You Should Know: Chessmile by Benjamin Lund, Editor, Orthotown Magazine


You Should Know: Chessmile
by Benjamin Lund,
Editor, Orthotown Magazine


Melding a love for orthodontics and for the game of chess, Chessmile produces brackets that look like chess pieces. Orthotown Magazine spoke with Chessmile founder Dr. Carolina Blanco to learn more about her unique bracket system.

Dr. Blanco, what is your personal background prior to starting Chessmile?
Blanco: I am an orthodontist and a professional international chess master. I received my dental training at the University of Carabobo in Venezuela and my orthodontics specialist degree is from the University of Campinas in Sao Paulo, Brazil. I have been representing my native country - Venezuela - in international chess tournaments since I was eight years old and have had the opportunity to visit more than 35 countries around the world. I have won national and international awards recognized by the World Chess Federation (FIDE). My title as an international chess master is awarded by the World Chess Federation and is based on my performance and awards in international chess competitions.

How was the Chessmile idea born?
Blanco: Chessmile was a project that I wanted to develop since I was studying dentistry in the university and then later when doing my specialization in orthodontics. It was at this time that I decided to combine my two professional interests of orthodontics and chess. This lead to the design, development and patent of Chessmile, which is the integration of the chess motif into braces and oral hygiene products.

What is your philosophy at Chessmile? What is your goal?
Blanco: My philosophy is to provide a new product that combines these two passions of mine into a fun and healthy treatment choice for orthodontics patients who share this same interest. My goal is to promote these products to the orthodontic community and the dental community in general. A big part of this goal was to create a well-designed product that was also fun and interesting. Doctors and patients who play chess can understand the similarity of tooth movement strategies to obtain a winning smile and correlate these same ideas with the importance of the chess piece movements to obtain a winning checkmate outcome in a chess game. Unraveling a difficult malocclusion, patients and doctors can imagine that each tooth is a chess piece with a strategic value of motion during the treatment.

What would you consider to be the "best kept secret" about Chessmile?
Blanco: Chessmile represents the first time that braces have been designed in the fashion of a game. The other big secret is that since Chessmile is a small company, the orthodontist community is only beginning to become aware of the product. Another "best kept secret" is how affordable our products are.

How are your products developed?
Blanco: Chessmile is a cast-manufactured bracket, 80- gauge foil mesh, palladium alloy with the torque built into the base. These are the main characteristics. Any chess piece (example: king, queen, pawn, etc.) can be ordered for any particular tooth (central lateral, canines, etc.). The only exceptions are molar brackets. The typical setup for braces is the same setup that you would see at the beginning of a chess game. Detailed images of Chessmile braces and all our products can be viewed on our Web site. Chessmile brackets are available in both .18 and .22 slot and in a self-ligating format. Different prescriptions are available, for example: Roth, MBT and Standard.

Where can orthodontists purchase your products?
Blanco: They can purchase online after registering at www.chessmilebraces.com or can also contact me directly at info@chessmilebraces.com.

What kind of service can orthodontists expect when they pick up the phone and call you?
Blanco: At the moment we process inquires and orders through the Web site. Potential clients can e-mail us to obtain more information. Our goal is to provide answers and information about our products to the doctors so they can best serve their patients with our products.
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