Medical Reports: Better Braces

WSVN -- 14-year-old Jacob Rios wasn't exactly thrilled about getting braces, but he wasn't really happy with his smile either.

Jacob Rios: "I was nervous but I did want to get them on because the gap in my teeth were really annoying me."

He also had another goal.

Jacob Rios: "I really wanted to get them off before high school."

Lorraine Cross was also looking for a better smile.

Lorraine Cross: "When I looked at myself in the mirror one of the things that started bothering me as I got older is that my teeth started to crowd."

She wanted straighter teeth, but wasn't looking forward to years in braces.

Lorraine Cross: "For me it was all about get it done. Let's make it happen and how soon can it be over."

Dr. Peter Wohlgemuth: "Someone's teeth are one of the first things someone will notice."

Orthodontist Peter Wohlgemuth introduced both of them to a new era in braces called Suresmile.

Suresmile uses cutting edge robotic technology to cut treatment time nearly in half. Here's how it works: First, a scan of the patient's teeth is taken using a wand scan or a cat scan. Then, the orthodontist uses special software with digital 3D imaging to manipulate the teeth to his exact specifications within hundredths of a millimeter.

Dr. Peter Wohlgemuth: "I can identify where a tooth is off, move it and that can be point five or less."

Those images are then sent to a lab in Dallas, Texas. The company sent us this video so we could show you.

That's where a special robot bends the wire to the doctor's exact measurements. The process removes the guesswork you go through with conventional braces.

Dr. Peter Wohlgemuth: "The treatment is not different other than I have more precision, but it's more efficient in that there's no backtracking."

And that means patients get results in as little as 10 to 12 months instead of two years or more.

Jacob got his braces off in just under a year. The gap between his two front teeth is gone and he loves his new look.

Jacob Rios: "Once I got my braces off I thought it made me look a lot older."

Lorraine's braces also came off in about 11 months. She says Suresmile has given her the boost of confidence she was looking for.

Lorraine Cross: "I am very sure about my smile. I feel good every time I look in the mirror and I know that I made the right decision."

Diana Diaz: "Suresmile does cost a little bit more than conventional braces, but patients are telling us it was worth it."