Complex orthodontic cases often reveal themselves in layers, with one issue connecting to another in ways that single-specialty treatment cannot fully address. When your orthodontist mentions coordinating care with other dental specialists, they’re recognizing that your specific challenges require expertise beyond tooth movement alone. This collaborative approach, known as interdisciplinary orthodontics, brings together professionals who work as a unified team rather than treating your concerns in isolation.
At Lazzara Orthodontics, Dr. John Lazzara and Dr. Amy Poblenz have extensive training in coordinating interdisciplinary treatment plans. Both doctors completed a 3-year orthodontic residency program beyond dental school and are Diplomates of the American Board of Orthodontics, making Lazzara Orthodontics one of the only practices in northeast Florida with two board-certified doctors. This advanced expertise enables them to determine when additional specialists will improve your orthodontic treatment and to coordinate seamlessly with these professionals throughout your care.
What Makes Treatment Interdisciplinary?
Interdisciplinary orthodontics means your orthodontist collaborates with other dental specialists to address multiple oral health concerns simultaneously. Your orthodontist leads the team but works closely with professionals like periodontists, oral surgeons, endodontists, prosthodontists, and general dentists to create one unified treatment plan rather than separate, disconnected approaches.
This collaborative model differs from standard orthodontic care, in which the orthodontist handles tooth alignment independently. In interdisciplinary treatment, each specialist contributes their expertise at specific phases, with timing carefully coordinated to ensure that each step builds on the previous one. The orthodontist often creates the foundation by establishing proper alignment and spacing, which then allows other specialists to perform their procedures with better precision and longer-lasting results.
Common Scenarios Requiring Multiple Specialists
Complex cases that benefit from interdisciplinary care include:
- Severe gum disease that requires periodontal treatment before braces can begin
- Missing teeth that need implant placement after orthodontic space creation
- Jaw alignment problems that require surgical intervention
- Extensive dental work that needs crowns and bridges after orthodontic positioning
Adults with years of dental history often present with combinations of these issues, making team coordination essential for addressing all concerns comprehensively.
The Team Approach to Your Care
Your treatment journey begins with a thorough evaluation where your orthodontist identifies all dental and skeletal concerns. This diagnostic phase uses digital X-rays, photographs, and scans to gather detailed information about your teeth, jaw relationships, bite function, and overall oral health. Based on this comprehensive assessment, your orthodontist creates a problem list and determines which specialists should be involved in your care.
Communication between team members happens throughout treatment, not just at the beginning. Your orthodontist shares updated records as your teeth move, ensuring that other specialists can adjust their plans accordingly. This ongoing collaboration prevents situations in which one specialist’s work conflicts with another’s approach, saving time and producing better final results.
Coordinating Treatment Phases
Timing matters significantly in interdisciplinary cases. Orthodontic movement often happens first to create proper spacing and alignment, establishing the foundation for restorative work. For example, if you need dental implants to replace missing teeth, your orthodontist positions adjacent teeth to create ideal space and angulation before the oral surgeon places the implant. Attempting these procedures in reverse order would compromise both the orthodontic and surgical outcomes.
Some treatments occur simultaneously when appropriate. Your periodontist may perform periodontal grafting procedures during your orthodontic treatment, with both specialists monitoring how each procedure affects the other. This parallel approach shortens your overall treatment time while maintaining the quality and stability of your results.
What to Expect During Interdisciplinary Care
You’ll attend appointments with multiple providers, each focusing on their specialty area while staying informed about your overall progress. Your orthodontist coordinates this schedule, spacing appointments strategically to ensure that each phase is completed before the next begins. Most patients find that, despite seeing multiple specialists, the coordinated approach actually reduces the total number of appointments compared to addressing problems one at a time over many years.
Digital technology facilitates communication between your care team. Specialists share digital records instantly, allowing them to review your progress and adjust their treatment plans without scheduling multiple consultation appointments. This technology-enhanced coordination means fewer delays and more efficient care delivery.
Benefits Beyond Tooth Alignment
Interdisciplinary treatment addresses underlying issues that affect long-term oral health, not just immediate cosmetic concerns. Correcting bite problems reduces stress on the jaw joints, thereby reducing headaches and jaw pain. Establishing proper tooth positioning before restorative work ensures that crowns, bridges, and implants function correctly for decades rather than failing prematurely due to poor alignment.
The comprehensive approach also identifies problems you might not have noticed. During your initial evaluation, specialists may identify early signs of periodontal disease, tooth decay beneath old fillings, or airway restrictions affecting your sleep quality. Addressing these issues as part of your orthodontic treatment prevents their progression and the need for more invasive intervention later.
Start Your Comprehensive Treatment Journey at Lazzara Orthodontics
Interdisciplinary orthodontics represents the highest standard of care for complex dental needs. While the process requires patience and commitment, the results deliver improved function, aesthetics, and long-term oral health that single-specialty treatment cannot achieve. Your investment in comprehensive care now prevents the need for repeated interventions to fix problems that incomplete treatment would have left unresolved.
Dr. Lazzara and Dr. Poblenz collaborate with trusted specialists throughout northeast Florida to provide seamless interdisciplinary care. Their board certification and advanced training ensure they recognize when coordinated treatment will benefit your outcome and can effectively lead your care team throughout the process. Ready to explore whether interdisciplinary treatment could improve your results? Contact Lazzara Orthodontics to schedule your comprehensive evaluation and discover what collaborative care can achieve for your smile.
