HILLSBORO, Ore. - Like pimple cream and SAT tests, braces are a rite of passage for most teens.

Having a mouth full of metal during the high school years dates back decades, but the technology behind orthodontics hasn't changed very much in nearly 100 years.

Until now.

High-powered computers and advanced robotics have crept into the orthodontist's office, and one doctor in Hillsboro says the results have been positive beyond his expectations.

Dr. Matt Biermann, who has a practice in Hillsboro, is one of a few orthodontists using the new Sure Smile system, a combination of three-dimensional computer imaging, exotic alloys and robotics.

"We're seeing a 40 to 50 percent less treatment time, with more predictable, and quite frankly, better results than traditional orthodontics," Dr. Biermann said.

When braces are adjusted, the wire system is tightened according to how much the patient's have teeth have moved since the patient's last visit. The resulting adjustments are usually painful.

Biermann says the Sure Smile system has helped soothe the pain, cut treatment time and reduced his office overhead.

He says the additional cost to patients is minimal, and once patients find out about the advantages, they are typically fine with the premium.

"We work [the cost] into the fees that we have," Biermann said, "and people will generally pay a little bit more money to be done in half the time."

The procedure starts with a harmless, white-colored film that is painted onto the patient's teeth. Then, a special handheld scanner is used to feed 3D image information into a nearby computer.

The information is instantly visible on a nearby computer monitor that features a touch screen.

The highly-accurate mouth model is further refined on another office computer.

 Dr. Biermann inputs the location and tension needed for the brackets and wire on his computer, and sends the information over the Internet to a Sure Smile facility in Texas.

That's where the robots come in.

A special wire, composed of a blend of metals, is gripped by two robotic pincers, which heats and bends the wire into a pattern that will guide the teeth into their preferred position.

The wire, a blend of copper, nickel and titanium, remembers its shape and is stiff when it is warm, but is highly flexible when cool - properties that are the reverse of most metals.

Even if the wire is purposely bent out of proper shape, once it is put in warm water, it springs back into its predetermined form and is ready to use.

In the mouth, natural body heat keeps the wire firm and supplies tension to move the teeth.

Biermann says the new system can cut treatment time in half in some cases and significantly reduces the time patients have to wear braces in most other cases.

Also, the system puts less overall stress on the teeth, lowering the pain patients feel.

Biermann says the reduced treatment time, lowered pain and fewer visits required for adjustments also eases the burden on both his patients and his office staff.

You'll get no complaints from Nolan, who is soon headed for high school - most likely without braces, thanks to the shorter treatment time.