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Philosophy

Imagine...

Little Johnny gets his braces off in about a year without having any teeth pulled

Elizabeth now has a big smile

The adult patient doesn't mind fixing that crooked tooth that has always been a bother, because it can be done in about a year, comfortably and economically!

This was the goal of orthodontic specialist, Dr. Anthony Viazis when he founded Fastbraces® based on his patented braces. Fastbraces® offers patients straight teeth in about a year, with no extractions in most cases, using technology to reduce the overall cost of treatment. Now that's something to smile about!

With thousands of patients in braces or retainers, and about a 98% satisfaction rate among consecutively treated patients, we hope that Fastbraces® will be your choice for orthodontic care.

Understanding the goals of your treatment

In orthodontics, an individual's natural bite is classified into one of three categories.

  • Class I bite occurs when, in the back teeth, the upper first (6-year) molar bites slightly behind the lower first molar. Generally, this results in a minimal overbite.
  • Class II bite occurs when, in the back of the teeth, the upper first molar bites directly on top of or slightly in front of the lower first molar. Generally, this results in a bit of an overbite. In some severe cases, the overbite may be excessive.
  • Class III bite occurs when, in the back of the teeth, the upper first molar bites behind the lower first molar. Generally, this results in an underbite.

The definitions of Class I, II or III are descriptive, morphologic definitions and are not one of disease. In other words, Class I, II or III simply describes how the teeth fit in a healthy individual and provide a measure of the overbite, not necessarily that the person has unhealthy teeth, or a dysfunctional bite if the teeth have compensated and adjusted to the bite. Of course, a Class I bite is preferable, as it provides for a minimal overbite and maximum intercuspation ("fit") of the teeth. A Class II or a Class III bite, with the teeth adapted to the bite, and compensated for the way the first molars fit, may have good canine or group function of the teeth and the patient may elect to leave it as is. Therefore, the patient may choose not to change the natural bite unless he/she is interested in the complete change of the way the teeth fit.

Another way to understand this is by comparing it to gum disease. When a dentist says that the teeth have periodontal disease, he or she will classify it as I, II or III. That is a measure of a disease. If one has a type III disease, one risks losing the teeth. In orthodontics, this is not the case. If one has a class III bite, it simply means that there is a tendency for an underbite, not that one would lose teeth if the bite doesn't change, as the teeth may have compensated and adjusted to this bite providing the patient with good functional occlusion. On the other hand, in some cases, a Class II severe overbite or a Class III skeletal underbite may need surgery for a substantial improvement.

Sometimes in orthodontics, great emphasis is placed on changing the natural bite to the Class I relation without much regard to the patient's chief concern for seeking orthodontic treatment or the existing functional occlusion. Fastbraces® doctor providers listen to the patient and then deliver the treatment necessary to create the desired results. They believe in preserving or improving the natural bite, but not changing it to satisfy an arbitrary ideal without the patient's consent, especially if doing so would dictate the removal of permanent teeth, surgery or cumbersome treatment modalities with questionable long-term results for a particular patient (as long as the patient has good canine or group functional occlusion). Patients are given the information on the options available so they can make informed decisions about the level of treatment they want. Fastbraces® doctor providers continue to balance the dictates of tradition with a patient's demands for non-invasive, tooth-saving treatment strategies.