a speeding ticket. Pretty much all your relationships get a boost if you improve your smile.

That is why Invisalign is so great. Because you can still keep USING your smile while you are straightening your teeth. If a persons smile is so important -as the survey from Invisalign suggests- then why cover it up with nasty braces? Correcting your teeth with invisalign means that you can smile and look good- no one can tell you are wearing braces. And ask your teeth straighten, you just keep looking better and better.

We are the Valley’s only Premier Preffered Invisalign provider and we have done hundreds of Invisalign cases. Come to the top rated McAllen Invisalign provider for a free consultation!

Filed Under: General April 28, 2014 By Website Contributor Leave a Comment

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