North Shore locals looking to spruce up their smiles are in safe hands with Dr Cameron Roling, Murray Orr Dental’s newest dentist.
With a decade of dentistry experience – including two years in London as clinical specialist for Invisalign manufacturer Align Technology - Cameron is passionate about the life-changing benefits short-term orthodontics can bring. And although he carries out the full spectrum of dental procedures and treatments at the practice, Cameron’s special area of interest lies firmly in the transformative powers of cosmetic dentistry.
“The most rewarding aspect of my job is short-term orthodontics – seeing how a change in someone's smile can lift their self-confidence and the ways that this impacts their lives,” says Cameron.
“I think the concept of align/bleach/composite (ABC approach) is a great one - straighten the teeth with aligners, whiten the teeth using the aligners as whitening trays, and at the end use composites to correct any irregularities in tooth shape or size. This is a conservative and healthy treatment and, in my mind, preferable to more invasive porcelain veneers.”
During his time at Align Technology, Cameron worked closely with British dentists and orthodontists on Invisalign treatment planning, as well as lecturing and running training courses. Since returning to Auckland and joining Murray Orr Dental last November, he has become the go-to expert on all things Invisalign - a treatment which he applauds for its ease of use, predictably and flexibility.
“I am passionate about aligner therapy and a great believer in the Invisalign system. Using computer software, we can plan the treatment around where we want the end result to be. This means if we need to perform restorative treatment to change the shape of the teeth, we can factor this in from the outset.”
With a myriad of advantages over traditional braces, it’s not hard to understand why an increasing number of patients are opting for aligners.
“We are constantly having new bookings for free Invisalign consultations and I’m always willing to take on new cases as I know how beneficial Invisalign can be. Patients are able to keep their teeth clean and their gums healthy, eating is much easier and they are less self-conscious. And while the aligners need to be worn 22 hours a day, they can occasionally be taken out for important events. You can’t do this easily with fixed braces!”
Working at the vanguard of aligner therapy technology overseas has equipped Cameron with cutting-edge skills and knowledge in this rapidly growing area.
“More and more we are seeing the integration between orthodontic treatment planning software and restorative treatment planning software. This is something in particular that I was working on during my time at Align Technology. With the aid of these technologies, we are now able to plan cosmetic treatments much more conservatively and healthily, with minimal interference with the natural tooth structure.”
And that means a superior result for those sitting in the dental chair – not just for now but for the long-term as well.
Adds Cameron, “As dentists, it’s easy to get drawn into whatever issue our patients present with on the day and miss our opportunities to make a proper long-term difference to our patients' oral health. But being so involved with the treatment planning process at Align Technology has taught me to always take a step back and looked at the bigger picture of my patients' oral health.”