Dr Silvia Caruso

Title: Advanced protocols in Interceptive orthodontics with clear aligner therapy

Abstract

In 2018, Align Technology Inc. introduced the Invisalign®️ First clear aligner treatment protocol, designed specifically for little patients with mixed dentition. It thus paved the way for the digitalisation of interceptive treatment, changing both the orthodontist’s approach and the patient’s habits. From the guidelines Align Technology Inc., the protocol can be used to perform phase I of orthodontic treatment, specifically dedicated to the dento-alveolar expansion of the upper and lower arch. From 2018 to today it has been produced scientific literature regarding the predictability of the protocol, above all by evaluating its possibility of being used to solve transversal and vertical problems in the young patient. There have been numerous « digitalised additions » to the treatment of malocclusions in patients with mixed dentition: artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer just a component of the Align protocol, but is part of the protocols digital monitoring and digital planning. Furthermore, the intraoral scanner has not only made it easier for the operator, but it allowed us to communicate differently with patients, with the pediatric dentist in planning the orthodontic treatment. We are therefore at the beginning not of a revolution, but of a natural digitalization of the young patient’s orthodontics in all its phases, where AI will take up more and more space

The main objective of this report will be to make a journey from 2018 to the next few years to understand the new opportunities and challenges.

•⁠ ⁠Review of the scientific literature on aligners in the growing patient therapy

•⁠ ⁠Clinical treatment protocols in patients with mixed dentition with clear aligner therapy