GAP Magazine Clear Idea Volume 5

www.acasociety.com | info@acasociety.com 19 I f you’re reading this magazine then it’s likely you already knowquite a bit about clear aligners or at least are interested in getting started. Clear aligners have revolutionised dentistry, second only to implants as the fastest growing treatment in the dental industry. So if you’ve been hesitant to start clear aligner treatments as an associate or as a practice owner you’re not sure how to implement them seamlessly into your practice, I’d like to share some insights into my clear aligner journey as a new practice owner. 1. Build your knowledge. As with any new skill it’s important to establish some base knowledge prior to jumping in and starting to treat patients. Clear aligners are no different even if you have prior knowledge of conventional orthodontics it’s important to understand the concepts of clear aligner biomechanics as they differ from conventional fixed appliances. There are a number of training academies and education providers available, and in my experience, choose one that is not specific to one single clear aligner company, as each company will have their own “patented specialised features”. However if you understand the concepts behind the individual aligner systems then you will be able to treatment plan with any aligner system and you won’t rely on these special features of one system to be able to do specific tooth movements as you will understand the biomechanics behind the features. I have completed my postgraduate diploma in digital orthodontics (UK certified) with BOSS, and have attended around 50-70 hours of online and live aligner courses run by AORTAAustralia. I highly recommend both of these training institutions. 2. Know your aligner system Yes, I know I said you should learn aligners from a company which is not biased towards a single alinger company, however once you have a base knowledge of alinger biomechanics it’s a good idea when starting out to select one aligner company to use to treat all comprehensive orthodontic cases. Each aligner system will set up cases slightly differently and have slightly different programming for their tooth movement as well as different aligner material which may require slightly different forces to produce tooth movement. It makes it easier to troubleshoot and learn what does and does not work if you have consistency in your aligner system. I would recommend either Invisalign or Angel Align. Both companies have great software that provides ample detail in the treatment planning phase so you can see exactly how much movement of each tooth is required for the case which will help determine which cases you should be taking on. 3. Systemisation This tip is for scaling up clear aligner production in your practice, however it’s helpful to have the systems and protocols in place from the get go. Get the whole team involved by utilising each team member to their full potential – from having protocols in place to manage clear aligner inquiries, to getting nurses to take scans and oral health therapists trained in clear aligners. Having systems and protocols in place means that everyone in the practice knows how to manage aligner patients at all stages throughout their treatment so that you as the dentist are less involved in the admin side of things and can focus on treatment planning (and troubleshooting if required). If this is done well you can make even a relatively small clear aligner patient base profitable. Systems will be slightly different for each practice but there are some fundamentals which will remain the same. To learn more about how to implement a clear aligner system I›d recommend attending AORTAAustralia›s masterclasses and immersive aligner programs. 4. Use Dental Monitoring For those who don’t know about Dental Monitoring – it’s essentially a software that tracks the aligner fit of patients by having patients “scan” their teeth with aligners in and out at regular intervals using their smartphone and “scanbox”. It provides consistent images of aligner fit, and the software detects unseating of aligners and tells patients when to move to the next aligner. Then main benefits I see for incorporating dental monitoring for all full aligner cases are: Reduction in chair time – patients scan weekly and you can review aligner fit weekly thus you can give the patient their whole set of aligners from the beginning, they will only require appointments when attachments fall off, IPR is required or a refinement is needed. A study in the Australian Journal of Orthodontics By Katayal V., et al. (2021) showed that Dental Monitoring reduced chair time by 33% compared to clear aligner treatment without Dental Monitoring. Increased compliance – An example of the Hawthorne effect, where patients are more likely to wear their aligners as they know they are being monitored weekly via their scans. Learning Aid – you develop a bank of information on each case you treat, you can go back and see which movements from your clinchecks were not expressed. It gives you more confidence in treating comprehensive cases as you can see the progression week to week and pick up on aspects of your treatment which are not working earlier. 5. Get your staff to wear aligners In my practice, patients will spend time alone with either my nurse or a treatment coordinator at some point during their visit, and it is during this time when most patients will discuss different treatment options more openly. I have some of my staff undergoing aligner treatment so that they are able to discuss their treatment with patients on a less formal level and my staff can give insights into aligner treatment and this creates an aura of trust for your patient. It is incredible to see how quickly patientsbecomemore interestedinaligners when they see another human wearing them – we regularly hear comments such as “I could barely tell you›re wearing them” or “you›re not lisping or drooling TIPS for getting started with clear aligners in your practice James Bartalotta By Dr James Bartalotta Continued page 22