NEW YORK, Oct. 06, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Concerned orthodontist, Dr. Joseph T. Hung, DMD, MMSc, of RockCenter Orthodontics, today announces a suite of treatments to help patients with at-home orthodontic treatment, such as SmileDirectClub.
“My biggest fear with SmileDirectClub is the destabilization of the bite of millions of people,” stated Dr. Hung. “You can see the damage unfold yourself on YouTube when you find the videos of real patients, not the highly ranked biased and promoted positive ones. Witnessing their treatment progress is like watching a slow motion train wreck as their teeth can be pushed practically right out of their jaw bones,” he added.
Improving or maintaining the health and function of each patient’s teeth and bite should be the primary concern of any orthodontic treatment. How your smile looks is extremely important, but it should be of secondary importance to the health and function of your teeth and bite.
Beginning October 1, 2016, Align Technology, Inc., the makers of Invisalign clear plastic removable aligner therapy, became the exclusive supplier of aligners for SmileDirectClub.
Align Technology's involvement in the at-home teeth straightening market could help improve the patient experience by placing some much needed discipline on this rapidly evolving option for patients. Align Technologies has stated that SmileDirectClub will only treat minor cases with no more than 20 steps of movement that require no precision control with attachments or space making with interproximal reduction (IPR).
“You can still do irreparable harm in 20 steps of movement even without attachments or IPR,” said Dr. Hung. “In the human jaw, if you make no additional space, there is nowhere to go but outward. You can only push your teeth out so far without losing the stability of your teeth centered firmly in the bone,” he stated.
People undergoing at-home treatment should consider consulting an orthodontist for an evaluation of your smile.
Orthodontists are the only doctors specifically trained in diagnosing and treating “malocclusion” or “bad bite.” It used to be that moving your teeth could only be done by an orthodontist. Then, it became possible for any dentist to move teeth, and now you can do it by yourself at-home. “People really should trust only an orthodontist for moving their teeth. Orthodontic treatment by general dentists, who are untrained and inexperienced in diagnosing and treating malocclusion, is not much better than at-home treatment,” he concluded.
Specific services Dr. Hung provides to patients considering at-home or dentist-administered orthodontic treatment include pre-treatment planning and assessment, in-treatment teleconference or office visit appointments, occlusal stability assessment, and occlusal balancing adjustments.
For more information, please call 212-265-2577 or visit manhattanortho.com and orthodontistinsight.com.
About Dr. Joseph T. Hung, DMD, MMSc
Dr. Hung is one of the top orthodontists in New York and is highly trained and experienced in traditional and alternative orthodontic treatment procedures. Dr. Hung has been recognized as a top Invisalign provider every year since 2003, making him unparalleled and one of the most experienced Invisalign practitioners in the world.
Dr. Hung earned his doctorate degree in Dental Medicine, master’s degree in Medical Science, and Certificate of Orthodontics at Harvard University School of Dental Medicine with multiple honors. During his orthodontic training, Dr. Hung was the sole recipient of Harvard’s prestigious George R. Cadman Award for Clinical Excellence in Orthodontics. Dr. Hung has conducted extensive research in bone wound healing at Harvard Medical School’s Children’s Hospital.
Contact: David Balkcom Dr. Joseph T. Hung, DMD, MMSc RockCenter Orthodontics 212-265-3577 dbalkcom@manhattanortho.com
