EMBARKING ON A NEW JOURNEY With Reveal
Dental Product Shopper follows Champagne Smiles as it integrates Henry Schein Orthodontics' Reveal Clear Aligners into its cosmetic treatment plans
At Champagne Smiles, clear aligners often play a key role in the smile makeovers that are a hallmark of the practice in Marlboro, NJ. Drs. Richard Champagne and Fady Wadie prescribe clear aligners to straighten or rotate teeth, and to close spaces so that healthy tooth structure can be preserved as they prepare for further cosmetic treatment such as veneers.
“It’s an additional service that we provide for our patients that usually serves as an adjunct to get the patient where they need to be as part of a cosmetic makeover,” said Dr. Wadie, an active member of the American Dental Association and American Academy of Implant Dentistry.
Clear aligners are also on the minds of patients, many of whom inquire about it during their appointments. Such interest is being seen globally among both teens and adults. In 2020, the clear aligners market stood at $2.41 billion and is expected to grow to $10.04 billion by 2028, according to Fortune Business Insights. Patients want straighter teeth and view clear aligners as a more convenient and comfortable alternative to braces.
“People do come in and ask for [clear aligners], and we talk to them about the process. Some of them are good candidates for it and we absolutely go ahead with the treatment, and some people need more involved orthodontics, and that’s when we refer them to our trusted ortho group,” Dr. Wadie said.
But providing clear aligners has not always been a seamless process. In the past, the practice has worked with two leading aligner companies whose treatment plans would frequently require a great deal of work from the doctors, including the use of attachments or buttons that are affixed to the teeth to force certain movements. Sometimes, the outcome would fall short of expectations, prompting additional treatment to achieve the desired result.
“With both services, we had times where we needed to stop the case midway and just take new records and send them out for refinements. Or, even when the case was completely finished, we would fi nd that the patient’s mouth did not match the plan that we started with,” Dr. Wadie said. “So we would have to go through a refinement—usually two or three of them. That’s why we were looking for another service or thinking about just completely stopping it.”
“The aligners are clear and they’re very smooth at the edges— they don't have the scalloping, so it’s more comfortable for the patient.”
– Fady Wadie, DMD
A New Beginning
The practice has recently embarked on a journey with a new provider in hopes of eliminating difficulty and improving the patient experience. Reveal Clear Aligners from Henry
Schein Orthodontics are gaining a reputation among general dentists and orthodontists alike as an alternative that is clearer and more comfortable for patients. According to the manufacturer, the aligners offer a truly intimate fi t to the tooth, and the greater amount of tooth contact produces high retention that reduces the need for attachments.
Dr. Wadie’s initial impression of Reveal gives him hope that he’s introducing a product that his patients will appreciate. “I like their design. The aligners are clear and they’re very smooth at the edges— they don't have the scalloping, so it’s more comfortable for the patient.” This is critical, he noted, because patients who are comfortable are more likely to be compliant with wearing the aligner trays.
The First Treatment Plan
In May, Dr. Wadie approved the case for his first Reveal patient—a 13-yearold male with significant spacing on the upper anteriors, and rotation and crowding on the lower. The treatment plan leaves some of the spacing of the upper teeth in order to avoid more significant IPR on the lower anteriors to keep the patient’s overjet in the right position. The minimal IPR is planned toward the end of treatment
“We will have to see, at the end, if the results match the plan and if the patient’s going to be happy with that. If not, then we’re going to have to go in and do the more elaborate IPR,” Dr. Wadie said. “So, it’s an interesting case to start with.”
The case involves 24 trays over 48 weeks with occasional appointments to review progress. “With Reveal, it doesn’t seem like we will have to do too much, so it’s not like with our other provider where we had to change the button positions. From what I reviewed, it seems pretty straightforward. So, I’m going to schedule the patient in periodic appointments to have him come in and make sure we’re still on track and his movement is matching up with the plan and that he’s wearing the trays correctly.”
Finding the Right Fit
With this and other cases in the works, the team at Champagne Smiles will continue striving to improve patients’ smiles as efficiently as possible. Dr. Wadie is hopeful Reveal will aid in that effort.
“I'm hoping for a more comfortable experience for the patient, with fewer added procedures that have to be done in the middle of treatment and fewer appointments in between, and that looks like it will be the case with Reveal,” he said. “We want to get an acceptable result at the end that will allow us to provide the kind of cosmetic treatment that we want.”
