Clear aligners have been the most sought after for teeth straightening nowadays as regular braces treatment had become quite difficult with respect to monthly dentist visits and long treatment time extending to some years in some cases.
Clear aligners give predictable results and are generally less time consuming. There are a lot of questions regarding the steps and procedures of clear aligners.
- It is generally more suitable for adults and mature children. It is not advisable in young children because it’s not a fixed one on the teeth.
- So children may not wear it properly and regularly and also have tendency to lose them.
Compared to other braces, clear aligners does not require monthly visits. So, patients who live abroad and away from their home can get this type of treatment and it is also les expensive in India compared to regular braces in other countries.
Steps in fabrication of clear aligners
There are 4 steps.
Step 1- 1st Appointment
- First, x-rays- OPG and LATERAL CEPH , teeth and face photos and teeth impression and study models are made and sent for analysis to the lab.
- The specialists in the lab do an accurate estimation of your teeth with the help of digital designing and devise a treatment plan and also finalise the position and alignment of your teeth after treatment.
- The treatment plan includes plan to either remove teeth or not, do proximal striping or not and prepare animated videos of your teeth in before and after treatment condition.
- The cost of the treatment is also decided at this stage and also the duration of treatment needed. The lab usually charges a small fee for the video designing and planning.
- If the treatment plan is satisfactory for dentist and patient, then we can proceed with the treatment.
Step 2 - 2nd appointment
- If the treatment plan includes teeth removal or proximal striping , these steps are performed and final impressions are made and sent to the lab.
Step 3 - 3rd appointment
- Now the lab will fabricate a zero stage aligner or trial tray to check for the accuracy of the impression.
- This has to be checked on the patient’s mouth for proper fit. If this fit is ok, the lab can proceed with fabrication of all the trays.
- The complete treatment cost has to be settled at this stage for the lab to proceed. The patient will atleast need to be present physically til this stage of treatment.
Step 4
- The lab will proceed with fabrication of the entire set of clear aligners and sent it to the dentist. The dentist can either directly give it to the patient or courier it to him/her.
Advantages
- No monthly appointments
- Invisible treatment
- Less treatment time
- Treatment results seen before starting of treatment.
Disadvantages
- One time payment- no monthly installments
- Cannot correct all problems like deep bite.. additional treatments may be required.
3. Not suitable for children
