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ABSTRACT:

Influence of appearance in personal and professional lives have led to a considerable interest among the adult population seeking orthodontic treatment in the last few years. Invisalign or clear aligners are the new age Aesthetic Orthodontic treatment methods developed especially for adults who are very self conscious of how they appear. This article aims to discuss pros and cons of this device as it has the tendency to transform the smile without interfering with the daily life of patients.

Keywords: Clear Aligners; Aesthetics; Invisalign; Removable appliances

INTRODUCTION

When patients think about correction of malaligned teeth, braces and wires are the first thing that spring to mind. However, orthodontics has revolutionised according to the demands and needs of the patients. Orthodontists are concerned about the aesthetics and it is one of the major concerns among patients who seek orthodontic treatment. To address the increasing aesthetic demand for an alternative to conventional braces, investigators have developed several solutions, such as ceramic or composite braces, lingual orthodontics, and clear aligners.1

Clear aligners are the new age Aesthetic Orthodontic treatment methods developed especially for adults who are very self conscious of how they appear. Invisaligners are a series of clear, custom-made, thin, removable plastic aligners, nearly undetected and created to effectively move teeth into their desired position.2

Invisalign was introduced in the late 1990s by Align Technology Inc, and due to advanced technology allowed a much simpler approach to this type of treatment. Accurate impression are taken to allow the construction of precision casts which can be scanned to produce a virtual 3D model. This 3-D model can then be manipulated by the orthodontist and malocclusion is virtually corrected using proprietary software. This information can then be used to produce a series of clear plastic aligners that gradually correct the malocclusion towards the clinician's goal. Such aligner is worn for approximately 20 hours per day and is changed approximately every two weeks. each ligner will move the teeth around 0.25 to 0.3 mm.3,4

INDICATIONS FOR INVISALIGN APPLIANCES2

* Mild crowded and malalingned problems (1-5 mm)

* Spacing problems (1-5 mm)

* Deep overbite (Class II div 2 cases )

* Narrow arches that can be expanded without tipping the teeth too much.

* Absolute intrusion (1 or...

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