Multi-disciplinary orthodontic treatment is care coordinated between your orthodontist and other providers, such as your general dentist, oral surgeon, or periodontist. It is used when straightening teeth is one part of a larger plan involving implants, crowns, gum treatment, or jaw correction.
If your dentist has said something like “we should get you to an orthodontist first,” or your treatment plan involves more than one office, you are looking at a team case. At Vivid Orthodontics, we offer multi-disciplinary treatment in partnership with your other providers across Oshkosh, Appleton, and Wautoma. Here is what that actually looks like from the patient’s chair.
What Is Multi-Disciplinary Orthodontic Treatment?
Some orthodontic cases require more than straightening teeth. They require a team-based approach to fully restore function, health, and appearance. Multi-disciplinary treatment means each specialist handles the part of your mouth they are trained for, and everyone works from the same plan and the same records.
Who is usually on the team?
- Your orthodontist. Moves teeth and roots into the positions the rest of the plan depends on, and controls the bite.
- Your general dentist. Handles restorative work such as crowns, bridges, and fillings, plus your routine cleanings and exams throughout treatment.
- An oral and maxillofacial surgeon. Handles extractions, exposure of impacted teeth, implant placement, and corrective jaw surgery.
- A periodontist. Treats gum and bone health, gum grafting, and gum contouring.
- A prosthodontist or restorative specialist. Rebuilds worn or missing teeth in complex full-mouth cases.
How is it different from a standard orthodontic case?
In a standard case, we diagnose, plan, treat, and retain, all in one office. In a multi-disciplinary case, the sequence matters as much as the treatment. Move a tooth too early and there is no room for an implant. Place a crown too early and it may not fit the final bite. The coordination is the treatment.
When Do You Need a Team Approach?
Multi-disciplinary treatment may be necessary when orthodontics is just one part of a larger plan to improve oral health or prepare for restorative work.
Common reasons cases become multi-disciplinary
- Dental implants. An implant is fixed in bone and cannot be moved later, so the space has to be created and finished correctly before it is placed.
- Crowns or bridges. Teeth are positioned first so the restoration can be built to the right shape and the right bite.
- Periodontal treatment. Gum and bone health must be stable before teeth are moved, and stays monitored throughout.
- Full-mouth rehabilitation. Extensive rebuilds where orthodontics establishes the foundation the restorative work sits on.
- Tooth loss. Closing a space with orthodontics or holding it open for a replacement is a shared decision between offices.
- Impacted teeth. A surgeon exposes the tooth, and we guide it into the arch.
- Jaw alignment issues. Severe skeletal discrepancies may call for surgical orthodontics in partnership with an oral surgeon.
- Pre-prosthetic orthodontics. Tooth movement done specifically to set up someone else’s restorative work.
What about gummy smiles and gum contouring?
A gummy smile is a good everyday example of a small team case. Depending on the cause, treatment may involve orthodontic movement of teeth and jaw, lip repositioning therapy, or collaboration with your general dentist or a periodontist for laser gum contouring. Sorting out which of those you actually need is the whole point of a coordinated evaluation.
Solo Orthodontic Case vs. Multi-Disciplinary Case
| Standard Orthodontic Case | Multi-Disciplinary Case | |
|---|---|---|
| Main goal | Align teeth and correct the bite | Rebuild function and health, with alignment as one piece |
| Providers | Your orthodontist, plus your dentist for routine care | Orthodontist plus one or more of dentist, oral surgeon, periodontist, prosthodontist |
| Planning | One treatment plan | One shared plan with an agreed order of operations |
| Records shared | Kept in our office | Digital scans, photos, and imaging shared between offices |
| Your role | Keep appointments and wear what we ask you to wear | Same, plus keeping each office informed of visits elsewhere |
| Most common patients | Kids, teens, and adults with crowding or bite issues | Adults with missing teeth, wear, gum disease, or jaw discrepancies |
How Does the Coordination Actually Work?
It starts with shared records
Our iTero intraoral scanner captures a complete 3D image of your teeth and bite in minutes, with no putty impressions. For complex cases and surgical planning we add CBCT imaging, which shows your teeth, jaw, and facial structure in cross-section, including bone and airway. Those records are what the whole team plans from, so nobody is guessing about what is happening in the parts of your mouth they do not treat.
Then the team agrees on sequence
We decide together what happens first, second, and last: which teeth move, which spaces open or close, when a tooth is extracted or exposed, and when the restorative work begins. You should leave the planning stage knowing that order, and roughly what each stage involves.
And it continues through follow-up
Our team coordinates closely with your other providers from diagnosis and planning through treatment and follow-up. That includes checking in when your bite changes, sending updated scans, and confirming the timing of the handoff before anyone commits to an irreversible step. In-house 3D printing lets us produce aligners, retainers, and appliances in our office, which keeps the timing tight when another provider is waiting on us.
What Does a Team Approach Mean for You as the Patient?
Fewer surprises
The most common complaint we hear about multi-office care is not the treatment. It is the feeling of being the messenger between practices. Coordinated care removes that. When we already have your dentist’s notes and your surgeon’s plan, you are not the one carrying the information.
Better long-term results
Restorative work that is built onto a properly aligned bite lasts better, because the forces of chewing land where they should. Orthodontics designed around a restorative plan means the crown, bridge, or implant fits the space it was made for. Each specialist’s work supports the others.
What it asks of you
Multi-disciplinary cases usually take longer and involve more appointments across more offices. Keep every one of them, and keep your routine dental cleanings, because hygiene during orthodontic treatment matters even more when gum health is part of your plan. Tell each office what the other one did. Ask for the plan in plain language if you did not get it that way.
Do You Need a Dentist or an Orthodontist First?
Start wherever you already are
If you have a general dentist, start there. They see your mouth regularly and will refer you when tooth position is limiting what they can do. If you do not have a dentist, or you already know alignment is the issue, come to us first. Our consultation is free, and if the plan needs more than orthodontics, we will tell you and help you find the right provider.
How the two roles differ
Dentists and orthodontists train differently, and our article on how orthodontists and dentists differ covers that in detail. In short, a board-certified orthodontist completes specialized residency training beyond dental school focused entirely on tooth movement, bite, and jaw development. Dr. Michael J. Maslowski and Dr. Brian M. Michel are both board-certified orthodontists, which is worth knowing when you are choosing who leads a complex case.
Frequently Asked Questions About Multi-Disciplinary Treatment
Will I have to repeat records at every office?
Usually not. Digital scans and imaging can be shared between providers, which is one of the practical advantages of a coordinated case. Occasionally a specialist needs a specific view of their own, and they will tell you why.
Can I get braces if I have crowns, bridges, or implants already?
Often yes, with planning. Implants do not move, so they become fixed reference points that the rest of the plan is built around. Existing crowns and bridges may need to be evaluated or replaced after alignment changes. This is exactly the kind of case we plan alongside your dentist before starting.
Does multi-disciplinary treatment take longer?
Typically yes, because more stages are involved and some steps must finish before others begin. The upside is that the finished result is designed as a whole rather than assembled piece by piece. We will give you a realistic timeline for your specific case at your consult rather than a generic estimate.
Can adults with gum disease or missing teeth still get orthodontic treatment?
Many can, once gum health is stable and the team agrees on a plan. Gum and bone condition drives what tooth movement is safe, so a periodontal evaluation often comes first. Adults of any age can be candidates for treatment when the foundation is healthy.
Let’s Get Your Whole Team on the Same Page
If your smile needs more than one kind of care, you should not have to organize it yourself. Bring us what you have, whether that is a dentist’s referral, a surgeon’s note, or just a question about where to start. We will evaluate your case with braces, Invisalign, and coordinated options on the table, and tell you honestly what your smile needs.
Schedule your free consult at our Oshkosh, Appleton, or Wautoma office, or call or text (920) 231-4923. Be Bold. Be Vivid. Be You.