Sunday, November 30, 2014

Learning New Things

The more time passes, the more things I get to do around the office. I have been trained to use an autoclave sterilizer, observed the making of molds using alginate (pictured below), and observed the use of many different appliances.
Alginate + water mix
Finished alginate mold. The powder turns purple
when wet and returns to white as it dries.
Two of the appliances I got to see were TADS (temporary anchorage devices) and something called a Powerscope. The Powerscope is a device used to correct class II malocclusion (overbite) and it serves as a semi-permanent rubber band. The appliance attaches to the patient's wires and uses 260 grams of force (using the spring inside) to fix the bite. Supposedly the appliance also reduces treatment time and reduces costs.
So far, the appliances and the amazing things they do are the most interesting thing about orthodontics and there are so many more that I would like to learn about.

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