Bracing the nation

There has quite truly been an explosion of suppliers in the market providing orthodontic clear aligners. The media, along with various health and beauty sources, has advertised and written about the ‘miracles’ of having teeth straightened. Public figures and celebrities alike have begun to flaunt their new set of aligners to acquire a straighter dentition. In addition, whether you agree with it or not, social media and the selfie culture is here to stay and, with them, the ‘need’ for a straighter and ‘happier’ smile.

In turn, many dental practices have begun to provide this much sought after treatment.

Evidence

As dentistry evolves further, it is important for dental professionals to keep up to date with evidence-based information on clear aligner therapy. Although there are a multitude of suppliers on the market, the premise remains the same – a series of nearly invisible removable aligners or plastic trays are created to gradually straighten the teeth. For the most part, these aligners are custom made and are fabricated using computer-generated three-dimensional technology. The aligners are manufactured using a highly sophisticated technique called 3D stereolithography.