3-Dimentional imaging is an amazing diagnostic tool that dramatically enhances an orthodontist’s ability to more accurately determine customized treatment plans for each patient. There is no question that you can get far more information from a 3-D image than you can from a traditional 2-D Image. With the I-Cat’s 3-D imaging technology used at Orthodontic Partners, Dr. Corbridge & Dr. Bruntz are able to study the patient’s skeletal, dental, soft tissue and other anatomical features. After all, orthodontics does more than just move teeth… it also affects the position and shape of the surrounding bone, gums, lips, cheeks and muscles of the face. 3-D imaging gives us the ability to consider all of these factors in developing the best possible treatment plan. Also, the I-Cat technology integrates perfectly with SureSmile which we also use in our office. SureSmile uses the latest in 3-D technology to create customized archwires which are precisely bent using robotics.

Over time a child with a thumb or finger habit will likely develop a high narrow arch and what is known as an open bite where the front teeth do not come together. Along with the open bite, children will often develop a tongue thrusting habit which can further compound the orthodontic problem and lead to speech problems. Also people with narrow arches are more prone to snore.

Thumb or finger habits can relieve stress and be relaxing for children. The habit usually consists of forming a suction between the thumb/finger and the roof of the mouth. There are many tried and true methods to break the habit, but if if your child has reached the age of 4 and is still having a problem, there are orthodontic appliances that can be used to stop the habit. And if the development of your child's mouth has been affected by the habit, they should have an orthodontic evaluation no later than age 6. This will allow us to work with the natural growth of your child's jaw to correct the problem and give them the smile you want them to have.

February is National Dental Health Month. The purpose is to raise awareness about the importance of oral health. It's always important to get regular dental cleanings but it becomes even more important when you have braces because there are more places for food to catch. If you have not had a dental cleaning recently, Dr. Lohse, Dr. Corbridge and Dr. Bruntz encourage you to schedule an appointment with your general dentist and if you're a patient of Orthodontic Partners be sure to pick up a dental cleaning certificate from one of our offices to have signed by your dentist. With each signed certificate we will give you 10 wooden nickels you can use in our office to get great prizes like movie tickets, Starbucks and much more. We want you to have a beautiful healthy smile.

All of us at Orthodontic Partners take great pride in providing the very best orthodontic care, so it means a lot to us when our patients recommend our office to their friends and family. That's why we are so excited to announce that Bennett Wallace is our most recent winner of an iPod Shuffle. Bennett recommended our office to a friend. When Bennett's friend came in for an orthodontic evaluation, we sent Bennett two movie tickets and entered his name into our drawing for an iPod. This is our way of saying "Thank You!"

We hope you are our next iPod winner.

SureSmile is the amazing technology we use at Orthodontic Partners to help you achieve the smile of your dreams in the shortest time possible. With SureSmile we are able to generate a 3D image of your teeth. From that, the Drs are able to move and align each tooth to give you the perfect bite relationship. Because the computer knows exactly where your teeth are when the 3D scan is taken, and exactly where the Drs want to move them, it's able to design a custom made archwire. The wire is actually made of a Shape Memory Alloy that can only be bent by a robot so it's extremely accurate. With traditional treatment, wires have to be manually bent with pliers making small adjustments over months, over correcting and under correcting, until finally your teeth are where they need to be. With SureSmile we avoid all that and your teeth move in a direct path to their final destination thereby reducing treatment up to 40%. This means not only shorter treatment time for you but less time away from school and work. Orthodontic Partners is actually the world's most experienced provider of SureSmile and the great thing is you can receive the SureSmile treatment in any of our four offices in Reno, Sparks, South Meadows or Fernley.

For more information, visit our website at http://www.orthodonticpartners.net/suresmile.html or call our office at (775) 825-4804.

Dr. John Lohse, Dr. Brent Corbridge and Dr. Lance Bruntz have provided the Reno/Sparks area with quality orthodontic care for over 30 years. All 3 doctors share the commitment to the quality of care their patients receive. As such, Orthodontic Partners utilizes cutting edge technology to provide unparalleled service while also creating a fun and enjoyable environment. The end result is better orthodontic care and a better experience for our patients.