In today’s world, it is easy to be uniformed or even misinformed. It is easy to become Invisalign certified, and not become an expert in treatment with Invisalign.
Invisalign is a treatment tool in orthodontics, just like braces, retainers and expanders. To become an expert with any of the above treatment tools, it requires excellent diagnostic skills, innovation and good problem solving abilities. Additionally, clinical experience that is voluminous helps lead to expertise.
Dentists who are Invisalign certified are trained to handle simple cases that do not require bite correction. Orthodontists who dabble with Invisalign likewise are not prepared to take on difficult treatments that require significant bite correction. All Invisalign doctors need to gain expertise through experience, beginning with simple cases and gradually improving their skills. So a great question for any practice who offers Invisalign is “How many Invisalign cases have you done?”
Personally, I believe that I gained expertise with Invisalign cases once I reached the 400 level! At that time, I began treating cases that requ
ired a lot of bite correction. Today we are at just over 950 Invisalign cases.
Additionally, Align technology has upped their game recently by offering 3-D scanning technology. This offers a huge opportunity to deliver more accurate aligners and significantly improve patient comfort. The scanners eliminate the need for unpleasant impressions. Sadly, very few doctors have been willing to purchase the scanners. We have been scanning our difficult Invisalign patients in Collegeville, and we now have a scanner in Gilbertsville as well.
Finally, two years ago we introduced Acceledent to enable our Invisalign patients to treat extremely accurately in half the time. Today, Invisalign is the treatment of choice in our practice for all adults and many teenagers. My guarantee to all of our patients is our total commitment to excellence in everything that we offer.