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The Edgren duo may be soft-spoken, but underneath the quiet manner is a firm commitment to their field. Dr. Burdett Edgren, DDS, moved to Greeley in 1971 and began his first Colorado practice. He opened Orthodontic Associates of Greeley, P.C., at its current location in 1986, designing it with the expectation of his son joining him in the practice. Dr. Bradford Edgren, DDS, joined him in 1993, after finishing school. Despite familial ties, their 16-year partnership has been much more than a matter of convenience.

Dr. Burdett describes their practice as “hands-on” with a focus on quality care. “People just want the best care possible and that is where we stand,” he says. “More and more today, doctors are handing off the treatment to other staff with less and less training. Those doctors are taking an ancillary approach to treating the patient. That is not how we operate.”

“Some people just want us to straighten the Social Six,” says Dr. Burdett, referring to the six front teeth that appear when we smile. At Orthodontic Associates of Greeley, Drs. Edgren refuse to sacrifice function for the sake of looking good. “We strive for function first, then work on the aesthetic result,” adds Dr. Bradford. “In general, if the patient has good, proper function, then it will be aesthetic.”

Burdett R. Edgren, DDS, MS, is the founder of Orthodontic Associates of Greeley, P.C.

Their quest to provide the highest quality orthodontic care has led them to cutting-edge technology, the i-CAT imaging system. Dr. Bradford is a proponent of the system, having done beta testing on the imaging software and lecturing other orthodontists about the system. “These scans are more diagnostic, convenient, and efficient,” he says.

The advantages of the i-CAT scanner over other technology are impressive. The i-CAT needs only seconds to take and download a scan. Digital files are downloaded quickly and easily shared or transferred. There is significantly less exposure to radiation for the patient than other computed tomography. The scan captures three-dimensional images that aid in implant planning, extractions, impactions, airway assessment, panoramic images, and much, much more.

“The images we make are far superior to traditional dental radiography,” says Dr. Bradford. “We are finding all sorts of things that patients may not have known about. We have been able to find previously undiagnosed facial and jaw problems.” The scans are so clear and can be examined from so many different angles that they have detected jaw fractures in accident victims. The doctors have also found enlarged adenoids and polyps in patients’ sinuses. These patients were then refered to the appropriate physician for further diagnosis.

Bradford N. Edgren, DDS, MS, joined his father Dr. Burdett Edgren in the family practice in 1993.

Traditional radiographic images are two-dimensional, such as the panoramic X-ray taken before a patient has their wisdom teeth removed. With one i-CAT three-dimensional scan, the doctors can evaluate views from the front, axial, and lateral sides of the head. The additional views allow them to easily see the nerve canals that run along the roots of the wisdom teeth before they are removed or the anatomy surrounding an extra tooth (a supernumerary) that was not visible on a traditional X-ray.

“You can’t diagnose what you don’t know and you can’t treat what you aren’t able to diagnose. If we are unsure of something, there are several ways to look at the patient’s scan,” explains Dr. Bradford. The images can be adjusted to show soft tissue. Or if the concern is about hard tissue, the image can be changed to show only bone. “The machine enables us to evaluate what the problem is and treat it accordingly, or when necessary, refer the patient to a specialist,” says Dr. Bradford. Images can be compared to visual norms based on age, sex, and race to determine dental versus skeletal problems.

One special feature is the ability to diagnose airway problems. Airway obstructions can be directly related to dental-facial development, according to Dr. Burdett. “This is useful for all our orthodontic patients,” he adds. It is also useful in helping other physicians assess health problems such as sleep apnea, upper airway obstruction, and mouth breathing. Drs. Edgren have had other dentists as well as other dental specialists refer patients in to have scans made.

The i-CAT imaging system enables Drs. Edgren to create more accurate scans for better diagnosis and treatment at their practice, Orthodontic Associates of Greeley, P.C.

Adolescents, in particular, benefit from the new technology. Because they are still developing, potential airway and dental-facial problems can lead to larger problems if they are not treated at a young age. With the iCAT scanner, the doctors can compare scans of a growing child through their adolescence.

Even before the iCAT technology was available, Drs. Edgren made it their practice to provide the most complete care possible. “We saw one child with a cleft palate from six weeks to 18 years old,” recalls Dr. Burdett.

By age seven, a child has completed 75 percent of their total growth with regards to dental-facial development, he continues. “Why wait until a child is 15 or 16 years old, when they have finished growing, to treat? We can find significant dentofacial problems, treat them, and prevent them from getting any worse.”

“This is becoming the gold standard in care,” says Dr. Bradford. “We feel it is the right thing to do for our patients and it is important in the way we want to run our practice,” adds Dr. Burdett. Though the i-CAT images are more expensive to create than traditional 2-D dental radiographs, the doctors absorb some of that expense themselves and patients win out in the long run with better imaging, less time invested, and overall better treatment.

“A wise consumer realizes that when it comes to healthcare, your first shot is your best shot for treatment,” says Dr. Burdett. “After that comes repair,” concludes Dr. Bradford, “and there are no bargains in healthcare.” +