Earl O. Bergerson is the owner and founder of Ortho-Tain Inc. He has been practicing in the field of orthodontics for more than 30 years.
OP: How many different courses do you offer?
Bergerson: We currently offer courses through the United States Dental Institute as well as attend 15 conventions per year. We offer courses for all the different appliances as well as the different levels of difficulty.
OP: How are your courses taught?
Bergerson: Courses are taught in the United States by myself and in other countries by reps or myself. We also have dealers in over 15 countries that offer their own classes on Ortho-Tain.
OP: Do students receive continuing education credits?
Bergerson: Yes, 8 hours.
OP: Could you briefly explain the different treatments that you have developed using preformed eruption-guidance appliances?
Bergerson: There are basically three forms of treatment possibilities with these appliances. The Nite-Guide technique treats children 5–7 years of age by guiding permanent incisors in and correcting any overbite, overjet, and expanding the arches up to 5 mm while the child simply sleeps with the appliance. Over my many years of orthodontics, I have found that by having a child wear a Nite-Guide appliance for only 1 hour while sleeping, a perfect Class I occlusion will develop with no crowding or rotations. Once the adult teeth have properly been guided into place, the collagenous fibers develop to secure the teeth in place with little retention. Treatment time usually takes about 2 years, depending on the speed of eruption of the incisors. What is amazing is that 93% of all children are candidates for this type of treatment (according to a Tufts study). Our profession is always looking for preventive techniques, and Nite-Guide will be able to do that and more.
The second technique uses the Occlus-o-Guide appliance, which can correct any overbite or overjet and up to 4 mm of crowding or spacing in an 8- to 12-year-old. The patient wears it 2 hours per day and at night for approximately 4–10 months. The exercising is thought to increase the blood supply to the teeth and allows the teeth to move more quickly. Again, this technique incorporates the same principle of providing a perfect Class I template for the patient, which guides erupting teeth and effectively moves teeth into a correct occlusion.
The third technique is the Ortho-T, which is used in adults to correct 4 mm of overbite, overjet, and 2 mm of crowding or spacing. One appliance is used during the entire treatment with 1 hour of wear for a period of 1–12 months. The appliance will again correct cosmetic and functional problems at the same time. These three appliances have been used on more than 2 million patients.
OP: How does the Ortho-T differ from other braceless techniques?
Bergerson: Patients who come into our offices sometimes are determined to correct their teeth without braces. Most orthodontists want to provide patients with various options that are available to them. The Ortho-T offers a very time-efficient treatment that can straighten teeth and perfect the bite with one appliance and few, if any, adjustments. The Ortho-Tain appliances are all designed to match the dentition and physiology of the patient, and as a result they can be depended on to give consistent and ideal results.
