2014 Annual Session - Advancing the Scope of Aligner Treatment / On the Nature of Aligner Performance

Advancing the Scope of Aligner Treatment

Invisalign has now been a defined technique for a decade and a half. With every improvement in engineering and materials, the scope of malocclusions that are amenable to treatment with aligners expands. Despite these advances, there are still limitations attempting to treat some malocclusions. This presentation will outline recent advances and areas that are still problematic.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify recent advances in aligner treatment
• Recognize malocclusions that may be less predictable to treat with aligners
• Expand the scope of successful aligner treatment

On the Nature of Aligner Performance

Loss of tracking is most often experienced in premolar extraction cases, root alignment corrections, and extrusion of teeth type conditions. It is difficult for the clinician to recapture non-tracking teeth in the aligner. Loss of traction could be for mechanical design reasons. But it could also be a mismatch between the mechanics of staged tooth movements and the biological response of periodontal tissues. This lecture will offer measures to prevent mishaps.

Learning Objectives:

• Assess the weakest links of aligner treatment and take preemptive measures
• Explain the biological reasons behind difficult tooth movements