Orthodontic Aligner Treatment: A Review of Materials, Clinical Management, and Evidence

by Theodore Eliades, Athanasios E. Athanasiou

Overview

For almost 20 years, clear aligners have seen growing popularity in addressing patients' demands for orthodontic treatment that is also discreet and esthetically inconspicuous. Especially for the adult patient, these almost invisible systems are in considerable demand.

Supported by solid clinical evidence, this new work introduces and discusses all the presently available thermoplastically formed products that apply a predetermined strain to the teeth and jaw, with the goal of correcting malpositioned teeth, while also being esthetically acceptable for the patient.

Key Features:

• More than a dozen contributions by top international experts
• Includes the most recent guidelines on clinical management with aligners
• Scientific approach presents evidence from material properties research, forces generated with aligners, and treatment outcome assessments
• Valuable information on changes in oral microbiota, potential side effects, biocompatibility, and more

Orthodontic Aligner Treatment will be welcomed by all orthodontic specialists, as well as graduate students, researchers, and clinical faculty in the field.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783132582279
Publisher:	Thieme
Publication date:	11/13/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	200
File size:	31 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

Table of Contents

Section I Introduction: Types and Material Properties
1 Aligner Treatment: An Overview
2 Material Properties of Aligners
Section II Clinical Management
3 Early Treatment in Preteens and Teenagers Using Aligners
4 Teen Treatments with Aligners
5 Routine Mechanics and Aligners (Extraction/Nonextraction)
6 Precautions with Aligner Treatment
7 Clear Plastic Appliances as Retainers
8 Digital Workflow in Aligner Therapy
Section III Evidence
9 Outcome Assessment and Evidence on the Clinical Performance of Orthodontic Aligners
10 Forces and Moments Generated by Aligner-Type Appliances for Orthodontic Tooth Movement
11 Aligners and the Oral Microbiome
12 Intraoral Aging and Changes on Aligner Mechanical Properties
13 Color Changes of Aligners and Thermoplastic Retainers during Intraoral Service
14 Biological Properties of Aligners
15 Aligner Treatment from the Patient Perspective

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Binita Satpathy, DDS (Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry)
Description: This book covers several facets of clear aligner therapy. It begins by describing the development of clear aligners as an accepted treatment modality. It describes several brands of clear aligners along with the limitations of therapy. Chapter two presents an extensive review of dental materials science encompassing various measures that are important for clear aligner design and success. It describes differences in materials needed for aligner trays and retainers. The clinical management section offers information about treating various patient populations with clear aligners and has excellent intraoral and extraoral photography. There are photos from Invisalign's ClinCheck system as well as an adjunct. Digital workflow is covered with diagrams and screenshots from various CAD/CAM programs. The evidence section provides substantial support for claims made in the book and includes charts, diagrams, and photographs. All photos are included in the ebook, along with reference links to PubMed.
Purpose: The book's purpose is to address the discrepancy between the rapid developments in clear aligner therapy and the amount of scientific evidence. It provides a comprehensive review of clear aligner therapy from a clinical perspective and materials science perspective with a firm foundation in evidence-based dentistry. It addresses clear aligner therapy with various systems and contains the most recent guidelines on clinical management. There are ample examples of evidence-based case planning using these aligner systems. These are worthy objectives that make the book necessary for both recent graduate dentists and experienced dentists offering clear aligner therapy. Often, general dentists rely on the aligner system to guide treatment instead of truly understanding the forces, mechanics, and limitations of aligners. Presenting the material in both print and online formats enhances the value since it makes it accessible across generations. Younger generations of dentists (Millennial and Gen Z) typically use ebooks and PDFs for their learning, so honing the online content is tantamount to reaching this audience. It enhances the presentation by providing a less bulky resource that can be viewed from a mobile phone as a reference if needed. The book meets its objectives well by adding sufficient detail but maintaining an appropriate succinctness such that it can appeal to general dentists.
Audience: This book is written for practitioners, targeting orthodontists and general dentists. The level of writing in earlier chapters leads me to believe that it is more directed toward general dentists who are beginning to offer orthodontic treatment in office. However, the material could serve as an effective quick reference for orthodontists. The book meets and exceeds the needs of its intended audience. The authors and contributors are respected experts in orthodontics from around the world. Some contributors include researchers and orthodontic residents.
Features: The book covers an introduction to clear aligner therapy, materials science, treatment in various patient populations (pre-teens, teenagers, adults), mechanics and forces involved in aligners, precautions, retainers, and properties of aligners in function such as color stability and wear. Essentially, the book provides a comprehensive overview of clear aligner therapy with no stone left uncovered. The most astounding subject area covered in this book is materials science. It is referenced in several chapters and sets an erudite tone to the work. The clarity and organization of the writing is impeccable, and it avoids overwhelming readers despite the heavy emphasis on materials science and research. It engages readers with relevant imagery and easily digestible sections. The book does not have any features that are not available on the web version. Some shortcomings in the title include occasionally blurry images; however, it contains such a comprehensive overview of clear aligner therapy that it is difficult to say that much could have been covered more thoroughly or be missing. In fact, this book appeals to me more as a general dentist because it is more succinct and straightforward in its approach to explaining complex orthodontic concepts.
Assessment: The book and ebook are both high quality and the logical setup of the sections and chapters is impressive. The photography, graphs, and figures in the chapters are generously placed and amply supplement the text. This book is indescribably useful to its intended audience of practitioners, be they general dentists or orthodontists. It can serve as an introductory work for general dentists or as a reference work for orthodontists. The amount of evidence provided in the references and evidence section allow for more detailed study if needed. It compares to Proffit's Contemporary Orthodontics, 6th Edition (Elsevier, 2019), except with an emphasis on clear aligners.

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