Designer Orthodontics

When entering Dr. Suzanne Cziraki’s Clear Advantage Orthodontics office, located in Vancouver’s upscale Oakridge Mall, one is immediately surrounded by the ambience of a five-star boutique hotel. Here, adults of all ages mingle with fashion-conscious teenagers beneath sparkling chandeliers and in luxurious surroundings. Their common goal is a quest for the perfect smile, without drawing unwanted attention to themselves with obtrusive metal braces.

In today’s society, a set of perfect “pearly whites” is a symbol of health, vitality and success. “There’s such a push right now for preserving a youthful, attractive appearance and maintaining optimal health well into our golden years. A confident, beautiful smile is a reflection of one’s inner wellbeing.” says orthodontist and Invisalign specialist Dr. Suzanne Cziraki.

As more and more people seek solutions to anti-aging through Botox and other facial treatments, Cziraki advises that the key to an overall youthful appearance must also include a perfect smile.

Cziraki owns and operates Clear Advantage Orthodontics with locations in Vancouver and Cranbrook, B.C., and Waterloo, Ont. She has been providing custom orthodontic treatment to clients for more than two decades.  
Invisalign was invented in 1998 and Cziraki was among the first group of orthodontic specialists to begin offering it to patients. Through her extraordinary expertise in this specialized field, she has attained the status of Elite Premier Provider of Invisalign, the state-of-the-art removable orthodontic plastic aligners that provide an invisible alternative to the traditional metal braces.

“The benefit of this treatment,” says Cziraki, “is the opportunity to create a perfect smile without wearing the very visible metal braces, the train tracks we all remember from high school days. For adults it is often the dread of wearing the braces of old that prevents them from pursuing the orthodontic treatment that would give them the smile they’ve always wanted.”

She says that with invisible orthodontic treatment options, adults should think twice before taking a shortcut to a smile makeover that uses porcelain veneers to camouflage crooked teeth.

“Moving the teeth into the ideal position is a true correction to the underlying problem and ensures a sound foundation for future veneers, crowns, bridges or implants.

“Orthodontic treatment is essential to long-lasting results and should always be part of a total smile makeover,” Cziraki emphasizes.

The science behind the Invisalign technology is exciting to this researcher and dedicated orthodontist: “The ability to pre-determine tooth movement using a three-dimensional computer-generated predictive model and achieve the final result ‘virtually’ is so powerful that it can only be viewed as a true revolution in the field of orthodontics,” she says.  

The Invisalign process begins with an impression or mould of the client’s teeth. The mould is then scanned into a computer, where a virtual image is generated using 3D imaging technology. The beauty of the system is in the technology it uses.

Cziraki refers to her practice as the “smart phone” of orthodontic practices “with all the apps.”

She explains: “The way that I design the tooth movement using Invisalign is unique and differs dramatically from the techniques used with traditional braces and wires because I can pre-determine tooth movement, and therefore I know the end result before actually starting the orthodontic treatment.”

Clients wear each set of aligners for periods of approximately two weeks, removing them only to eat, drink, brush and floss. As each set of aligners only moves the teeth by a fraction of a millimetre, it eliminates the discomfort of the radical shifts brought on by traditional braces. Intervals between appointments are typically 12 weeks, allowing patients more flexibility in scheduling and allowing Cziraki to assess that the projected progress of the tooth movement is accurate. “The orthodontic process typically takes two years but with Invisalign the time just passes without a negative impact on my client’s quality of life,” says Cziraki.

While such dramatic changes are efficiently and painlessly produced, the Invisalign system remains completely invisible to both sight and sound — Invisalign causes no speech impediments. “And,” Cziraki adds, “if anybody has the slightest feeling of self-awareness they can just take them out temporarily. Most of my patients are so comfortable with them that they don’t ever take them out — they even eat with them in.”

In Cziraki’s capable hands, this gentle-yet-highly effective Invisalign procedure works well for most clients in need of orthodontic treatment; however, additional fixed braces are sometimes needed to obtain the best results. This is where the role of Cziraki, as an orthodontist, becomes crucial and beyond the scope of general dentistry. Orthodontics at this level of specialization allows Cziraki to combine various traditional fixed orthodontic techniques with Invisalign. This is what she refers to as “hybridization,” which facilitates the delivery of optimum results to her clients.

Cziraki has developed treatment options for the most extreme surgical cases using the Invisalign system.  

The orthodontic treatment plan is custom-designed to every client’s particular needs: “It’s not a cookie cutter process; every patient who comes in is going to receive an individualized solution for an ideal orthodontic result,” says Cziraki.

It is this unique ability to blend technologies that allows her to offer Invisalign to the majority of her adult and teenage clients. Included in Cziraki’s hybridization techniques are the Hollywood-style lingual braces that are attached behind the teeth for the “incognito” effect, ideal for those clients requiring a completely invisible treatment option.

This complex hybridization of orthodontics is but the beginning of Cziraki’s role as an orthodontist in creating stunning new smiles for her clients. Cziraki analyzes the entire facial balance, assessing the facial profile, the jaw line, the soft tissue around the mouth, the lip and tongue posture, and the bite position of the teeth, presenting comprehensive options for correcting more than just crooked teeth.

When correcting something as fundamental as your smile, it is essential to leave it in the hands of a certified specialist in orthodontics who has an additional three years of education beyond a dental degree. The impressive list of university degrees behind Cziraki’s name adds to her clients’ confidence that they have chosen the right specialist for their orthodontic treatment.  

“Nature is amazing! When the teeth are positioned correctly, then function will be improved, preserving the health and longevity of the teeth.  It is such a pleasure to be able to create perfectly functioning bites that will preserve the teeth for a lifetime — and the end result is a beautiful youthful smile. I really love my profession,” Cziraki laughs, flashing the perfect results of her own Invisalign treatment.  Cziraki invites you to attend a complimentary consultation to learn more about how orthodontic treatment can improve, preserve and revitalize your smile. Never underestimate the power of a beautiful smile! •

For more information, please visitclearadvantageortho.com

Oakridge Mall Vancouver-West 41st Ave. at Cambie St., Downtown Vancouver-Scotia Tower West Georgia and Seymour St. 604-266-8277