What is Orthodontics?
Orthodontics is a branch of dentistry that deals with the diagnosis, prevention, and correction of malpositioned teeth and jaws.
Various materials such as braces, brackets, and elastic ligatures are used for treatment.
The duration of treatment can vary from a few months to several years. In cases of severe malocclusion, jaw surgeries may be performed in conjunction with orthodontic treatment.
What is a Clear Aligner?
As technology advances, new treatment methods are emerging as alternatives to classic orthodontic techniques. One of these is treatment with clear aligners.
Clear aligner treatment offers a much more comfortable and aesthetic treatment option compared to traditional orthodontic treatment.
It causes fewer sores in the cheeks and tongue and less pain compared to the classic method.
Aligners can be removed while eating, allowing for comfortable eating and excellent dental hygiene.
The malpositions in your teeth will be corrected with biocompatible aligners that wrap around all your teeth instead of metal elements. Moreover, if you have a speech or a meeting during the day, you can remove your aligners for 1-2 hours. However, for the success of the treatment, you should remove them as little as possible and use them regularly.
If you are an individual who does not want social interaction to be affected, or if you are concerned about the appearance of wires, or if you have a profession in the public eye, clear aligners offer a suitable treatment method. Remote treatment with clear aligners is also possible if you travel frequently and cannot attend doctor’s appointments for several months.
How does the treatment process proceed?
Before starting treatment, the patient is examined, expectations are learned, and a diagnosis is made. Then, photographs and digital measurements are taken, and the teeth are transferred to a computer environment.
Here, the teeth are corrected with software, and you can approximately see how the teeth will look after treatment before it even starts.
Subsequently, the patient’s aligners are custom-made from biocompatible resin and the treatment begins.
The person progresses to a new aligner, a new stage every two weeks, thus gradually straightening the teeth. Doctor’s check-ups are done every 1 to 1.5 months.
The time spent in the dentist’s chair is much less compared to the classic orthodontic method.
After the treatment ends, a lingual retainer is applied to the back of the teeth to prevent relapse.
Advantages of Clear Aligner Treatment:
- The most important advantage of this treatment is its aesthetic aspect. Usually, most people around you do not notice that you are using aligners until you tell them.
- Compared to traditional treatment, tooth movements are more planned and controlled. Therefore, in some cases, faster results are achieved.
- You can remove your aligners to eat and consume anything you want without restrictions. In traditional orthodontic treatment, eating is more controlled and usually involves softer foods.
- You can see the outcome of the treatment before it starts and make your final decision accordingly.
- In this treatment, you can remove your aligners and easily brush your teeth.
- Aligners can be removed before an important event or meeting, providing a more comfortable speaking opportunity.
Disadvantages of Clear Aligner Treatment:
- The success of the aligners depends on patient compliance, and the main disadvantage of this treatment lies in patient adherence. The individual must follow the doctor’s instructions carefully and use the aligners for 23-24 hours a day.
- It has limited application in some disorders such as impacted teeth or cases requiring surgery. Traditional orthodontic treatment is more successful in these types of disorders. Therefore, this treatment is not recommended for about 10% of patients, and in these cases, traditional orthodontic treatment will yield better results.
- The use of clear aligners is not recommended for people with a gag reflex.
Who are Clear Aligners Suitable for?
- Crowding
- Occlusal disorder
- Overlapping teeth
- Gaps between teeth
- Crossbite
- Jaw narrowness
- Elevated canines, etc.
Stages of Clear Aligner Treatment:
- Digital measurements of the upper and lower jaws are taken.
- Before the treatment starts, photographs of the teeth and face are taken. These photos are important for diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes.
- The digital measurements are sent to the laboratory, and the teeth are corrected through software. The final state of the teeth can be seen before the treatment even begins.
- All aligners are produced in stages, packaged, and made ready for use.
- The aligners are sent to the clinic, and your orthodontist calls you for an appointment.
- White buttons, known as attachments, are applied to the necessary teeth as support points. In some difficult cases, metal buttons may also be used.
- If necessary, tooth extractions can be performed, or a method called stripping can be used to make minute abrasions to the tooth structure, providing space for correcting crowding. This process does not create sensitivity in the teeth.
- After these procedures, your orthodontist will give you the clear aligners you will use for that month and explain how to use them.
They will provide information about what to do until your next appointment. - In the first few days of treatment, there may be some pressure and pain.
- You will move to the next aligner at intervals deemed appropriate by the doctor and come for regular check-ups.
- After the treatment is completed, a lingual retainer will be applied to the inside of the teeth, and you will be given stabilizing aligners to use at night for 6 months.