Propel Orthodontics

A Gentle Way to Get a Straight Smile Faster

Orthodontic treatment is becoming increasingly popular, especially for adults, but when first considering Invisalign or another braces system, many people will want to know how long treatment takes to complete. Although orthodontic treatment can give you a perfect smile, moving teeth into the proper positions takes a while, and some people may be put off treatment if they need to spend a long time wearing braces. Now imagine if there were a way to reduce the overall treatment time while still getting a beautiful straight and healthy smile at the end, and this is where PROPEL orthodontics can help.

What Is PROPEL Orthodontics?

Propel orthodontics is a way to accelerate treatment time, and it can make a real difference to the overall time needed to straighten your teeth. It works by increasing the mobility of teeth so they move into the proper positions more quickly. It is an appealing treatment for anyone who doesn’t fancy spending a considerable amount of time wearing brackets, wires, and elastics. It’s necessary to think about how teeth move during orthodontic treatment to understand how PROPEL orthodontics works.

When you have orthodontics, it applies a specific amount of pressure to your teeth, causing the bone around teeth to soften and remodel, allowing teeth to move through the jawbone into the correct positions. This process is not quick, and PROPEL is a way of accelerating the rate at which jawbone cells turnover so teeth can move faster. There are two ways an orthodontist can accelerate your treatment using PROPEL. Some people will use just one method, while others may benefit from using both. Your orthodontist can recommend a suitable treatment plan after examining your teeth.

PROPEL Excellerator

During this method, tiny holes are made in your gum tissue and the bone, which helps to accelerate tooth movements by increasing the turnover of new bone cells in that area. Usually, only one treatment is necessary to move teeth, although people who need more significant tooth movements may benefit from a second treatment.

Planning Treatment

Before this treatment, your orthodontist will need to evaluate your orthodontic records and take digital dental x-rays, a digital scan of your teeth, and photographs of your face and teeth. They use the diagnostic information to create a detailed treatment plan, evaluating how each tooth will need to move to create a straighter and more aesthetically pleasing smile and to ensure your teeth bite together correctly. The treatment plan determines where each micro perforation is made on either side of the tooth to be moved. Making these micro-perforations may sound dramatic, but it is completely pain-free; using a local anesthetic ensures you feel comfortable during the procedure.

How Does the Process Work?

When the gum and bone are micro-perforated, it kickstarts the body into turning over new bone cells more quickly. The process was developed after it was realized that teeth move more quickly into areas where there has been some form of trauma, for example, where teeth were recently extracted. Usually, only one or two perforations are needed between teeth, and treatment lasts around three months.

PROPEL VPro5

This second method uses a small hand-free device you use daily at home for five minutes, placing it inside your mouth. The device subtly vibrates at a frequency that stimulates and accelerates tooth movements. It must be used alongside your orthodontic treatment and when you start wearing retainers. Generally, this form of treatment is used with clear aligners like Invisalign and works in two different ways. The vibrations help the aligners to adapt more closely to the teeth and to seat more firmly, accelerating tooth movements and ensuring treatment is more effective. Secondly, these vibrations help improve blood flow to the bone around your teeth, so bone cell turnover increases, helping to speed up the movement of teeth. Additionally, the vibrations can help relieve any orthodontic discomfort. It is perfectly normal to feel a little bit of discomfort during orthodontic treatment as your teeth need to move through bone.

What to Expect After Having PROPEL?

Treatment is minimally invasive, and you can return to everyday activities soon afterward. You may feel some mild discomfort after the local anesthetic wears off due to inflammation, but this is the desired effect of the treatment and ensures it will work properly. After having PROPEL, it is best to avoid very spicy or acidic foods in case your gums feel more sensitive. Your orthodontist may advise using an antimicrobial or hydrogen peroxide mouthwash to help eliminate bacteria and ensure your mouth remains clean, fresh, and hygienic.

Is Treatment Safe?

These treatments are extremely safe and very effective. They have undergone extensive testing and reviews to ensure they help patients achieve good results more quickly.

Ensuring You Complete Orthodontic Treatment as Quickly as Possible

Other strategies can help ensure you complete orthodontic treatment quickly, complementing PROPEL and getting excellent results. For example, if you have fixed braces, avoid eating chewy or very hard foods that can break or damage the brackets and wires, so they are less able to move your teeth correctly. If you have elastics on your braces, don’t be tempted to leave them out and only use them at night, as this will slow down your treatment. Your orthodontist may advise removing them for eating, but you should always replace them immediately afterward. When eating, get into the habit of cutting your food up into smaller, bite-sized pieces. Doing so prevents you from biting into food and protects your brace brackets and the wires from becoming damaged.

Finally, seeing your orthodontist as often as recommended for follow-up appointments is very important. These appointments are essential for checking your treatment is progressing according to your treatment plan and for making any small adjustments that might be needed. If you fail to attend or continually reschedule these appointments, you could slow down your treatment. Your regular preventive dental appointments are also very important. Maintaining a clean and healthy mouth and gums will help ensure that once your braces are removed, you have strong, healthy teeth and a beautiful smile that will last longer.

PROPEL can be used for approximately 80% of patients receiving orthodontic treatment, and can be used in conjunction with any treatment type, including TADs, clear aligners, clear braces, and conventional metal braces. To learn more, contact orthodontists at Gibbs Orthodontic Associates today!