Checklist & Best Practices for Doctors to Follow for Successful Clear Aligner Treatment Outcomes

Over the years, Quiteclear has accumulated extensive experience in the field of clear aligner therapy, manufacturing Clear Aligners as a white-label producer. Our team has curated a specialized checklist for clear aligner success aimed at guiding new clients towards achieving optimal clear aligner results. This tool is designed to ensure the success of Clear Aligner treatments and to minimize patient dissatisfaction. Moreover, this crucial checklist serves to alleviate any reservations that orthodontists may have about starting their own clear aligner therapy services, thereby bolstering their confidence and encouraging independent practice.

• Perform initial assessments to gather the patient’s chief complaints and dental needs in order to establish the goals for aligner treatment.
  • The chief complaint can range between fixing a deep bite, overbite, underbite, overjet, etc., leading to secondary related issues such as bruxism caused by misaligned teeth, food lodging, accidental cheek chewing, and the most common of all, smile beautification.
• Provide sufficient information to the patient regarding the aligner treatment process, including treatment duration, potential challenges, and realistic expectations of treatment outcomes.
• Discuss the process of treatment planning, possible outcomes, expected aligner wear times, and the consequences of non-compliance.
  • Complex cases may require a higher number of aligner sets to be worn, which increases the total treatment time.
  • Treatments may include the use of buttons and elastics, if required, to facilitate certain tooth movements.
  • Each aligner should be worn for a minimum of 22 hours per day for 10 to 14 days (depending on the treating Orthodontist).
• Review the digital treatment planning and simulation to ensure a more precise final outcome. Make necessary changes for a more realistic clinical approach to the teeth movement.
  • Many AI-based software programs provide treatment recommendations that still need to be reviewed by trained orthodontists since no software can yet imitate the human touch and understanding of clinically what is possible in terms of realistic movements, etc.
• Discuss oral hygiene practices and dietary restrictions applicable when the appliance is worn.
  • No food should be chewed with the aligner still in the mouth. Items such as coffee, tea, or soda can potentially stain the aligner, thus removal of the aligner is a must before any such consumption. Chewing food with the aligner still in place can damage the aligner and affect the treatment.
• Examination at every pre-decided interval to monitor progress and address any concerns. Encourage regular follow-up appointments with the patient.
  • In cases where the patient is unavailable for an in-person visit, encourage the reception of different intraoral (provide cheek retractors to the patient) and facial photos from various angles to keep updated on the treatment progress. This will also encourage the patient to comply with the wear time of the aligner due to accountability.
  • Patient compliance – Keep emphasizing the importance of wearing aligners for the prescribed duration and following the recommended wear time.
• Follow the treatment planning at the required stages:
  • Accurately place attachments, perform Interproximal Reduction (IPR), complete extractions, and add or remove implants/buttons/chains or bands as needed.
• Compare actual progress with the digital treatment plan to ensure the aligner journey is progressing according to plan. Address any issues or discomfort experienced by the patient promptly. Provide solutions or modifications to ensure treatment continues smoothly and is not abandoned by the patient midway.
• Plan for the retention phase following aligner treatment to maintain the achieved results. Consider the use of retainers or other retention methods based on individual patient needs.
  • A retainer will need to be worn for the length of time recommended by the orthodontist. If not worn, the treatment can relapse. The lifespan of a retainer is 3-6 months, depending on the material used for manufacturing, after which a new one will be required to be worn to retain the final position of the teeth for however long the Orthodontist recommends
  • The treatment will fail to achieve the desired teeth movements if the patient fails to comply with wearing the aligner for 22 hours per day or skips wearing the aligners for a few days.
• Inform the patient about refinement options if they are looking to make small tweaks at the last stage of the treatment.
  • Refinements for clear aligners are usually a 4-5 stage correction process to fine-tune the final desired outcomes of the treatment.
• Maintain detailed records of the treatment process, including initial assessments, treatment plans, progress notes, and final outcomes.
• Continuously learn and stay updated with advancements in aligner technology and treatment protocols through continuing education courses and professional development opportunities.

Connect with us at connect@quiteclear.io or call us at +91 9909973333 to discover more about our expertise in clear aligner treatment approaches in the field of orthodontics. We eagerly anticipate the opportunity to share further insights and collaborate on optimizing your patients’ treatment experiences.