“An orthodontist has another 4000 to 6000 hours of hands-on clinical orthodontic experience beyond that of a dentist’s training.
“During three years of intense supervised training, we encounter every type of smile and bite problem.
“In addition to the practical training, masters students undertake full-time academic study of the theory of orthodontics.
“It’s pretty full-on. That’s why it’s called the divorce course. Saturdays were the only days I had off for the whole three years.”
Katherine says although the training was intensive and challenging, it was very rewarding to finish such a course and be able to apply the knowledge to “create more than great smiles”.
The team at KT Orthodontics has been together for a long time, some for 13 years.
“I’m so fortunate to have a very experienced, highly-skilled and caring team around me. We are like a family here,” she says.
“We have recently been joined by Andrew Parton from Cardiff who gained his dentistry degree from Bristol University in 2004 and his clinical doctorate degree in orthodontics from Otago University. Andrew, who is based in Havelock North, comes to Gisborne every two or three weeks for a couple of days.
“Wendy Lindsey is our practice manager, Sue Hermon and Christine Fraser are our specialist orthodontic auxiliaries, Marie-Pierre Bastien looks after the front desk, lab work and sterilising, while Helen van Wijk also does sterilising and lab work.
“KT Orthodontics are a client of Prime Practice, a Sydney-based company that helps with practice management systems and enables the team to achieve and maintain very high standards of business, patient care and service.”
During her 16 years as an orthodontist, Katherine has seen huge advances in technology.
“Invisalign treatment, the near-invisible alternative to traditional braces, is one of the most exciting advancements. I think Invisalign will revolutionise orthodontics.
“The clear plastic aligners, made with the aid of digital technology, are like light-weight mouthguards which fit over the teeth and can be removed for eating and cleaning.”
The high-tech digital process begins with impressions and photographs being taken at KT Orthodontics. Lab technicians in Costa Rica start the digital treatment plan once the records are received and Katherine finalises each individualised digital plan.
Once a treatment plan is approved, the aligners are made in Mexico and sent to Gisborne.
“At first New Zealand orthodontists were sceptical about Invisalign and were slow to come on board. However, the past decade has seen huge advancements in the Invisalign product and with three million successful treatments around the world, the technique is now hugely popular, with both adults and self-conscious teenagers.
“Gone are the days when teenage girls deliver an ultimatum to me saying: ‘The braces need to be off by July 11. That’s the night of the ball.’
“As the name suggests, Invisalign aligners are pretty much invisible. The ease of brushing and eating are the greatest advantages. You just take them right out.”
With Invisalign it is much easier to treat boarders, university students or anyone who lives out of town.
“Appointments are more spread out and we can send a patient away with multiple sets of the aligners.
“One student went back to university with five sets of upper and lower Invisalign, all labelled in bags — that’s 10 weeks of treatment.
“Another benefit is the movements are very small and gradual so there seems to be less tenderness and discomfort than with traditional metal braces.”
Katherine stressed the importance of wearing retainers on a long-term basis.
“After treatment has finished, they should be worn at night three or four times a week, forever.”
Katherine is undertaking advanced Invisalign training currently and says she’s looking forward to streamlining the process even further.
The latest scanner, which is “on the horizon”, will eliminate impression- or mould-taking. Katherine says there’s a misconception that patients always need a referral to see an orthodontist.
While many patients are referred by a dentist or school dental nurse, people can also make an appointment to see an orthodontist directly without a referral.
A dental nurse might refer a youngster at the age of nine or 10 for early interceptive treatments or space maintainers if a tooth has been lost or for a plate if the bite is not quite right.
“Sometimes that’s all that’s needed. And that’s great. Others come back on recall as intermediate or high school students for comprehensive treatment.”
The highlight of her work is watching the transformations take place.
“I love seeing young patients grow and increase in confidence as their smiles change. Invisalign also now offers a great option for adult treatments.
“Some patients and families we have known for years. When they finish their treatment, they often say they will miss coming to the clinic. It makes all the hard work worthwhile.”
