Webinar offers advanced upskilling with clear aligners

Dental Tribune International

Mon. 15 January 2024

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A comprehensive free webinar to feature on Dentsply Sirona Academy on 22 January will delve into the intricacies of clear aligner case selection, tooth movement predictability and treatment optimisation. The webinar will be presented by Dr Nina Shaffie, an award-winning orthodontist, speaker and researcher based in London in the UK, and is aimed at all clinicians currently providing clear aligner therapy.

Tailoring clear aligner treatment plans to each patient requires advanced treatment planning skills. Dr Shaffie explained to Dental Tribune International that many brands rely on a one-size-fits-all approach but doing so reduces predictability and can extend treatment time. “For those clinicians who wish to advance their skills, decrease the need for refinements and improve the success of treatment outcomes, it is important to understand the role of adapting trim line design and how this directly affects the properties of your clear aligner, in order to be able to achieve success in bodily movements that are more complex,” she emphasised.

Dr Shaffie is heavily involved in orthodontic research and audits and has published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and presented her work at national and international conferences. (Image: Dentsply Sirona)

The webinar will focus on the finer clinical skills and topics related to advanced treatment planning and execution, beginning with case selection and a clinician’s understanding of his or her own limitations. Participants will also learn about the factors that affect the predictability of tooth movements, including favourable and unfavourable tooth movements and trim line design.

Dr Shaffie pointed out that the literature shows that clear aligner treatment outcomes are affected by trim line type and height, aligner thickness and material, and attachments used but also by patient factors such as root morphology, alveolar bone height, crown-to-root ratio and tooth wear—particularly at the gingival margin. Participants will learn about the factors influencing trim line selection and how it can be used to improve the treatment outcome, and they will gain an understanding of the role of tooth constraints in aiding and improving tooth movement.

In the area of favourable and unfavourable tooth movements, Dr Shaffie will speak about how a combination of movements can improve tracking, what kinds of movements are more likely to result in poor tracking and how an understanding of tooth movements can be used to speed up synergistic movements and separate antagonistic ones to improve the treatment outcome.

“The webinar is ideally suited to any clinician currently providing clear aligner therapy and wanting to learn about how adapting trim line design and height can affect the properties of the aligner and in turn affect tooth movements during aligner therapy. Rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach, we will focus on how individually tailored treatment plans can result in higher predictability, less refinement and an improvement in clear aligner therapy outcomes,” Dr Shaffie said.

Titled “Developing your skills with clear aligners and adapting trim lines”, the webinar will be livestreamed on 22 January at 6 p.m. CET, and participants can earn one continuing education credit upon completion. Visit the Dentsply Sirona Academy website to register.