HEALTH : The New Pull: Using Magnets to Straighten Crooked Teeth
Tiny magnets are the newest weapons in the war on crooked teeth.
Used in sets of two, the magnets are about 1/10-inch long and come in various shapes. They are attached to a wired appliance, which in turn is attached to the molars, explained Dr. Anthony Gianelly, who reported on magnet use Monday at the American Assn. of Orthodontists’ meeting in Anaheim.
The magnets work, he said, “by applying a force on the tooth, directing it backwards. That force compels the underlying bone to change form, allowing the tooth to move.” Once in place, the magnets can’t be seen, said Gianelly, the chairman of the department of orthodontics at Boston University’s School of Graduate Dentistry.
The magnets can be used with or without traditional orthodontic braces, Gianelly said. They can eliminate the need for orthodontic head gear, a device extending outside the mouth that many young patients hate to wear. Some dentists believe the magnets work better for children than for adults because their teeth are more easily moved. Gianelly said he has used the devices in about 100 patients since 1986. About 1,000 orthodontists nationwide--about 1/10th of the total--now use magnets, he estimated.
Cost of the magnet therapy is minimal and is absorbed by some orthodontists because it shortens the treatment, said Abraham Blechman, an orthodontist and chairman of a company that makes the magnets.
Other news reported at the meeting:
- Children who comply poorly with orthodontic treatment may not be obstinate. They simply may have low pain thresholds, according to orthodontist Larry W. White, an orthodontist who calls these patients “turtles without shells.
“When their toothbrushing pressures were measured, they used 4.5 times less brushing force than did compliant patients,” White reported.
For those patients--and others--he recommends that orthodontists or parents set up a “token” reward system to improve compliance. His patients get two tokens, for instance, for brushing well, one for punctuality at appointments and three for not breaking their braces. They then trade tokens for prizes such as a T-shirt or tote bag, which each require 25 tokens. White finds that the system improves their hygiene. He estimates that a few hundred orthodontists use such a reward system and that parents could probably expect similar results.
- Patients with gum disease can often wear braces successfully if they follow a few caveats, said Neal Murphy, an Encino periodontist and USC assistant clinical professor of periodontics. “Orthodontists should select the smallest possible braces for their patients with gum disease,” he said. “The smaller the braces, the easier it is for periodontists and patients to clean teeth and control gum disease,” he noted. Once the braces are on, patients should visit the periodontist every three months, he said.
Knowing Your Oats
Somehow, it just had to happen, and it’s touted as good news for cholesterol-conscious, breakfast-skipping oatmeal haters. Oat bran pasta has arrived at some Los Angeles area natural food markets.
One variety, Edward & Sons Trading Company Oat Bran Fettuccini Pasta, has no sodium, no cholesterol, 1 gram of fat per serving and is 25% oat bran, said company spokesman Patrick Cunningham
“A serving of this oat bran pasta appears to be equal to a half serving of oat bran cereal, so it’s a good source of soluble fiber,” said Linda Dahl , a registered dietitian and director of nutrition services at HCA Los Robles Regional Medical Center, Thousand Oaks. But be careful, she added, not to add a high-fat cream-based sauce. “Use a tomato sauce instead.”
And for those who loathe oats in any form? Next up is rice bran pasta, Cunningham promises. In recent animal studies, that grain lowered cholesterol as much as oat bran.
