Now that school is out and summer festivities are in full swing, many of our patients at Heinz Orthodontist in Grand Rapids MI have packed schedules all summer long. Between vacationing on family trips and learning new skills at summer camps, our patients have a hard time fitting an ortho check-up into their agenda.
Invisalign is an extremely convenient treatment option that can actually become even more convenient when paired with our Virtual Monitoring option at Heinz Orthodontist. Utilizing our Virtual Monitoring option allows patients to progress through their Invisalign treatment without ever setting foot in our office. Send updated photos of your smile, receive expert feedback from Dr. Heinz directly to your phone, and ask questions about your treatment on-demand, all from your favorite vacation spot!
What is Virtual Monitoring
At Heinz Orthodontist in Rockford and Grand Rapids, MI, Dr. Heinz uses Virtual Monitoring, a smartphone app that allows direct communication between our office and our patients, so you can breeze through treatment from virtually any location.
How does it work?
In order to better understand how Virtual Monitoring works, here is a step-by-step process:
- Initial assessment and Virtual Monitoring kit
Start your Virtual Monitoring journey in our office with an initial appointment so we can assess your smile, create your custom treatment plan, and get you set up with a Virtual Monitoring kit. Your kit will be equipped with a scan box, retractors, and instructions for our smart phone app.
Once you download the app to your phone, learn how to navigate the app with video tutorials and application walk-through instructions.
- Take weekly pictures and assessments
Each week your app will remind you to take digital scans of your teeth, with and without your aligners on, and will then prompt you to send those images straight to Dr. Heinz. Once Dr. Heinz receives your images, he will evaluate your smile and instruct you to move to the next set of aligners, or to remain in your current set a little longer.
Because Dr. Heinz can see your progress each week, he can ensure your teeth are moving on track and can reevaluate if any additional action is necessary.
- Remote analysis
Dr. Heinz and his team will check in each week to monitor your progress and to validate that your treatment is on track. Dr. Heinz will constantly be analyzing your smile and will adjust the time spent in an aligner or call you into our office, if any adjustments are necessary.
- Come into office if necessary for physical adjustments
We love using the Virtual Monitoring app because it truly does provide our patients with so much freedom. We only require patients to come into the office for their initial exam, to get their aligners and Virtual Monitoring kit, for adjustments, and to get their aligners removed.
- Submit questions and receive expert answers
One added benefit of our Virtual Monitoring app is that you can send a question or concern to Dr. Heinz and he can respond with their expert advice in no time. Our patients and their parents love this feature because it provides an extra peace of mind and keeps us informed on everything happening with our patients.
Our Virtual Monitoring patients have the benefit of scanning their smile progress from anywhere. Not only do you get to check in from wherever you are for your appointment, but you also finish your appointment in just a few minutes!
4 Benefits of Virtual Monitoring
- Allows you to check-in with Dr. Heinz from anywhere
Virtual Monitoring is perfect for families with packed schedules, for students about to go off to college, and for our patients with a summer full of traveling. Our Virtual Monitoring app allows you to complete your appointment from anywhere. You can even choose the time of your virtual scan! It truly is the most convenient and flexible treatment option.
- Gives Dr. Heinz precise control over your tooth movement
Invisalign does require compliance and that means wearing your clear aligners for at least 22 hours a day, but it also allows Dr. Heinz to see your smile in real time. Typically, orthodontic appointments are every few weeks, but with Virtual Monitoring, our patients send in smile scans every week. Viewing an updated, comprehensive image of your smile every week allows our team to make necessary tweaks and adjustments as soon as they are needed, keeping your treatment on track and ensuring you finish your Invisalign in record time.
- Personalizes your entire treatment process
Rather than sticking to a standard treatment and check-up timeline, Virtual Monitoring allows Dr. Heinz to personalize your treatment each week, evaluating progress and extending aligner wear another week if necessary. Most Invisalign patients change their aligners every week and visit their orthodontist every 4-6 weeks for an evaluation, but when you use Virtual Monitoring, your smile is assessed by Dr. Heinz once a week and your treatment is adjusted accordingly.
- Provides patients with peace of mind
If you find yourself wondering if your trays are fitting correctly, or if you have a question for Dr. Heinz, Virtual Monitoring can instantly give you that peace of mind you need. All of your questions and concerns can be answered within a few hours, and any treatment mishaps can be detected and corrected as soon as they appear.
Virtual Monitoring: Unlocking Your Best Summer Vacation
Want to learn more about our Virtual Monitoring option and how it can give you the smile of your dreams without interfering with your summer schedule? Call our office today at (616) 951-3006 and we will schedule your free consultation appointment to get your treatment started.