Bold Smiles. Big Life.
Dr. Todd Welsh of Bucks County Orthodontics discusses pioneering LightForce custom braces and advanced orthodontic technologies, proper treatment timing, and making a lasting difference in patients’ lives.
by Jill Lupine

Todd M. Welsh, D.M.D., remembers how dramatically his life changed after finishing his childhood orthodontic treatment. He’s been returning the favor ever since. 
 
“Giving the confidence of a stunning smile—that is why I do what I do,” says Dr. Welsh, a board-certified orthodontist and the leader of Bucks County Orthodontics (BCO) in Doylestown.
 
BCO’s newly adopted tagline—Bold Smiles. Big Life. —embodies this sincere desire to make a positive difference in each patient’s life.  Dr. Welsh aims to offer his patients the most advanced, convenient, and enjoyable orthodontic experience. He uses advanced technologies to help patients conveniently achieve their desired results in an optimal time frame, offers complimentary growth monitoring that ensures treatment begins at the proper time and maintains a commitment to constantly giving back to the community.
 
Advanced Orthodontic Technologies offer a convenient path to a Bold BCO Smile.
“Our practice caters to the needs of busy patient families,” Dr. Welsh states. “Staying at the forefront of technology allows us the ability to offer unique options to fit individual needs.” BCO’s advanced technologies offer patients greater precision, more conveniences, less appointments, faster results, and the ability to see what their smile will look like prior to beginning treatment. 
 
* LightForce Orthodontics - 3D Printed Fully Customized Braces. Considered a revolutionary alternative to traditional wire-and-bracket braces, the LightForce system is a digital platform that utilizes 3D-printed ceramic brackets that are fully customized to each patient’s unique tooth morphology and treatment plan. The system requires minimal adjustments and fewer in-person appointments for maximum convenience to the patient. “We understand that each one of our patients are unique, so that is why we take so much pride in offering fully customized treatment options,” Dr. Welsh states.
 
Dr. Welsh was selected by the LightForce Team to partner with the company and provide his expert insight due to his high standards and clinical acumen.  He was one of the first orthodontists in the US to incorporate LightForce into his practice and was one of a select few orthodontists recently awarded the LightForce SkyLight Innovator Award for “challenging the orthodontic industry to see and think differently in pursuit of moving the profession forward.”
 
“What sets our office apart is that we’re one of the few orthodontic practices in the area with the ability to customize every tooth movement, moving teeth in the most efficient way possible with digital precision, which can lead to shorter treatment duration, fewer and shorter appointments, and healthier orthodontic treatment outcomes,” says Dr. Welsh. 
 
A standard bracket system comes with a one-size-fits-all generic prescription plan that doesn’t take into account a patient’s unique orthodontic condition. Thus, orthodontists typically must make adjustments to the bracket positioning during treatment and patients may be in treatment for a longer duration resulting in more visits to the practice. 
 
“LightForce eliminates the variables associated with the placement, prescription, and predictability of traditional orthodontic braces,” Dr. Welsh says. 
 
When he first saw the technology, it made immediate sense to him and he was very excited about the possibilities it presented to help his patients—allowing a digital treatment plan that is fully customized to the patient’s needs with every tooth movement preprogrammed from the onset. 
 
Dr. Welsh states, “LightForce allows us to provide the highest level of care without the quantity of appointments that come along with traditional braces, offering the straightest line from point A to point B.”
 
* 3D Digital Scanning. BCO’s iTero Element 3D intraoral scanner takes highly precise digital images of each patient’s anatomy for use in treatment planning. It also renders obsolete the use of old-school impressions, often considered among the most unpleasant aspects of orthodontic treatment.
 
* 3D-printed In-House Aligners. This technology from uLab Systems enables BCO to make custom aligners in-house as a more efficient, lower-cost alternative to Invisalign, which BCO also offers. Dr. Welsh has complete control over the aligner treatment planning, design and manufacturing which allows for a faster start to aligner treatment. It also allows for a hybrid approach for patients with complex cases who desire shortened time in braces. 
 
* Virtual Consultations and Appointments. BCO has adopted HIPAA-compliant software to facilitate virtual consultations and appointments. It allows fewer in-office visits for current patients and offers greater convenience for prospective patients seeking treatment recommendations.
 
* 2-Way Texting. BCO also offers HIPAA-compliant texting. Dr Welsh says, “Patients can now text me photos, ask questions and communicate with our office 24/7 in the most convenient manner.”
 
In this digital orthodontic office, patient conveniences and custom options abound.
 
BCO’s Complimentary Growth Monitoring Program ensures treatment begins at the proper time.
Dr. Welsh’s expertise includes extensive training on early interceptive treatment such as palatal expanders and other appliances for young patients. “Early treatment is not about straightening teeth,” says Dr. Welsh, who received specialized training in early interceptive orthodontics while at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in Philadelphia. “Early Treatment is about guiding the growth of the patient’s jaw bones. The bones need to be compatible in all three planes of space. The better the patient’s bones fit the shorter their treatment in braces, the better their overall dental health and the less chance there will be for relapse later in life.”
 
Identifying and addressing anatomical deficiencies or developmental problems early—at age 7 or 8—may prevent serious orthodontic problems once the patient’s permanent teeth come in. For those who do not need early intervention, Dr. Welsh monitors their development as a complimentary part of BCO’s “Kids Club” until treatment becomes necessary.
 
Dr. Welsh has seen this phenomenon firsthand with his wife, Tia, who recently had extensive orthognathic surgery to overcome developmental issues that had been affecting her airway and compromising her sleep for decades. Likewise, their young son is currently undergoing early interceptive treatment in hopes of avoiding a similar situation.
 
“I know what early treatment can do for those that need it, and in my office, every patient is treated the same way I would treat my own family,” says Dr. Welsh.
 
‘Community Is Who We Are at BCO.’
BCO donates $100 per patient to the surrounding community by supporting dozens of local charity events, leagues, teams, and groups. Recently, Dr. Welsh and his BCO Team organized a much needed donation of assorted PPE for Doylestown Hospital, donated hundreds of boxes of Girl Scout cookies to hospital staff, local food banks and military abroad and held weekly gift-card giveaways to support independently owned local small businesses.
 
“Supporting our community is who we are,” Dr. Welsh says. “We designed our practice to offer the best overall orthodontic experience and to give back to those who make that possible. That’s the standard we live by every day.”

Bucks County Orthodontics
140 S. Clinton Street
Doylestown, Pa.
(215) 348-9521
www.BucksCountyOrthodontics.com
#theBCOdifference
#thatBCOsmile

Photograph by Nina Lea Photography
 
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Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life magazine, June 2020.