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ePaper created 2017-03-17, 13:11:17 | version 1.38.0
interview feature | of force; strong forces are not actually needed. Also, the clinical achievement is really in the hands of the orthodontist. There is very little downside to this as far as I am concerned. There are certain shortfalls. For example, patient compliance and sometimes teeth do not move as one intended, but that happens with fi xed braces too. Where would you personally like to see aligner treatment heading in the future? I think aligner suppliers need to provide auxiliaries as part of their systems too. At present, we obtain aligners from one company, but have to go else- where to obtain the elastics and mini-screws etc. In a few years, companies will hopefully offer a com- prehensive package to allow dentists to plan much ahead of time. What was obvious in Brighton is that orthodontics is at a crossroads. What role will clear aligners play in the future, in your opinion? I believe—and I said that already fi ve years ago— that in ten to 20 years, a much larger portion of our patients will be treated with aligners as op- posed to fi xed braces. Braces have allowed us to understand the biomechanics very well and align- ers just take that same knowledge and apply it to invisible aligners. The future role of clear aligners is also determined by patients asking for this treatment. Dentists not yet using aligners have had to learn this treatment modality and quickly. Thus, its role is defi nitely defi ned by a combination of technology improving quite nicely and patients requesting it as an aes- thetic treatment modality, for example. I am sure that in the not so distant future half of all treat- ments will be done with aligners. Another area where clinicians could benefi t is being able to use different materials for the start and the end of treatment—just like in conventional orthodontic treatment where we use NiTi at the start of treatment and stainless steel at the end. However, there is a great deal of improvement in this regard already. You run two practices entirely focused on aligner treatment. What advice would you give a clinician who would like to switch to that business model? It is important to fi rst acquire the necessary clinical skills and become really comfortable using aligners. Treatment with aligners is not necessarily diffi cult, but it is a bit different, so it is necessary to become ac- quainted with it. The way to attain confi dence is to treat enough patients—my guess is 1,000 or so. Once the clinician has become comfortable working with aligners, he or she can start thinking about switching. Thank you very much for the interview._ ortho 1 2017 15