A Clear Aligner System for Both Novices and Experts
SureSmile® Clear Aligners from Dentsply Sirona set the bar and keep improving
Vishal Sharma, DMD
When Vishal Sharma, DMD, is not in the dental office, he can often be found on a mountain bike, skiing, or snowboarding. He is also working toward acquiring a pilot's license and a sommelier certification. "Challenging yourself by pursuing outdoor activities and picking up new skillsets can be fun and personally rewarding," says the owner of Dental One in Calgary, Alberta. Sharma's penchant for pushing himself to new heights extends to his professional life as well; his strategy for practice growth has focused on incorporating technology to improve accuracy, predictability, efficiency, and patient comfort. "That has been a great model," he says. "You need to have a mindset of continually evolving and progressing. It is often said that ‘the pursuit of perfect is the enemy of good,' but the enemy of progress is complacency with where you are. The adrenaline of trying a new outdoor activity is not dissimilar from that of learning a new skillset in dentistry. There is also fear, trepidation, and concern, but if you approach it methodically and continually push yourself to improve, taking the necessary steps to hone your craft, it can be very rewarding—whether you are on a mountain bike or performing guided surgery or orthodontic therapy."
Over the years, Sharma has acquired five other practices and merged everything into two 12-chair practices. Dental One is nearing its 15th anniversary. Sharma's philosophy of using technology to improve patient outcomes stems from the high-end practice where he worked as an associate after graduating from dental school nearly 20 years ago. "I learned a lot about cosmetic dentistry; high-end, high-touch services; and how to run a patient-centric practice," he says. "It was an eye-opening experience for a young dentist."
Sharma began offering clear aligner therapy early on in his practice. "We are in a downtown business setting, so we see mostly working adults," he says. "Clear aligner therapy has been such a great adjunct for our practice and our patient base." Sharma was not looking to change aligner systems, but when his previous manufacturer partner began limiting its acceptance of scans from the Primescan® intraoral scanner from Dentsply Sirona, Sharma decided to try SureSmile® Clear Aligners, which are also from Dentsply Sirona. "The Primescan is regarded by many as the world's best intraoral scanner, and it is centralized in our practices," he says. "It is fast, efficient, and renders accurate images. It is great for acquiring baseline data, improving the diagnostic capabilities of the entire team, and enhancing case presentations to patients. It is the quarterback that directs our various treatment modalities."
In a study published in 2020, clinical survey data indicated that 73% of all of the clear aligner cases evaluated needed refinements.1 Perhaps as a result, 96% of the dental providers who responded to a separate survey conducted that same year agreed that reducing the need for refinements is one of the biggest improvements that clear aligner manufacturers could make.2 In contrast, a recent 3-year retrospective analysis by Dentsply Sirona of more than 150,000 completed SureSmile Clear Aligner cases globally showed that 75% of the cases required no refinements.3 "The plastics are phenomenal," Sharma says. "I find them to be slightly more transparent when compared with other clear aligners, and they also possess good retention of elasticity, so the amount of force that they can provide over the course of the 1 to 2 weeks that the patient is wearing them seems to be more constant and consistent."
Sharma equates the SureSmile team's approach to his own. "There is constant evolution, which I respect," he says. "It resonates with me because I have pursued constant growth in both my professional career and many aspects of my personal life." One area in which the SureSmile system has evolved is its online software. "They have improved their user interface to make it much simpler for beginners while maintaining the complex tools for orthodontists or general dentists who are more comfortable with clear aligner therapy," Sharma says. He saw some of the evolution up close as a beta tester for the SureSmile™ Simulator*, a software tool that uses Primescan scan data to create custom 3D visualizations of patient's possible smiles following SureSmile Clear Aligner treatment. "The SureSmile Simulator evolved very rapidly," Sharma says. "It is such a great chairside tool to educate patients about the benefits of a better bite and improved alignment of the teeth. It is also really useful for practitioners who are new to clear aligner therapy because it displays the case complexity at the start, helping dentists decide whether to take cases on themselves or refer them to a specialist."
Dentsply Sirona also offers the SureSmile® VPro™, which is a high-frequency vibration device that patients use for just 5 minutes each day that may reduce discomfort and possibly treatment time. "With advanced tools such as the VPro, we can have conversations with patients about how SureSmile really is the best clear aligner technology available," Sharma says.
As an experienced user, Sharma does not often require support, but he appreciates it being readily available if he needs it, and he emphasizes that it is critical for newer users. "The support from SureSmile is phenomenal," he says. "The ability to text a representative and get a response within 30 to 45 minutes is fantastic, especially for dentists who are new to clear aligner therapy." For the good of the patient population, Sharma believes that as many general dentists as possible should implement clear aligners. "There are so many minor to moderate cases in which patients would benefit from orthodontics but are resistant to seeing a specialist," he says. "They are much more likely to undertake simple, straightforward care with the team that they know and trust. However, in order for that team to be confident in treating those cases, strong support is necessary."
Sharma's latest undertaking involves expanding his role as an educator, informing other dentists about orthodontics and more. "Trying to hone my presentation skills to resonate with audiences as much as possible has been a really interesting challenge," he says. "Nonetheless, passing along the skills that have enabled us to be successful and improve our patient outcomes is really rewarding." With SureSmile in Sharma's armamentarium, he feels confident about spreading the message. "Treating patients' bites, gingival health, and esthetics is the trifecta of orthodontics," he says, "and the best tool for me to accomplish that is definitely SureSmile."
*Requires user to have a DS Core subscription and Primescan IOS. Displayed results are a simulation of potential aligner treatment and not a prescribed treatment plan, which has to be directed by the dentist and complied with by the patient. Actual treatment outcomes may differ substantially.
Key Points
• Three out of four SureSmile clear aligner patients require no refinements.3
• Treatment planning is easy with support from the SureSmile Digital Lab and software that works with most common intraoral scanners- including the Primescan intraoral scanner.
• The SureSmile Simulator software tool in DS Core uses Primescan scan data to create a custom 3D visualization of the patient's possible smile following SureSmile Clear Aligner treatment.
References
1. Keim RG, Vogels DS III, Vogels PB. 2020 JCO study of orthodontic diagnosis and treatment procedures part 1: results and trends. J Clin Orthod. 2020;54(10):581-610.
2. Survey among 433 U.S. adult dental patients. Conducted by a third-party market research vendor, August 2020.
3. Based on an internal analysis in excess of 150,000 global SureSmile aligner cases conducted between Jan. 2021 and June 2023. Data on File at Dentsply Sirona.
Contact information: Dentsply Sirona | dentsplysirona.com | 844-848-0137
