SARASOTA, Fla. — Dr. Burr Bakke, a dental implantologist and co-owner of World Class Dentistry in Sarasota, is taking a new approach to orthodontics following a course on Full-Face Orthodontics “F20” Physiologic Orthodontics at the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies.
Full-face orthodontics is a technique that puts a twist on traditional orthodontics combining orthopedic and orthodontic practices. During the three-day course, which was held July 21-23, Dr. Bakke learned more about epigenetic facial development through the use of orthodontic growth appliances.
By controlling the direction of orofacial growth with a full-face orthodontics, improvements in airway, function and aesthetic appearance can be achieved. Dr. Bakke, who does all of the orthodontics for World Class Dentistry, plans to use the new technique to diagnose and treat patients going forward.
“It just adds to what we can do at World Class Dentistry,” says Dr. Bakke, who co-owns the practice with his wife, Dr. Jill Morris. “Jill and I try and stay on the forefront of dental medicine and finding better and better ways to treat our patients. For what I do, it’s a change of appliance and treatment planning. The mechanics are the same.”
Unlike traditional orthodontic methods, which often resulted in the pulling of teeth in younger patients, whose upper jaws did not develop, to allow the remaining teeth to fit together properly, full-face orthodontics uses a growth appliance to stimulate the growth process.
Growth occurs in the bones at the base of the skull from the ear canal to the teeth. If the upper jaw doesn’t develop properly, it can alter the overall shape of the face.
“It relates to the majority of the population,” says Dr. Bakke. “Now you’re getting so much crowding of the teeth because of the world’s diet. The way we chew and the foods we chew and eat don’t allow our faces to grow properly.”
Dr. Bakke can help patients grow their upper jaw bone to regain the space they lost as children when their teeth were pulled. The bottom teeth tend to follow alongside the top teeth. Once the jaws are repositioned properly, it allows the airway to reopen, and as a result, can eliminate sleep apnea and cure temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ) issues, says Dr. Bakke.
The children’s appliance, which is a no-braces approach to straightening teeth and jaws, can be used on children as young as 7 years old and is designed to stimulate the patient’s own growth process. Adults can grow their upper jaw about a millimeter a month while children can grow about five millimeters a month.
“What we’re doing now is catching children early and almost eliminating the need for braces or reducing it down to a year as opposed to three to six years.”
About World Class Dentistry®
Dr. Jill Morris opened the doors to World Class Dentistry® in 1987. She and her husband, Dr. Burr Bakke, have 60 years of combined talent and expertise. With advanced training and the latest equipment, the doctors are leaders in the field and teach many pioneering techniques. The team at World Class Dentistry can comprehensively treat a patient with a multitude of issues at the Sarasota facility, which maintains the quality control and streamlines treatment. With a focus on individualized patient care and connection, the doctors and their on-site dental laboratory technician offer implant surgery, cosmetic dentistry, orthodontics, biological dentistry and more.
Located at 3951 Swift Road in Sarasota, World Class Dentistry is one of only a small number of area practices that have a Chairside Economical Restorations of Esthetic Ceramic (CEREC)®, which is a machine that enables the doctors to fabricate and place exceptional restorations right in their Sarasota office. For more information, visit SarasotaDentist.com or call 941-451-5543.
About Dr. Burr Bakke
Dr. Bakke has over 35 years of experience in providing the highest level of patient care, with a commitment that puts him at the forefront of implant dentistry. He places the implants and the final restorations so his patients receive total comprehensive care in one office.
Dr. Bakke provides each patient with a very thoughtfully engineered treatment plan incorporating his surgical experience and other clinical aspects. His study of neuromuscular dentistry is applied to assure correct jaw position and bite alignment. Recognizing patients’ desires for aesthetically pleasing smiles as well as highly functioning teeth, Dr. Bakke applies his extensive cosmetic training to create these beautiful smiles.
This extensive background has earned Dr. Bakke a reputation for excellence. He was a clinical instructor in full mouth rehabilitation at the Las Vegas Institute (LVI) for Advanced Dental Studies, where he educated dentists from around the world. He is a 1980 graduate of Baylor College of Dentistry and practiced for 24 years at the Dallas Center of Esthetic Dentistry. He relocated in 2004 to Sarasota, Fla., to be part of Dr. Jill Morris’ World Class Dentistry team.