Questions we are often asked

In conventional orthodontics the back teeth are used as the anchor for moving other teeth. Using molars to pull the front teeth also moves the molars themselves, which is rarely what you want.

Rapid orthodontics avoids that by placing no appliance on the molars and using a specially designed mini-implant — the C-implant — instead. This is the target approach: only the part you want to move is moved.

Several other purpose-designed devices allow tooth movement that is quicker, simpler and more efficient.

Because unwanted tooth movement does not occur and the movement we do want happens more efficiently, treatment time can be reduced considerably.

We also use methods that stimulate the tissue around the tooth.

In older adults, whose anatomy limits how far teeth can move, surgical methods such as corticotomy under local anaesthetic can give a faster and more effective result.

Three devices form the basis of the technique: the C-implant, the C-tube and the C-plate. The right one is designed for the case at hand. All three are patents of Professor Kyu-Rhim Chung, who originated rapid orthodontics.

They were designed to address the shortcomings of earlier appliances and to make tooth movement simpler, more efficient and faster.

Fitting the devices generally causes little pain — patients often compare it to having their ears pierced.

A simple painkiller before and after is usually enough, and any dull ache tends to last half a day to a day.

The C-implant is a strong, purpose-designed orthodontic device created by Professor Kyu-Rhim Chung.

When a tooth is lost these days it is often replaced with an implant; think of the C-implant as a miniature version of that. It is placed simply between two teeth and used to move them.

Because it removes the need to bond conventional appliances to the molars, it can be a good choice for patients whose gum health is poor.

Once placed, it integrates with the bone and withstands greater force without loosening. That allows forces to be applied selectively that were previously impractical, so treatment can be faster and more effective.

It is normally placed under local anaesthetic. Because there is little inflammation or pain, we do not prescribe antibiotics. One or two doses of a painkiller before and after are enough, and any pain usually goes within a day or two.

Placement takes around ten minutes. In short, it is a device that is simple to place and does a great deal.

That is right. Where teeth are crowded and the mouth protrudes, extraction was often used to create space. Rapid orthodontics can move teeth backwards effectively, so we can push them back and treat without extraction.

Not in every case, of course — we have to look closely at what the patient wants and at the conditions. But it is true that treating without extraction has become far more common than it used to be.

In general, the younger the patient the more readily teeth move. We usually recommend treatment before the age of twenty; starting in the upper years of primary school or in middle school makes treatment easier and reduces side effects.

That said, more adults are seeking treatment these days, particularly patients in their thirties and forties. Rapid orthodontic techniques reduce side effects and allow more effective treatment in these cases too. Because the C-implant does not require appliances bonded to the molars, it gives good results in older patients with gum disease.

Orthodontics is fundamentally about moving teeth within bone. Where there is little bone around the tooth, or where the bone has hardened with age, movement is limited.

In those cases we soften the bone around the tooth to encourage it to move. That is corticotomy.

For faster and more effective movement we may also remove bone around the tooth in part and move it with greater force. That is osteotomy.

These methods can shorten treatment. How much, and how long treatment takes overall, depends on the state of the teeth and how far they must move, so we give you an estimate after examining you.