DT News – USA – A predictable orthodontic digital workflow

Looking further back, when we didn’t have a digital workflow, we relied on alginate impressions for preprocessing models and all lab devices. I remember the chaos associated with mixing the alginate, the dust all over the counter and the alginate on the patient. Too fast setup, gaps in the impression, and failure to capture all the necessary anatomy in the impression were all too common, resulting in wasted time, patient frustration, inefficiency, and lost revenue. Thanks to digital technology, all this has changed for the better.

I have been in business for over 35 years, and for many of those years, I have had to work with many companies and manage many accounts to help our patients create beautiful smiles. I can remember dreaming of the day when there would no longer be a list of usernames, passwords, and customer service numbers that, when accessed, often lead you to voicemail with little hope of a callback.

Now we have Ormco^, that supplies our products and we have a personal relationship with our local dealer so we don’t have to call customer service when we have a friend on speed dial. Instead, when we have questions or challenges that need attention, we simply send her a message and the response is immediate.

This superior service saves us time and money, and most importantly, reduces staff frustration. With Ormco as our digital partner, we end up with better results and more satisfied patients.

Our local Ormco representative supports the DEXIS IS 3800W Scanner, Spark Aligners treatment, the AOA Orthodontic Lab and the best orthodontic bracket technology. So let’s look at the many advantages of each offering and why this one-stop model — from a company with more than 60 years of experience supporting the orthodontic community — works for orthodontic practices and the bottom line.

It all starts with the scanner

I have used six different intraoral scanners over the past 15 years and there has always been some improvement with each change. I can remember when the scan time was almost 10 minutes per arc, making it difficult for both the patient and the technician.

Our new DEXIS IS 3800W scanner is extremely fast and has a proven scan time of 25 seconds for a single arc¹. This super-efficient scan time is important for our young patients who don’t have the patience for longer scan times and for adult patients who have difficulty staying open for long periods of time. And research has shown that intraoral scanning is more comfortable for patients compared to traditional impressions.²

In terms of accuracy, we have found that digital impressions are a quantum leap over traditional alginate impressions. With digital impressions, all our devices fit better and require little to no adjustment upon delivery.

With the DEXIS scanner, we now get a perfect impression with every effort, saving valuable time at the delivery appointment. Additionally, models headed to our printer in the office can be sent directly to the printer from the scanner thanks to the automatic dock built into the software. As a result, there is no need for separate base software for printed models, which is appreciated by team members responsible for the in-office printing process.

Clear aligners that rise above the rest

There’s a reason everyone is talking about Spark Clear Aligners. The clinical results achieved with Spark Aligners, due to a number of key features, have set this product apart from other aligners. With the latest materials science and the most advanced manufacturing technology in the industry, Spark is quickly taking the alignment market by storm.

In the past, I relied on brackets and wires for all of my complex orthodontic cases and only offered aligners for my less demanding cases. Before Spark Aligners, many patients would ask for aligners and I would have to tell them that aligners could not correct problems such as dental asymmetries, severe crowding, or problematic irregularities.

How things have changed. I now rely on Spark Aligners to treat my cases, thanks to their proprietary materials and efficient Approver software.

Our proprietary TruGEN aligner material outperforms the leading aligner brand with greater sustained force, better tooth contact and less staining.³ (Fig. 1) Patients also note the clarity of TruGEN compared to other aligners on the market (Figs. 2 and 3).³

The physician experience during the Approver software process is intuitive and extremely easy. Real-time Approval lets you add, modify, and delete features without the need for change requests, making the approval process faster than ever.

With Real-time Approval, you can add or delete accessories such as built-in hooks, rear bite vortex, your choice of attachments, bite ramps or button notches. The TruRoot feature, derived from CBCT data, allows you to visualize the patient’s actual root anatomy during planning for improved treatment planning.

Fig. 2: Patients notice the clarity of TruGEN.

Fig. 3: Other aligners on the market.

Keeping that great smile

Fig. 4: Memorandum from AOA.

The AOA Orthodontic Lab provides a complete digital workflow for expanders, Class 2 correctors, functional appliances and retainers. Upon completion of orthodontic treatment, we simply scan the patient with the Dexis scanner and submit the case directly through the AOA portal. There are no other boxed models to ship, which saves time and money and makes device operation much faster.

Many Spark Aligner patients request permanent retention to maintain their perfect smile without the worry of using retainers. Memotain by AOA is the ultimate digital preservation. This patient-specific bonded retainer is manufactured using CAD software, perfectly adapting to the unique anatomy of the patient’s teeth.

This accuracy allows the upper Memotain retainer to be placed out of occlusion with the lower incisors. Following the design, the retainer is fabricated using a very precise laser CAM process, resulting in a 0.016 x 0.016 Nitinol wire, which perfectly matches the lingual surfaces of the upper or lower teeth (Fig. 4). Research has proven that Memotain reduces inflammation compared to traditional adhesives.⁴ The Memotain design can be extended to the first premolar with excellent fit and easy bonding.⁵

Prezurv is an ultra-clear retainer for patients who want a removable option. Prezurv has superior fit and wear resistance and now comes with a hairpiece with the same smooth finish, providing maximum patient comfort.

Additionally, multiple Prezurv retainers can be shipped at the same time, so the patient can put on a new retainer when ready.

conclusion

If you want to maximize efficiency and profitability in your practice, consider using a single source for your digital orthodontic treatment needs. For me, Ormco has delivered an impressive bundle of products that allow me to provide great products to my patients, keeping the workflow entirely digital, reducing unnecessary steps for my team members and helping with the bottom line – a win-win scenario win-win.