No Ordinary Dentistry

DIGITAL ORTHODONTICS

What is digital orthodontics ?

For my purpose I refer to the branch of orthodontics that uses clear aligners to move teeth in a stepped sequence of movements. AKA clear aligners, aka sequential aligners ( my preference ) or as what most of you might refer to as Invisalign®.

This is as opposed to the “Railway tracks” with brackets and archwires which is the classic analogue way to. As the brackets are stuck to the teeth we also refer to this technique as fixed appliance orthodontics. Some practitioners will use computers to plan the placement of the brackets onto the teeth but this is not what I would refer to as digital orthodontics. It is just digital planning to delivery analogue orthodontics. The movement of the teeth is still made by the archwires which is analogue.

DIGITAL ORTHODONTICS

CLEAR
ALIGNERS

FEATURES

  • HOW THE TEETH MOVES
    • THE SHAPE OF THE “PLASTIC” ALIGNERS PUSHES THE TEETH INTO POSITION
    • COMPUTER SOFTWARE CONTROLLED STEPPED OR QUANTIZED MOVEMENTS AND EACH STEP IS CAPTURED IN AN ALIGNER.
      • EACH ALIGNER WILL ONLY MOVE TEETH SLIGHTLY. MULTIPLE ALIGNERS ARE USED TO GET END RESULT.
  • INDIVIDUALLY TOOTH CONTROL – YES
    • TEETH MOVEMENTS CAN BE ORCHESTRATED OR STAGED
    • BETTER CONTROL IN DIFFICULT CASES

  • CUSTOMISABLE ARCHFORM – YES
    • FINISH SHAPE OR ARCHFORM IS CUSTOMISABLE

  • END POINTS CAN BE VISUALIZED – YES
    • ABILITY TO VISUALLY EXPLORE MUTLIPLE OPTIONS. FOR EXAMPLE EXTRACTION OR NON-EXTRACTION.
    • PATIENTS CAN CHOOSE MORE CONFIDENTLY
    • TREATMENT PROCEEDS WITH TARGET END POINT.

ANALOGUE ORTHODONTICS

FIXED APPLIANCE
(BRACES)

FEATURES

  • HOW THE TEETH MOVES
    • THE ARCHWIRE SHAPE AND THICKNESS DETERMINES THE FORCES OF TOOTH MOVEMENT
    • FREE FORM CONTINUOUS MOVEMENT DETERMINED BY THE DEFORMATION OF THE ARCHWIRE. ORTHODONTIC ARCHWIRE HAS “MEMORY” AND WANTS TORETURN TO THE ORIGINALSHAPE (*)

  • INDIVIDUAL TOOTH CONTROL – NO
    • DIFFICULT TO STAGE OR ORCHESTRATE TEETH MOVEMENTS.
    • ALL BRACKETED TEETH WITH AN ARCHWIRE ATTACHED ARE POTENTIALLY MOVING
  • CUSTOMISABLE ARCHFORM – NO
    • (*) ALL CASES FINISHES IN THE PREDETERMINED SHAPE (ARCHFORM) OF THE ARCHWIRE USED.
  • END POINTS CAN BE VISUALIZED – NO
    • PATIENT CANNOT VISUALIZE END POINT
    • OPTIONS DIFFICULT TO DECIDE ON, ESPECIALLY EXTRACTION OR NON EXTRACTION.
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