Can Orthodontic Treatment Be Done with Clear Aligners? (Clear Aligner Effectiveness)

Can orthodontic treatment be done with clear aligners?

Clear aligner effectiveness

How to avoid poor treatment

The bracket orthodontic appliances we commonly know, like train tracks, attach brackets directly to the teeth and apply strong force using wires and other components. So when people think of clear aligner appliances that can be removed, they may wonder whether they apply less force than regular orthodontic appliances, and therefore whether clear aligner effectiveness might be insufficient. There are likely people who worry about this.

Poor treatment with clear aligners

That is understandable, because for the 2 years and 3 months starting in 2016, there were 332 orthodontic-related cases reported to the Consumer Counseling Center, and among them, clear aligners accounted for 10.6% in 2016, 15.8% in 2017, and 32.6% in 2018, showing an increasing trend.

Among the reasons for cases in which clear aligner treatment ended, poor treatment accounted for 54.2%, and among those, no clear aligner effectiveness accounted for 27.8%.

Clear aligner effectiveness Clear aligners are known to be effective for various crooked teeth and various malocclusions, just like regular orthodontic appliances.

As is known, clear aligners can correct crooked teeth and various malocclusions.

Not only protruding teeth and gaps between teeth, but the treatment range has gradually expanded, making extraction orthodontic treatment possible as well. That is what clear aligners have become. Although it is true that clinical limitations still exist, such as extrusion, rotation, and distal tipping control, these can be supplemented through additional fine adjustments, allowing for sufficiently good results. Then why do claims of no clear aligner effectiveness and poor treatment arise?

Causes of poor clear aligner treatment

• Manual work

Originally, clear aligners were made by hand.

Because clear aligners deform as they are worn, one appliance must be replaced every 1 to 2 weeks. In the past, dental technicians manually worked on each of the many sheets, shaping them little by little to match the tooth form according to the desired result until the target outcome was reached. That method is now disappearing with digital clear aligners, but if treatment is performed at a clinic that still uses that method, precision will clearly be reduced, which can lead to no clear aligner effectiveness.

Causes of poor clear aligner treatment

• Noncompliance with wearing the appliance

Even if they are made with digital clear aligners, clear aligner appliances are removable, so patient cooperation in wearing them is necessary.

When eating food, when brushing teeth, for cleaning the appliance, and for various other reasons, if a patient takes the appliance out and forgets to put it back on, or loses the appliance, then of course the orthodontic effect can only decrease if appliance wear is not cooperative.

The recommended wearing time for clear aligners is at least 20 hours per day, and they should be worn continuously except when eating.

Causes of poor clear aligner treatment

• Appliance manufacturing process

Compared with regular orthodontic appliances, clear aligner appliances are expensive. Sometimes, people may be tempted by very low-cost clear aligners, but if the price gap is too large, you should check how the appliances are manufactured.

The reason clear aligners are expensive is that the sheets that must be replaced every 1 to 2 weeks require not only the work of dental technicians, but also the dentist’s setup and handling of variables, with treatment planning and adjustments continuously taking place. As a result, considerable materials and labor are involved.

If, without expertise in orthodontics, appliances are made using only digital methods, without the dentist’s setup and variable management, then it will lead to poor treatment.

Causes of poor clear aligner treatment

• Lack of expertise

This is closely related to the point above: if appliances are made without expertise in orthodontics, it leads to poor treatment.

Legally, even dentists who are not orthodontic specialists, as long as they have a medical license, can perform orthodontic treatment. So even if digital setup is possible automatically, there are often places that provide clear aligners without expertise in orthodontics. This does not mean you must receive treatment from an orthodontic specialist; it means that even if the dentist is not a specialist, skilled orthodontic knowledge and technique are still needed. Only then can clear aligners provide appropriate treatment, and even after treatment ends, limitations of clear aligners can be supplemented.

How to avoid poor treatment

There is Gangnam Sero Dental Clinic, which is capable of clear aligner treatment, with Dr. Jeon Jae-min, who has treated the orthodontic cases of many famous entertainers, is a consultant for NanoLiner, a well-known domestic clear aligner appliance, and serves as technical research director and chief advisor of Osstem Orthodontics, Korea’s largest orthodontic specialist company, and is the only person in Korea to present a non-extraction orthodontics paper in the American Journal of Clinical Orthodontics.

It is recommended that you visit Gangnam Sero Dental Clinic, which is accessible by a 3-minute walk straight from Gangnam Station and a 5-minute walk straight from Sinnonhyeon Station, and inquire about evening hours and parking before receiving a visit and consultation.