A Better Clear Aligner Treatment Experience

Trent Smallwood, DDS, on SureSmile® Clear Aligners

Many adults in the United States have some meaningful form of untreated malocclusion. Prior to the advent of clear aligner therapy, many of these patients were resistant to pursuing traditional orthodontics, so we had to help them clean their teeth deeper with root planing and soft-tissue management programs and then hope that they would stay on top of it.

With clear aligners, which are more efficient and accepted by patients, we can move the teeth of patients with malocclusion into a better position, and they are less likely to need periodontal maintenance, surgery, or crowns or to deal with broken teeth or the development of sleep apnea.

Clear aligner therapy presents a huge opportunity for dentists. It can provide a new stream of revenue with minimal time investment and without the need to raise fees. I have been offering clear aligners for 15 years; however, about 2 years ago, I started looking at SureSmile^® Aligners and their success. I realized that offering them would provide a better treatment experience for my patients, so I switched. The biggest advantage of SureSmile Aligners is their refinement rate. Recent data has shown that 72% of Invisalign^® cases needed two or more refinements,¹ but in a 3-year analysis of SureSmile cases, 3 out of 4 patients did not need refinements. In my own office, I have experienced the need for even fewer than that.

SureSmile Aligners move the teeth very efficiently, and their average cost is less than that of the aligners that I recommended previously, which makes an enormous difference in my profitability. In addition, my patients are happy with the experience and tell their family and friends how wonderful the process is, further fueling the growth of my practice.

The option to incorporate a straight or scalloped trimline into the aligners is also a nice feature. My patients complain about discomfort far less with SureSmile Aligners. Moreover, I like that SureSmile offers a Complete Case option that includes the SureSmile^® VPro^™ Vibration Device, which improves patient comfort when seating the aligners and accelerates orthodontic tooth movement,^2,3 as well as the SureSmile^™ Whitening Kit,⁴ which can be used to further enhance smile esthetics once cases are finished.

The customer support offered by SureSmile is another reason why I switched. Although I rarely ever experience an issue, if I do, I know that someone will get back to me right away. SureSmile also offers an ever-growing amount of training and resources, such as SureSmileU and the DS Academy, which is especially critical for doctors who are new to providing clear aligner therapy.

Ultimately, SureSmile has provided a better clear aligner treatment experience for both my patients and me. It's truly amazing what straight teeth can do.

Key Takeaways

1. Treating malocclusion with clear aligners presents a huge opportunity for dentists to improve the oral health of their patients while adding a new income stream to their practices.

2. SureSmile makes clear aligner treatment seamless, offering a high-quality, efficient system that gets patients results in less time with fewer refinements, which increases profitability.

3. SureSmile offers a Complete Case option that includes the aligners, the SureSmile VPro Vibration Device to make treatment more efficient, and the SureSmile Whitening Kit⁴ to further enhance the beauty of the smile after treatment.

4. Dentsply Sirona provides the support and resources that dentists need to be successful with SureSmile Aligners. SureSmile's clinical, customer care, and sales specialists partner with you and are always available to answer questions.

Trent Smallwood, DDS
Consultant for Dentsply Sirona
Private Practice
Tempe, Arizona

References

1. Kravitz ND, Dalloul B, Zaid YA, et al. What percentage of patients switch from Invisalign to braces? A retrospective study evaluating the conversion rate, number of refinement scans, and length of treatment [published online ahead of print December 18, 2022]. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop. 2022;doi:10.1016/j.ajodo.2022.03.016.

2. Alansari S, Atique M, Gomez J, et al. The effects of brief daily vibration on clear aligner orthodontic treatment. Journal of the World Federation of Orthodontists. 2018;7:134-140.

3. Shipley T. Effects of high frequency acceleration device on aligner treatment-a pilot study. Dent J (Basel). 2018;6(3):32.

4. Only available in the United States.

Manufacturer Information
Dentsply Sirona
dentsplysirona.com
844-848-0137