CRI听力:3D and Robot Help Make Braces

A whiter smile and straighter teeth are a vital part of cosmetic makeovers. But fittings for braces can be time-consuming and imprecise. That's why some orthodontists are now using a new robot-like device.

The patient's teeth are covered with a white powder and then scanned with a white light from a handheld CT scanner. Within seconds every twist and turn of every incisor and molar is reproduced on a computer screen.

Both the patient and his orthodontist can see what the teeth look like from every angle. This means the patient can choose precisely how he wants his teeth corrected.

The brace is then made to exact measurements by robots. The process is called Sure Smile.

As in traditional orthodontics, several braces need to be fitted over a period of correction as the teeth move towards the desired position. But having a computer scan means you can plot the changes for the desired effect in advance, and each fitting is custom-made.

Orthodontist Shivani Patel has begun using Sure Smile.

"It takes away from that tedious wire bending that orthodontists have to do, because now you can tailor it yourself using 3D simulation and instructing robots to do it for you."

Patel says Sure Smiles' own research indicates the process can cut treatment time by thirty percent, even in the most difficult cases. She says the most exciting difference is the modeling.

"Because you can use 3D simulation from the 3D models, you can actually create the finished product. So the patient can see on the computer, what their teeth look like right now and what their teeth are going to look like at the end of the treatment."

Patel says this helps reassure patients.

"This allows them to have an image in their mind of what the finished product is going to be like. It also allows the patient to have an input of where they would like to have their teeth, because they can, along with the orthodontist, actually prescribe where exactly they want their teeth to be placed to create that perfect smile."

Patel believes Sure Smile will revolutionize orthodontics.

"Patients are absolutely wowed. There is no technology in the country at the moment that allows patients to see their start teeth along with their finished (ones). It's not left to the patient's imagination. They have it right in front of them—what their teeth are going to look like, and that is an absolute wow factor."

Patel believes the Sure Smile treatment is suitable for most patients of all ages. But she admits the "wow factor" doesn't come cheaply.

In the private sector, the British Orthodontic Society says fees for braces can vary from more than 3,000 to nearly 10,000 U.S. dollars depending on the complexity of treatment and the type of appliances used.

The Sure Smile system will cost more than that, although no figures have been made public. But as the technology becomes more widespread, it's hoped the designer smile will become more affordable.

For CRI, I'm Li Dong.