Adult patients seeking dental therapies to improve their smiles esthetically as well as improve dysfunctional bite issues have increased the use of orthodontics as a treatment option.
For those patients who benefit from tooth movement, the need to find comfort as well as more esthetic options has helped to drive the use of clear aligners as a treatment modality. When compared to fixed orthodontic appliances, clear aligners are not only more comfortable and more esthetic, but they are better for oral hygiene and require fewer dental appointments.
Overview of Clear Aligners
The desire for straight teeth is often diminished when patients are given the option of fixed orthodontic treatments like conventional metal braces. The unwillingness of patients to have this type of treatment is essentially what led to the development of clear aligners.
Orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) using clear aligners is the result of incrementally fabricating an aligner to facilitate a specific treatment plan. The typical plan calls for a new aligner to be made every three to four weeks. Each aligner helps to move the teeth with slight changes until the desired tooth placement is achieved within the specific arch.
Patient Compliance
Patient compliance is the key to a successful outcome for any OTM treatment. When the patient has been correctly identified as a good candidate for clear aligner therapy, this modality has been shown to offer great success.
The success of these appliances, however, is directly dependent on the patient’s compliance. The appliances must be worn for the specific amount of time prescribed, or they will not achieve the desired end results.
If the aligner is lost or not worn, it can set back the process and hinder the timeline. While patients are more likely to accept this treatment because they are virtually undetectable and can be removed, they must understand that regimented use is imperative to achieving the desired results.
Conventional Fabrication Methods
The conventional method of fulfilling an orthodontic tooth movement treatment plan begins with using polyvinyl siloxane material to take full-arch impressions.
A working cast is then created. With this method, the teeth that need to be moved are removed from the cast and then moved to the desired location.
Then the clear aligners are made from the altered cast using either vacuum or pressure to mold and create the appliance. This is done with a set of aligners to implement small incremental movements. This method requires the following steps:
From this information, Burbank Dental Lab will implement the treatment plan. The models will be analyzed against the desired end result, revealing where any necessary reduction, extrusions, and or intrusions may be needed. This will also reveal how many aligners will be necessary to achieve the desired end results.
Digital Fabrication Methods
Digital workflows in orthodontic tooth movement offer many benefits over the traditional fabrication methods. This method implements an intraoral scanner to produce digital impressions. There are many benefits to this method, including:
Digital workflows in OTM create an overall improved outcome. One of the processing workflows is to use Blue Sky Plan Software.
The Blue Sky Plan Software is used to receive data from an intraoral scanner and then create a treatment plan.
The steps involved in this workflow include:
- Scan both arches with an intraoral scanner.
- Import the digital impression into Blue Sky Software.
- Use the Blue Sky Software to identify the tooth position.
- Begin creating the tooth movement plan.
The teeth can be moved in the following ways:
- Ideal alignment within the arch
- A single tooth can be moved within the arch
- With the pivot fulcrum set at the height of the gingiva, the teeth can be tipped.
- This data is then used to determine the duration of the aligner steps. These steps can be anywhere from weekly to monthly. Once this is determined, the software calculates the data and then reverse engineers the entire movement process.
- Composite buttons are then used on the teeth to create the movement.
- Models are then digitally created and labeled with the step number. The data is exported to a 3D printer for model output and clear aligner outputs.
Orthodontic Design Processes
The models are then used for each phase of the plan.
Burbank Dental Lab can provide design services for these orthodontic processes. By utilizing Burbank digital design team at Burbank Dental Lab, clinicians can save valuable time.
To do this, LabPronto software is used to transfer the data. Scanned models are uploaded with the LabPronto software, and the desired services are selected.
Burbank Dental Lab then creates the designs and the final fabrication output.
New Dental Technologies
Technology has made a huge impact on the way dentistry is practiced today. New technologies are helping clinicians provide optimal care to patients. The internet has created patients who are educated in the various different treatment options available to them.
Orthodontic tooth movement using clear aligners offers a more acceptable treatment option for both direct treatments or as part of a more complex dental need.
Call or chat with Burbank Dental Lab to get more information on clear aligner treatment planning.
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