Clear aligners have revolutionized orthodontic treatment as we know it, offering an alternative to conventional fixed braces. One critical step shared by both of these treatment modalities is accurate and comprehensive record-taking. Patient records are more than just diagnostic tools that are essential to treatment planning. They must be taken with great precision to ensure that planned tooth movements are executed both effectively and efficiently throughout the patient's NDX Aligners treatment journey.
Intraoral photos are equally crucial. It is recommended to submit lower occlusal, upper occlusal, frontal, left buccal and right buccal views. Occlusal photos of the upper and lower arches reveal details such as tooth alignment, arch form and restorative status. The frontal, left buccal and right buccal photos are mandatory as they provide critical information about midline shifts, canine and molar relationships, overbite and overjet. These photos also enable us to compare the patient’s bite with the submitted impressions. In cases where discrepancies arise, the bite that appears more stable is adapted to the 3D dental model on the treatment viewer.
To learn more on how to best capture patient photos, click here.
Panoramic radiographs and lateral cephalometrics add significant value to treatment planning. Panoramic radiographs assist in identifying implants, pathologies, impacted teeth and the condition of the supporting bone and periodontium. Lateral cephalometric radiographs offer insights into the patient’s skeletal and dental relationships by analyzing anatomical structures.
Accurate and defect-free physical impressions or scans are indispensable for successful diagnosis and treatment planning. These are used to create 3D digital dental models, which form the basis for generating tooth movement simulations and eventually creating the aligner steps. Digital models have proven to be reliable alternatives to traditional plaster casts, offering precision and convenience in modern orthodontic practice1.
Bite registration is another critical component of record-taking. The bite must accurately represent the patient’s occlusion between the upper and lower arches. Any inaccuracies can result in a 3D digital dental model displaying incorrect dental relationships, leading to a suboptimal treatment plan with potential interferences between arches.
Comprehensive records enable the creation of a detailed and realistic treatment roadmap tailored to the patient’s unique needs.
Clear aligners work by applying gentle, controlled forces to teeth. The teeth move in increments with each aligner step, until they reach their desired positions2.
With such a mechanism of action, it is of utmost importance that the manufactured trays are a proper fit to the patient’s teeth. This highlights the significance of the accuracy of impressions or scans taken by the clinician. At NDX, we only accept records that accurately capture the dentition and surrounding anatomical structures. Any missed teeth, double scans, holes or impression tears must be avoided at all costs. Otherwise, poorly fitting aligners will result in ineffective tooth movements and prolonged treatment time.
By taking complete, accurate records, we help to ensure that NDX Aligners function at their full potential, achieving predictable tooth movement efficiently.
In addition to initial records, documenting the patient’s progress throughout treatment can be of great use too.
In some particularly challenging cases, such as those with extractions or A-P discrepancies, keeping track of the patient’s progress may allow clinicians to identify possible causes for loss of track. When such deviations occur, timely adjustments can be made to the treatment plan. This might involve creating new aligners, incorporating additional auxiliaries or modifying the force application.
Without periodic records, clinicians may miss these deviations, leading to suboptimal results or extended treatment durations.
Following the initial treatment plan execution with clear aligners, a refinement stage may be needed for some fine-tuning and finishing. This is to ensure the full actual expression of planned tooth movements3.
Fully updated records are essential at this stage, allowing the identification of areas requiring refinements and ensuring that any additional aligners are specifically tailored to the patient’s current dental position.
In summary, accurate and comprehensive record-taking is the cornerstone of successful clear aligner treatment. From diagnosis and treatment planning to aligner fitting, monitoring progress and refining the final outcomes, precise documentation helps to ensure predictable results, enhanced patient satisfaction and optimal treatment efficiency.
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