A Clear-Cut Solution for Straightening Teeth

When it comes to smile transformations, many patients are falsely under the impression that an invasive and extensive procedure is the only way to achieve their desired results. However, as Dr. Augusto Robles can attest, there are certain times when less is more.

With Clarity Aligners from Solventum—formerly known as 3M Health Care—general dentists can provide their patients with remarkable cosmetic enhancements without needing to grind away healthy tooth structure.

"As a restorative dentist, I perform various cosmetic bonding procedures that aim to correct and perfect my patients' smiles—all while removing the least amount of tooth structure for the restorative work being completed," explained Dr. Robles, who is the director of operative dentistry at the UAB School of Dentistry. “I have enjoyed using Clarity Aligners because they often allow me to treat my patients in a simpler, more conservative manner.”

For example, one of his dental students who had an existing crown on tooth No. 9 from a childhood accident was about to undergo a treatment plan involving 6 to 8 veneers. The goal was to replace her crown and improve the esthetics of her surrounding tooth structure. "After I examined her, I realized that once we rotated tooth No. 7, and then aligned and leveled her surrounding teeth and gingival tissues with Clarity Aligners, she might only need to replace the crown on No. 9," Dr. Robles said. "Her eyes lit up, and you could see her gratitude for this minimally invasive approach to enhance her smile."

Precise Alignment with Comfort in Mind

Designed to treat mild to moderate malocclusions, including crowding, spaces, midline discrepancy, open or deep bites, overjet, crossbite, Class II overbite, and Class III underbite, Clarity Aligners feature a thin, flexible design that provides excellent initial and sustained force persistence.

“I treated one of my staff members with a pretty moderate malocclusion, and I was crazily impressed with how close we got to my planned treatment design with the first course of treatment,” said Dr. Zachary Currie, who practices at Edgewood Family Dentistry in Edgewood, NM. “Clarity Aligners fit better than any aligners I’ve ever used. Their multilayer material is very responsive and holds the forces applied to the teeth nicely throughout treatment. In this case, the tooth movements were accurate to what I planned.”

Dr. Currie explained that putting a heavy force on a tooth doesn’t always optimize treatment outcomes. With the biomechanics of teeth, it is often more effective to exert a constant, light pressure over time.

Clarity Aligners offer a variety of afford­able single- and dual-arch treatment op­tions and maintain a consistent force over 2 weeks. Their straight trimline contributes to greater torque control and retentive forces, as well as increased comfort and esthetics.

“Having worked with stiffer, more rigid aligners in the past, I could easily detect cases where the patient experienced frequent discomfort,” Dr. Currie said. “Clarity Aligners hit the sweet spot of rigidity where tooth movements can take place without causing unwanted discomfort for the patient.”

A Portal to Success

Oral Care Portal is an integrated, cloud-based software platform that offers support for restorative and orthodontic treatments. It streamlines the treatment planning and ordering processes, providing expert clinical support and educational resources.

“My favorite part of Clarity Aligners is using Oral Care Portal," Dr. Currie said. "It’s the most intuitive, simplified portal that I’ve ever worked with. Whenever we want to create or adjust a patient’s Tx design/setup, it’s quick and easy to figure out their tooth movements and make any needed refinements. For general practitioners, it's just amazing to have everything you need all in one place.”

He added that whenever he submits a case in Oral Care Portal, he typically receives a treatment plan within 24 hours.

“Oral Care Portal has taught me how to be a better clear aligner provider," Dr. Currie assured. "Having access to so many videos and educational resources has helped me better understand what I’m trying to accomplish in each case, along with showing and teaching me the different protocols that are being applied to ensure treatment success.”

Dr. Robles agreed, sharing, “All clear aligners generally work with the same principles, but what sets Clarity Aligners apart is the ease of use for the practitioner. This simplicity is largely thanks to the robust support provided by Oral Care Portal.” He added that Oral Care Portal's prescription defaults make the digital planning phase for aligners faster and easier, and he appreciates having direct access to the support team. “You can interact with people who are very knowledgeable in this field of dentistry. Having that caliber of support readily available is tremendous!” he said.

Treatment Built on Trust

“There is a huge demand for clear aligner treatment, and everybody wants to have someone they trust be able to deliver this service,” Dr. Robles added. “That’s why I have continued using Clarity Aligners in my daily practice. My students, fellow staff members, and returning patients finally feel they have a dentist they know and trust who can handle their alignment procedures, and I’m happy to be that dentist.”