Having straight teeth and a beautiful smile is more than just having a positive self-image and feeling confident. The correlation is also linked to relationship-building, employability and work/school performance and even expected income! Orthodontic treatment is a commitment worth making, and today’s technology is making the process more and more efficient. With Propel Accelerated Orthodontics, we can expedite your time in braces and Invisalign, and reduce the amount of visits to our office.
As the only practice in Johannesburg to offer Propel, we want to provide you with as much information as possible on this treatment supplement. Find out more about it below.
What is Propel Accelerated Orthodontics?
Propel is a brand of accelerated orthodontics where typical orthodontic treatments are used in conjunction with minor oral surgery to reduce the time needed achieve straight teeth.
Patients love the virtually pain-free experience of Propel, which is a patented and FDA-regulated procedure. Doctors love that the procedure harnesses your body’s own biological response to accelerate tooth movement. Both love that teeth can be straightened nearly four times faster with Propel. The procedure is fast and easy:
- Dr. Choonara will determine the best locations to make three osteoperforations with the Propel device.
- The, the patient rinses with an antiseptic rinse.
- Dr. Choonara will provide local, topical anesthetic (no needles required!)
- Then, he’ll use a sterile, one-use-only Propel device to make three perforations into the upper gum around the teeth you want to accelerate for advanced movement, selecting the depth depending on area. The procedure takes less than 30 minutes.
- Patients can resume their normal routine, with no recovery time needed.
- The procedure may be repeated at six to eight-week intervals, if needed.
What To Do After Your Propel Procedure
Dr. Choonara recommends you follow these tips to get the maximum benefit:
- Rinse to disinfect. Dr. Choonara recommends that you use hydrogen peroxide as a rinse three times a day, without dilution. This may not taste great, but it will disinfect your mouth and promote the healing around the microperforations. You can brush and use mouthwash afterwards.
- Say NO to anti-inflammatories. While it might be tempting to grab that bottle of ibuprofen to ease any discomfort you may feel, it will totally reverse what the Propel treatment is doing. This includes Aleve, Advil and aspirin. The inflammatory response created by Propel promotes vascularization, healing, and faster tooth movement. Reducing the inflammation with medications prevents the procedure from working properly.
- Be patient with soreness. There is a moderate amount of discomfort following your Propel treatment, but it is temporary and will go away within a couple of days.
- Avoid spice and citrus. Hot and spicy foods as well as condiments like Tabasco and citric acids will burn or sting the healing areas.
- Continue orthodontic treatment. Be sure to continue wearing your aligners and care for your braces as directed.
Call Your Johannesburg Orthodontist To Find Out More!
If you have any questions about Propel, feel free to ask Dr. Choonara during your initial consultation appointment. You can get started by giving our office a call at (011) 678-8090 or you can schedule an appointment online. One of our staff members would be happy to answer any of your questions. We look forward to hearing from you soon!