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Jul 28, 2023

New Woodmere orthodontics practice mixes latest technology with old

Orange resident Dr. Zachary Lawrence opened his practice, Clear Suite Orthodontics, in March on Chagrin Boulevard in Woodmere. Lawrence said he uses the latest technology to make for fewer necessary

Orange resident Dr. Zachary Lawrence opened his practice, Clear Suite Orthodontics, in March on Chagrin Boulevard in Woodmere. Lawrence said he uses the latest technology to make for fewer necessary patient visits. (Photo Courtesy of Dr. Zachary Lawrence)

WOODMERE, Ohio -- Whether you’re a child or an adult, a trip to the orthodontist is not something to which a person looks forward. After all, visions of a smile made of flashing metal may come to the mind’s eye.

But Dr. Zachary Lawrence wants those in need of care to know that treatment in the field of orthodontics has been changing for the better in recent years, and that his new practice, Clear Suite Orthodontics, is at the forefront of that change.

Those treatment upgrades include new technology that includes the ability for patients to use an app to scan their own teeth, making for fewer needed visits to the orthodontist, and the frequent use of clear aligners and braces, rather than metal braces, to nudge teeth into their proper placement.

“When I started Clear Suite, I wanted to change the game,” Lawrence said of his practice, which opened in March at 27970 Chagrin Blvd. in Woodmere.

“I felt patients deserved a total white glove customer experience, and when I looked around, I really didn’t see that anywhere else.

“So when you take into account the quality of treatment outcome, customer service in the office and leveraging the latest technology, I really feel we revolutionized the patient experience, and make orthodontics convenient for more patients.”

When asked about the latest technology, Lawrence said: “The piece that I am really most excited about is our remote monitoring technology. We know patients’ time is precious, and we strive to make their journey more convenient and as comfortable as possible.

“In order to do so, we use remote monitoring in our office, which allows us to remotely track a patient’s treatment progress while reducing the amount of in-person appointments required and still maintain a high level of treatment care.”

After downloading a phone app, a patient uses a scope that attaches to their phone and, once per week, from home, the patient takes a short, 30-second video of their teeth.

That video is then securely transported to Lawrence’s team for evaluation. In this way, Lawrence can see how well an aligner is fitting or if there are any issues with a patient’s braces.

“If there are no issues, patients don’t need to come in for unnecessary appointments,” said Lawrence. “Very few orthodontists have this. This is very cutting edge. I only know of a couple in Ohio who do it.

“Because of this, rather than seeing a patient on average 20 to 25 times throughout their treatment, I can see them five to seven times,” he said.

“So, it’s not having to take kids out of school for appointments as much, or taking time off work for appointments.”

The modern offices of Clear Suite Orthodontics. (Photo Courtesy of Clear Suite Orthodontics)

Lawrence said the app gives directions and is simple for people to use on themselves. In the case of children, parents can easily scan their children’s teeth.

“(Patients) don’t leave the office until they know how to use it,” Lawrence said. “It is a game changer on the convenience of treatment.”

Additionally, Lawrence said technology has advanced to the point that specialized putty is no longer used to make dental molds of patients’ teeth. Instead, Lawrence uses an inter-oral scanner -- basically a wand on a cart -- that takes a video of the teeth so he can see a digital set of models “instead of the gooey impressions that get everyone involved dirty.”

Use of the wand is gaining in popularity, but Lawrence says not all orthodontists currently have this technology.

While Lawrence uses the latest dental technology, he said the old-fashioned touch is also important for patients.

“Really, what we focus on is providing the ability for patients to have one-on-one doctor time that is completely undivided attention,” he said.

“I want to make sure my patients feel comfortable and feel like they have enough time to express all their concerns and feel fully informed on their treatment.”

Lawrence said he is increasingly seeing more adult patients, as people become more aware of misalignment of teeth.

“We’re seeing more adults coming to us who didn’t have braces as a kid, or they didn’t wear their retainers, and the way their smile looks bothers them and maybe they have a lack of confidence as a result,” he said.

Lawrence said that when clear aligners became popular about 20 years ago, orthodontists began seeing more adult patients. He said the percentage rose from about zero 20 years ago to about 30 percent adult patients today.

While metal braces are still around, there are also clear braces, along with the clear aligners that are more aesthetically pleasing to many patients and more convenient as to the foods one can eat.

Lawrence grew up in a dental family and is the fourth generation to graduate from the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine.

“I grew up in my father’s orthodontic practice, but my passion for helping people really did strengthen it until I became an adult.” he said.

“I strive to have a positive impact on as many people as I can, and orthodontics has given me the ability to do that at a high level, to see a lot of patients and give them that happiness and self-confidence that they may have been lacking when they came to me.”

Now an Orange resident, Lawrence grew up in Moreland Hills.

Summing up his practice, Lawrence said, “It’s easy to be ordinary, but at Clear Suite we choose to be extraordinary because we know that little extra is what our patients deserve.

“We thank people for considering us as their orthodontic provider and we’re confident that our dedication to technology-driven excellence and patient-centered care will exceed their expectations.”

Clear Suite Orthodontics has office hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. More information can be found at clearsuiteorthodontics.com, by emailing [email protected] or by calling 216-372-4339.

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