Dr.Praveen Kurapati , MDS Orthodontist, Hyderabad is a Certified Invisalign Provider and his research interests have primarily focused on reducing the time of orthodontic treatment and improving the evidence. He is currently working in collaboration with Dr. Nandakumar Janakiraman (Professor at University of Louisville, USA). He is rated as one of the top Diamond Invisalign provider in the country. He is a member of the Indian Orthodontic Society and World Federation of Orthodontists.

How can you transform a patients’ life with your profession ?

As an Orthodontist, we have an opportunity to transform patients’ life by giving the desired smile they want. Anyone who wants to correct gaps in between their teeth, crowded, crooked, or straighten their teeth we provide them with the options of traditional metal braces, ceramic braces with ceramic wires, and clear aligners (Invisible braces).

Well shaped teeth is more than merely , a beautiful smile? What are the advantages of having alligned teeth?

Straighter teeth can do more than give you a beautiful smile like easier to clean, can mean healthier teeth and gums, less risk of chips, breaks, or abnormal wear of teeth, helps in proper chewing of food and proper speech pronunciation. Especially when we come across growing kids we see a lot of problems like underdeveloped lower jaws, mouth-breathing habits which lead to severe consequences. I recommended parents to take their child to an orthodontist ever after the child crosses 10 years for orthodontic correction if you see any malalignment of teeth.

How do you treat patients with several complexities? Also please elaborate the advantages of Invisalign treatment or traditional bracing ?

Depending upon the complexity of the case in earlier days I used to treat the patients with conventional braces but with the evolving technology dentistry also evolved from Analog to digital. We explain to the patient about pros and cons of traditional braces and clear aligners. Were traditional metal braces take longer treatment duration, unable to maintain proper oral hygiene leads to swollen gums, lot of food restrictions which made patients choose clear aligners like Invisalign
since they are invisible, comfortable, no food restrictions, lifestyle-friendly for camera person, barely noticeable.

After introducing invisible braces especially clear aligner system treating any sort of malaligned teeth has become easier and predictable. Clear aligners are medical-grade plastic replicas of your teeth. Wearing them puts gentle pressure on the teeth, making them virtually invisible and allowing an individual to inconspicuously achieve a healthy, beautiful smile.

The digital workflow of clear aligner system has reduced the number of clinic visits for patients and improved clinical efficiency by using high-end technology in orthodontics, which made my customized 3D treatment plans more accurate and precise.

How does this process work out ?

Initially, we take a oral digital scan which is a photographic scan of teeth that helps us to formulate your customized treatment plan. By visualizing the end treatment results even before starting the treatment gave my patients more confidence in getting their orthodontic treatment done. A series of customized clear aligners are fabricated and you will be fitted with your aligners by the orthodontist.

On an average, Invisalign clear aligners treatment time is 3-6 months, though you can start seeing results in a matter of weeks.
Invisalign is faster than braces. Invisalign treatment can be as short as 3 months, and the average duration is 6-8 months. Invisalign is significantly less painful than metal braces.
Over the years, Invisalign has continually improved the comfort and accuracy of their product. Invisalign offers much more than traditional braces, including the opportunity to see your new smile before you even begin your treatments!

What are the reviews of the patients after undergoing the treatment ?

My patients are really happy with Invisalign and they always have positive reviews. The most common ones are
“They are a comfortable fit and removable when eating and cleaning”
“More comfortable and less painful than braces.”
“Saw visible results In 6 weeks and in 6 months my teeth were 90 percent straight”
“Easy to maintain my oral health while getting the orthodontic treatment“

In my experience, even the most complicated cases are being treated successfully with this system for adults and teens. Aligners are treated by only IOS certified orthodontist since it requires a lot of skill to understand the tooth moment precisely. I can now surely say that the future of orthodontics is clear aligner system.

Interview by : Subhechcha Ganguly