Most people probably do not think about teeth straightening technology as fluid or as evolutionary. The braces that you wore as a teenager are probably relatively similar to the ones that your children will wear when they are teenagers. This doesn’t mean that the technology isn’t always improving, however. For example, Align Technology (the company that develops, creates, and markets Invisalign) is releasing their Invisalign G7 Series, providing an even better straightening product for both teens and adults.
This might not mean very much to the average patient, but it means a lot to the average orthodontist and it does actually mean big changes for the average patient and how their teeth are straightened using Invisalign. Every development in the G Series has been an advancement in how Invisalign moves teeth, and this development is no different. The new features should fine-tune how certain teeth are moved using Invisalign, creating a much better result, especially for teenagers.
Some providers have struggled with finishing challenges. While Invisalign works well overall, there have not been as many opportunities for fine-tuning treatments as there are with metal braces. For example, metal braces are adjusted as the treatment goes along. Sometimes, Invisalign treatments are designed from first aligner to last aligner and there are few opportunities for an orthodontist to make an adjustment to the aligners. While the results might still have been perfectly fine for most patients, this new development gives orthodontists more control and, therefore, better overall results for all of their patients. Essentially, there are more finishing details, which ensures that the orthodontist can achieve the outcome that they ultimately desire.
Specific improvements include allowing more upper lateral control, better control over the roots, and even a way to prevent posterior open bites. These address some of the issues that have been most debilitating with Invisalign and which has made it not a great option for every single patient. More control, in general, and specifically in these areas ensures that more patients will be able to benefit more fully from the treatment. Using the SmartStage technology, orthodontists will be able to more accurately predict where teeth are going to be and where they need to go. If they are better able to predict tooth movement, they can much better customize a treatment for the patient.
Along with Invisalign G7, the company has introduced ClinCheck Pro 5.0, which is the software that accompanies Invisalign treatment. One of the biggest new features is the ability to view treatment plans side-by-side and to provide orthodontists with a far more realistic 3D model of their patient’s teeth. They can also completely configure their own toolbar, which means they will have much more control over how they use the software. These tools will make it much easier to create and view treatment plans.
These tools are already available to most providers, which means that most patients are already seeing their benefits.
What’s the point of Invisalign continuing to improve their technology? As with all treatment options, Invisalign endeavors to provide patients with the easiest and fastest tooth straightening. While the first generation of Invisalign did essentially that, they have continued to develop more and more tools that make the results their treatment provides so much better and so much cleaner. If Invisalign’s results are going to compete with the fine-tuned results that metal braces can provide, they have to continue to adapt.
Every generation of Invisalign has been an attempt to improve on what was already a great idea. The material has been improved and even the resources for providers (like buttons) have been introduced, changed, and updated. Soon, the Invisalign that providers are using today will only marginally resemble the Invisalign that dentists and orthodontists were once using. They will be as different as Invisalign and metal braces are right now.
With these updates, it is clear that Invisalign is consistently looking for ways to tangibly improve not just the patient experience, but the capabilities of the orthodontists and dentists who use their treatment. The improvements to the system itself show that Invisalign is deeply invested in making their product as good as it can possibly be, while the improvements to the technology show that they are also concerned with making sure providers have the tools they need to make their treatments as effective as possible.
By far the biggest change is to the fine tuning of tooth movements. Every provider has been looking for a way to make sure that the results their patients get are the results that that patient needs. Because teenagers’ results are often more variable than that of their adult counterparts, the G7 announcement ensures that teenagers are more likely than ever before to get the results they want with Invisalign. While orthodontists and dentists are sure to appreciate and use these developments, they are likely going to be most excited about the update to the software.
Better software means better treatments for patients, which is something both providers and patients will love! More control over treatments and specifically the outcomes of treatments is going to be great for patients and providers alike. We know that these developments are going to be quickly integrated into Invisalign and that patients that who are getting this treatment will love the improvements that they see in how the treatment functions and how well their providers are able to adjust and fine tune their treatments. For more information, see the statement about Invisalign G7 released by Align Technology.
