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Case Reports

Dentistry dedicated to excellence.

How Are Clear Aligners Made?

Let’s first have a look at what Aligner zone and clear aligners are.

Prescribed by your dental professional, Aligner zone are clear aligners that have been developed specifically for aligning your teeth in a predictable, smooth, clear and comfortable manner. Instead of metal brackets, wires or screws, you’ll be wearing a thermoplastic material to achieve your desired results – while going unnoticed by the people around you.

Clear aligners work on basic orthodontic principles. They are used for the correction of crooked teeth, gaps or rotation, while achieving the desired results in an organized and planned fashion. These customized trays are “invisible” and move the tooth in the desired direction. This is achieved through wearing a series of Active Aligners, each for 22 hours a day, 1 to 2 weeks at a time (one stage), which move the teeth per stage until their optimal alignment has been reached.

There are a few steps in aligner fabrication for that confident smile.

Clinical steps

• Oral health check by provider
• Impressions – digital or physical
• Quality Control Images
• X- rays

Laboratory steps

• Scans or 3D imaging
• 3D Treatment planning
• Printing of 3D models
• Positive pressure thermoforming
• Quality check

Aligner zone Laboratory Procedure
3-D Imaging and treatment planning

A 3D scan or impression is taken to achieve a replica of your teeth. Once the imaging is ready, 3D models are manufactured for each stage of the Active Aligner treatment and a smile summary is created. A virtual setup is then prepared to show the dental professional the planned treatment through each stage as well as the end result. This gives an edge to clear Aligner therapy compared to traditional orthodontic treatment, as the provider sees the end result even before you begin treatment.

3-D Models

3D models are printed per stage of the clear Aligner treatment using 3D printers with MSLA technology.

Thermoforming

The thermoforming stage is where 3D printed models meet the thermoplastic material which is used to create Active Aligners.
High pressure thermoforming is required to form aligners over 3D printed models. The reason this is important is that in order to create clear aligners with predictable tooth movement, accuracy is required across the teeth, gum line definition and gingival textures.

Quality Check

Before allowing Aligners to be delivered to your provider, a through quality check is done to check all margins, borders, thicknesses, numbering and arch form of your aligners. The clear Aligner Difference is clear.

Intraoral Scanning

The ideal digital impression would allow the ability to scan just the quadrant or the entire arches
allow for fabrication of all types of dental restorations, and even allow for sub gingival preparations.
Use of such advanced technology produces an accurate 3D image of the object being scanned in
virtual real time.

The clinician is able to view the 3D replica when the scanning procedure is complet.
Intraoral laser scanner by Technologic consists of a mobile cart on wheels that can be moved to
different operatories.The handheld laser scanner releases a light stream of compressed air during
the scanning procedure to prevent fogging of the lens that is attached to a proprietary data cable .
The data cable is attached to a computer with a liquid crystal display (light-emitting diode [LED])
monitor that processes the electronic information. A wireless keyboard, mouse, foot pedal, and
analytical instruments that are proprietary to the manufacturer control the entire digital scanning
process.

PVS Impression

Polyvinyl siloxane (PVS), also called poly-vinyl siloxane, vinyl polysiloxane (VPS), or vinylpolysiloxane, is an addition-reaction silicone elastomer (an addition silicone). It is a viscous liquid that cures (solidifies) quickly into a rubber-like solid, taking the shape of whatever surface it was lying againstwhile curing.

As with two-part epoxy, its package keeps its two component liquids in separate tubes until the moment they are mixed and applied, because once mixed, they cure (harden) rapidly. Polyvinyl siloxane is widely used in dentistry as an impression material. It is also used in othercontexts where an impression similar to a dental impression is needed. Polyvinyl siloxane was commercially introduced in the 1970s.

To create the material, the user simply mixes a colored putty (often blue or pink) with a white putty, and the chemical reaction begins. PVS with a wide variety of working and setting times is available commercially. Final set is noted when the product rebounds upon touching with a blunt or sharp
instrument. In dentistry, this material is commonly referred to as having light or heavy body depending on specific usage.

Intraoral Scanning

The software prompts for a series of five scans (occlusal, facial, lingual, mesioproximal, and
distoproximal views) per prepared tooth or abutment, with additional scans required for the
adjacent teeth and opposing dentition.

The usual series may range from 15 to 30 scanned images to record the preparation, opposing teeth, and the occlusal relationship.

For a true 3D capture, streaming video captures and records all of the exposed surfaces of the
prepared and adjacent teeth in the quadrant.

An ICE (I C Everything) feature of the software takes
photographic images of the teeth and gingival tissue

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