What happened to the in-house aligner trend?

The last two decades have been a testament to major technological breakthroughs in orthodontic treatment, a niche that has been allowed to completely mature only in recent years. Various companies have and continue to pump out products that closely listen to the patient’s concerns and demands. Clear aligners are at the forefront of orthodontics’ modern-day renaissance.

Today, we have been experiencing a flood of clear aligners in the market all of which have been advertised to be popular and much less noticeable options for teeth straightening. Clear aligner manufacturers are churning out more software updates, state-of-the-art technological accessories, and newer biomaterials that have further solidified the place of clear aligner systems in orthodontic practice.

Orthodontics is now a broad-encompassing field with function and form no longer being the most valued by customers. Today, getting an orthodontic treatment has as much to do with restoring the functional capabilities of the patient as it does with augmenting the aesthetics of the patient’s smile. This may be why dentists adopted the in-house aligner practice – a middle ground where you get high-quality products under the orthodontist’s supervision, while at the same time, being able to save good money through it.

What are in-house aligners?

One of the primary drawbacks of doctor-led clear aligners is how expensive and time-consuming the entire procedure is. Patients are required to meet their dentists several times while the dentist assigns a third-party company to fabricate their aligners. This means that not only does the laboratory have full access to the patient’s treatment plan, but they are, in fact, responsible for it. On the other hand, companies that function as DTC endorsers perpetuate irresponsible service delivery to patients who may not know any better.

Thus, in-house aligners may be considered the new normal. Today, orthodontists around the world are taking initiative to fabricate clear aligners at their very own establishments using intraoral scanners, a generic aligner programming software, and a 3D printer.

The files from the software can also be exported to a lab for printing. By accessing the patient’s records like dental impressions, radiographs, clinical examinations, and photographs, the orthodontist can designate an external laboratory for appliance design and fabrication.

In-house production has shown to be exceptionally cost-effective. The cost of necessary equipment for in-house aligner manufacturing (3D printers, thermoforming machines, and intraoral scanners) is low and considered a one-time investment. Furthermore, companies like Invisalign® do not give the orthodontist the required flexibility to easily alter the treatment plan based on the progress and instead need to be routed through complicated outsourcing.

Advantages of in-house aligners

Perhaps one of the most incredible benefits of signing up for an in-house aligner is that the orthodontist has the ability to check each stage of treatment of the patient. This means that they can provide the patient with abundant attention and chair time. The dentist is able to perform intraoral scans whenever deemed necessary. In fact, some CAD software programs™ like Maestro Dental Studio™ offer options to fuse a CBCT with an intraoral scan. This helps the dentist visualize the dental roots while moving the crowns throughout the procedure.

This also brings us to the next perk of in-house aligners which is that the number of aligners that can be developed in the office is practically unlimited. As opposed to aligner companies where the patient is required to pay a high price for each revision, the number of aligners and revisions the patient is entitled to be unlimited.

The patient will also be paying for high-quality aligners when it comes to in-house production. The shipping costs and middle-man fees are completely removed and the aligner turnaround time is also significantly reduced. This is in contrast to big brands that can take longer and be more expensive to process requests and ship them back to the dental office.

Takeaway

Whatever the type of orthodontic procedure undertaken, regular follow-up visits are a crucial part of the treatment process. Proper follow-ups can make or break an orthodontic treatment. This is why easy access to clear aligner adjustments at the dental office is necessary to keep the aligner therapy moving forward.

In-house aligners appear to be a new aligner trend that is seeing major success, especially in recent times when inflation and sky-high cost-of-living expenses are discouraging patients from receiving dental procedures. We are seeing a movement forward for in-house aligner design and printing. This could really be a game-changer in the field of orthodontics.