Visit dental aligners require rigorous precision and meticulous planning. For practitioners, Predictability of treatment is a key factor in reducing end-of-course adjustments and ensuring patient satisfaction. Meticulous execution and attention to detail throughout the treatment process are essential to achieving these goals.
Here are some practical tips to improve the predictability of your treatments and avoid unnecessary touch-ups.
1. Make a good set-up
A well-executed set-up is the key to successful treatment with aligners. Lors de la planification, il est important de surcorriger certains mouvements dentaires pour compenser les variations naturelles qui peuvent survenir pendant le traitement. La surcorrection consiste à prévoir et à corriger les mouvements dentaires au-delà du résultat final souhaité, afin de compenser les facteurs imprévus qui pourraient affecter le résultat tels que la résilience des tissus, les réactions biologiques individuelles et les petites erreurs de positionnement des aligneurs:
In addition, add specific cleats Optimized aligners provide better control of tooth movement, ensuring more precise correction. Among the most common aligners used in orthodontic treatment are :
- Rectangular cleats: Used for translational movements and bite corrections, these cleats offer a wider contact surface, allowing a more uniform force to move the teeth in the desired direction.
- Half-moon cleats : used twice to correct tipping.
- Keyed cleats: Suitable for complex movements, these cleats adjust perfectly to the shape of the aligner and offer precise control of dental movements.
- Combo cleats: Combining several shapes and sizes, these cleats are used for treatments requiring multi-directional corrections, managing several aspects of tooth movement simultaneously.
2. Use aids for difficult movements
Complex dental movements often require the use of auxiliary devices. These devices help with difficult movements that aligners alone cannot effectively achieve. By integrating these aids right from the start of treatment, you can significantly improve the predictability of results.
Here are the main auxiliary devices and their role in orthodontic treatment:
Elastics :
Elastics are used to apply additional force between the dental arches. They are often used to correct malocclusionssuch as prognathism. They can also be used to perform complex movements such as correcting molar misalignments or adjusting the relationship between upper and lower teeth.
Mini-screws (or temporary anchoring screws – TAD) :
Mini-screws offer stable, reliable anchorage for larger, more specific dental movements. They can be used to secure additional orthodontic appliances or to apply forces in specific directions. They are particularly useful for complex movements such as large tooth translations or retraction of anterior teeth without compromising other aspects of treatment.
Specific motion control devices :
These devices include elements such as buttons or support plates, designed to handle very specific movements or unique orthodontic situations. They can be used for particular corrections such as extreme tooth rotations or vertical alignment adjustments.
Ensuring patient compliance
Successful treatment with aligners is also highly dependent on patient compliance. It is essential to regularly check that the patient is wearing his aligners in accordance with instructions.
Frequent checks and encouragement can help maintain a high level of compliance. Clearly explaining the importance of following the treatment plan to the letter can prevent delays and further adjustments.
What’s more, regular reminders and personalized advice can boost patient motivation and ensure that treatment goes smoothly.
4. Encourage regular use of chewies
Chewies are simple but highly effective accessories for improve the fit of aligners. Demandez à vos patients de les utiliser régulièrement pour s’assurer que les gouttières sont bien en place. Cela permet d’éviter des écarts entre les dents et les aligneurs, améliorant ainsi la précision des mouvements dentaires.
By stressing the importance of this usage to your patients, you promote optimal adhesion of aligners, which contributes to more effective treatment and more predictable results.
5. Check stripping quality
Ucorrectly performed stripping is essential to create the space needed for tooth movement. Carefully check that you have removed the correct amount of enamel and that the space created is sufficient to allow realignment of the teeth without compromising their integrity. Using thickness gauges to check the space can prevent errors and ensure smooth treatment.
In addition, good communication with the patient on the importance of this step can help them understand its crucial role in the overall success of orthodontic treatment.
Conclusion
By incorporating these tips into your practice, you can improve the predictability of your dental aligner treatments and reduce the need for finishing. A well-planned set-up, the use of appropriate auxiliaries, good patient compliance, regular use of chewies, and precise stripping are the keys to success. By applying these strategies, you’ll optimize not only clinical outcomes but also your patients’ overall experience.
To learn more about these techniques and other advanced strategies, we offer free training courses to our partner dentists to help them master all stages of aligner treatment. Don’t hesitate to contact us for more information and to improve your orthodontic skills with dental aligners.
