CLEAR ALIGNERS

Clear aligners involves a series of thermoformed appliances made from a transparent, thin (less than 1 mm) plastic material formed with CAD-CAM laboratory techniques. These aligners are similar to the splints that cover the clinical crowns and the marginal gingiva. Each aligner is designed to move the teeth a maximum of about 0.25 to 0.3 mm over a 2week period, and is worn in a specific sequence. There are various clear aligners currently recommended for adults and for adolescents with fully erupted permanent teeth who meet an acceptable standard of compliance. Excellent compliance is mandatory since the appliance has to be worn a minimum of 20 to 22 hours a day 3. The aligners available today are vastly different than those available earlier. Many different types of aligners are available today throughout the world and marketed to treat everything from mild to more complex malocclusion. Some of the aligners which are majority marketed are Invisalign, Clearpath, Clear Correct, Sure Smile, k-line,simpli-5, etc.