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Case Report
Publish Date : 2017-05-26
Journal of Dentistry and Oral Care

Clear Aligner Treatment with “In-Office†Virtual Model Set-Up and 3D Printing

Yi-Jane Chen
Ling-Yu Chan1, Chung-Chen Jane Yao1,2, Yi-Jane Chen1,2*
Article information 

Affiliation

  • 1Division of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Department of Dentistry, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
  • 2School of Dentistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan

Corresponding Author

Yi-Jane Chen, Division of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Department of Dentistry, National Taiwan University Hospital, No. 1, Chang-Te Street, Taipei City, Taiwan, Tel: 886-2-23123456 ext 66863, Fax: 886-2-23831346; E-mail: lcyj@ntu.edu.tw 

Citation

Chen, Y.J., et al. Clear Aligner Treatment with “In-Office” Virtual Model Set-Up and 3D Printing. (2017) J Dent Oral Care 3(2): 1- 5.

Copy rights

© 2017 Chen, Y.J. This is an Open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Keywords

Abstract

 

  Orthodontic treatment with clear aligners is increasingly popular in adult patients. Clear aligners can be applied more efficiently if virtual tooth movement set-ups and production of physical models did not require a third-party source. We here report digital orthodontic treatment with clear aligners to correct anterior tooth mal-alignment in a 28-year-old female patient. We scanned dental casts to create virtual models that we used to simulate orthodontic tooth movement. To create space to relieve crowding, we used arch expansion and interproximal re-approximation. Sequential virtual model set-ups were generated with the tooth movements programmed to be 0.3 ~ 0.4 mm in each step. We used an in-office 3D printer to produce physical models of virtual set-ups using polylactic acid material. Subsequently, we could fabricate clear aligners by use of physical models. At 3 and 7.5 months into treatment, we took dental impressions for mid-course correction due to off-tracking, i.e. predicted tooth movement not achieved as expected. After 11 months of treatment, alignment of the anterior teeth, incisor overjet and overbite had obviously improved. Meanwhile the occlusal contacts of the posterior teeth were maintained throughout the treatment period. The posttreatment occlusion improved significantly, both functionally and esthetically, and remained stable during the retention phase.