Successful treatment outcomes with clear aligners start with appropriate case selection. Whether the patient has a deep bite or an open bite, this course will help doctors make decisions on the types of cases they are comfortable treating with aligners. Participants will learn best practices in utilizing diagnostic records and digital technologies to evaluate each patient’s anatomy and document their findings. Using a systematic approach and checklist, doctors will learn how to quickly identify the types of cases they feel comfortable treating and the ones they prefer to refer to another clinician

Building upon previous courses that outlined a systematic approach to identifying, assessing and diagnosing alignment concerns, doctors in this course will learn how to transform their evaluation along with the patient’s chief concern(s) into a treatment plan for clear aligner therapy. Participants will gain tips on how to educate and communicate their goals for treatment to patients.

An integral part of doctors being able to achieve excellent treatment outcomes with clear aligner therapy (CAT) includes the time they invest in carefully reviewing the virtual setup to ensure their treatment plan and prescriptive instructions are accurately and appropriately depicted in the digital representation. In this course, doctors will learn through a peer-led, step-by-step process, what to review in each digital treatment plan to help ensure the goals for treatment are incorporated and that the virtual depiction is consistent with a predictable treatment approach. For instances where the doctor wants to modify the digital plan, this course will offer excellent tips on how to communicate these changes to the technicians effectively.

Excellent clinical outcomes rely on the clinician’s attention to detail at each patient appointment. Doctors in this course will gain a strong command of the clinical aspects of patient management by learning how to set patient expectations throughout treatment, address instances when aligners are not tracking during treatment, and determine which retention option best meets their needs at the completion of treatment. Participants will learn how to identify and resolve tracking issues to prevent similar problems in the future.

Employing the foundational and procedure-based topics from the Aligner Course Series, this interactive course will follow a case-based approach. Doctors will have the opportunity to evaluate, diagnose and treatment plan cases and then see and hear from the doctor who treated each case to learn more about how each treatment was planned and executed to achieve a successful clinical outcome.