Here at Hatcher and Frey Orthodontics, we believe that orthodontic treatment should be comfortable, and not drag on for years.  

Longer treatment times make it difficult for patients to stay motivated, and the presence of fixed appliances in the mouth for extended periods can increase the strain placed on your teeth and gums due to increased plaque retention.

But when patients choose to use the Ember Light Therapy Device during their orthodontic treatment, their experience is enhanced to be as comfortable and efficient as possible.

The Ember Light Therapy Device is a hands-free device that uses soothing infrared lights to stimulate a patient’s teeth and gums – leading to a healthier, faster and more comfortable treatment. 

Ultimately, the complexity of your case and your individual biology are the limiting factors in treatment; however, our Ember Light Therapy Device allows our patients to not only have the most comfortable experience possible – but cut treatment times up to 50%.

Ember Light Therapy devices are part of our Smile Upgrades offerings and can be added into your treatment at all five of our locations in Western Branch, Great Bridge, Norfolk, West Ghent, and Virginia Beach.

Orthodontic treatment is a biologic process that involves changes to the structure and form of your jaws, and the bone and tissue surrounding your teeth. Thus, cellular pathways responsible for bone and tissue healing play a definitive role in achieving a favorable treatment response. The use of light, physiologically responsible forces in treatment allow for optimal functioning of these cellular pathways, but in the past orthodontists had no means of boosting biology without invasive surgical procedures. Fortunately, technology that has previously been in use for decades to treat numerous conditions from osteoporosis to healing broken bones is now being applied to orthodontic treatment, allowing us to safely enhance the cellular response.

Using these hands-free devices in combination with either braces or Invisalign for just 5-10 minutes each day, has been shown in studies to boost your body’s response to orthodontic treatment. It also has several more advantages, including:

• Increased comfort
• Healthier tooth movement 
• Faster tooth movement (reducing treatment time by as much as 50%)
• Rapid teeth whitening benefits
• More stable results

Hatcher & Frey Orthodontics has recognized the tremendous value of these therapies in providing better care for patients of all ages. However, this therapy is especially beneficial for adults, whose biology has slowed down, and one reason why we offer this as an option to all our adult orthodontic patients. 

Dr. Frey is a leading authority on accelerated orthodontics, the inventor of the Ember Light Therapy Oral Care Device, and we are the most experienced provider of enhanced orthodontic technology in the region. With these tools, we can provide patients with our signature smiles in as little as 5 months.

The Ember Light Therapy Device is an FDA-cleared medical device that utilizes proprietary UV-Free, TripleWave™ LED technology to reveal a brighter, healthier smile for you in record time. Dr. Frey is the inventor of the Ember Light Therapy System and we are excited about how this technology can elevate care for our patients.

Soothing infrared and red lights, which are medically proven to increase circulation, enhance gum health, and relieve pain, work together with intense blue lights to target oral bacteria and accelerate the tooth whitening process. As the low levels of light energy are absorbed, cellular metabolism and many important physiological signaling pathways are enhanced. Studies have shown that this safe bio-stimulation using light accelerates treatment by up to 50%. The soothing energy of the LED lights can be felt as a gentle warmth on your teeth and gums during treatment.

Your Ember Light Therapy® device comes in a box complete with instructions, a USB charging cord, and travel case. Before using your Ember Light Therapy Device for the first time, you’ll plug in and charge the control device. Once fully charged, you can connect the control unit to the LED mouthpiece and begin your treatments. Press the activation button with the Ember Logo and toggle between the light stimulation settings to the one recommended by your doctor and then gently place the device in your mouth around your existing orthodontic appliances or Invisalign until it is sitting comfortably around your dental arch.

You may bite down gently on the mouthpiece. The treatment session will end automatically after 5mins. If recommended by your doctor, you may flip the device and repeat the process to treat the other dental arch. Before returning your Ember back to case, uncouple the control unit from the mouthpiece. That is all it takes for Ember to light the way to a new smile in half the time.