Clear Aligner Program For Dentists
ONLINE | 20* CE CREDITS | TUITION $1,495 | LIMITED CAPACITY
* This number is an estimate. Your regulatory body will issue the credits.
Our mission is to provide dentists the skills and knowledge necessary to confidently provide aligner therapy.
Program News
We have combined Part 1 and Part 2 into one comprehensive course. If you have already taken Part 1 you are eligible to receive a $495 credit towards completing our full Clear Aligner program.
program overview
Discover the ultimate course series that equips dental professionals with the essential skills to incorporate clear aligner treatment into their practice. This comprehensive program covers every aspect of clear aligners, starting with foundational knowledge such as diagnosis and treatment planning, aligner biomechanics, design, and case selection. You'll also learn the techniques for capturing traditional impressions and digital scans for orthodontic aligners.
Explore a wide range of clinical procedures, including aligner delivery, attachment bonding, interproximal reduction, and attachment removal for retention purposes. Our step-by-step video catalog provides a detailed visual guide to these procedures, ensuring you gain confidence and expertise in providing aligner therapy.
But it doesn't stop there! Our course goes beyond clinical aspects and delves into innovative marketing strategies to help you grow your clear aligner practice. Gain insights into effective marketing techniques that can take your practice to new heights of success.
With our Clear Aligners course, you have the flexibility of online learning through our user-friendly eClass platform. The course is self-paced and self-study, eliminating the need for in-person attendance. Upon completion of the online component, you'll participate in a live, synchronous online presentation session, where you can discuss your own cases with instructors and peers.
These personalized sessions, scheduled on designated evenings, follow a one-on-one "grand rounds" format for participant case presentations. Seize the opportunity to showcase your cases, receive expert guidance, and learn from your peers. Availability for these sessions is on a first come, first-served basis.
Take your dental practice to the next level with our Clear Aligners course. Start your journey today!
learning objectives
On completion, our goal is to ensure participants:
- Understand basic principles of orthodontic tooth movement and clear aligner therapy
- Exposure to orthodontic records necessary for ordering clear aligners
- Acquire knowledge and confidence in photography necessary to begin clear aligner treatment
- Exposure to utilizing digital software in a treatment plan for clear aligner therapy and the digital workflow
- Become knowledgeable with the clinical procedures for bonding engagers and interproximal reduction
- Understand the principles, theory, and procedures of intraoral optical scanning technology
- Exposure to information on the incorporation of the digital flow into daily practice
- Discuss business skills needed to implement aligner therapy in the office
- Develop judgment regarding case complexity - indications and contraindications to consider
Continuing Grand Rounds
Although there is no case competency requirement following completion, we recognize that there is much learning ahead for participants to achieve a high level of confidence and competency to provide aligner therapy. Accordingly, the course provides continual mentoring and case discussion for participants to engage in a Grand Rounds format and benefit from case presentations from other participants, troubleshooting, and working through case complexities. Clinicians will find tremendous value in continued participation in Grand Rounds to assist their management and case setups in comparison to commercially available treatment planning services.
Syllabus
Course material is presented in two parts to allow clinicians to gradually advance toward the treatment of more complex cases. Select portions of the course are offered to Dental Assistants and Hygienists to allow for whole office education in clear aligners with the overall goal of providing aligner therapy as an office team. Following each session, online Grand Rounds will be conducted to allow participants opportunities to present and discuss their cases as well as learn from others. The case competency requirement of six cases after each part allows participants to learn in a mentored environment. Participants can discuss, troubleshoot and otherwise interact with Faculty regarding their aligner patients and experiences.
Part 1
The first part of this series provides essential fundamental information regarding orthodontic aligner therapy with the ultimate goal of preparing participants to start providing aligner treatments for mild crowding. The comprehensive list of topics covers all aspects of patient records, clinical examination, photography, impressions, and others to provide a broad education for the general dentist and office team to embark on their clear aligner care journey.
Topics covered in part one includes:
- History and Evolution of Aligners
- Introduction to Clear Aligner Basics and Terminology
- Goals of Clear Aligner Therapy
- Identify Clear Aligner Cases in Practice
- Fundamentals of Diagnosis and Treatment Planning – Patient Exam
- Model Analysis and Bolton Estimation
- Record Taking for Clear Aligner Treatment – Overview
- Clinical Photography for Clear Aligners
- Making Impressions for Clear Aligners – Traditional and Digital
- 2-Phase Impressions for Clear Aligners
- Digital Techniques for Clear Aligners
- Delivering the First Set of Aligners and Homecare
- Attachments: Use and Placement
- Interproximal Reduction (IPR)
Part 2
Part II goes into more depth on clear aligners covering advanced diagnostics, detailed aligner staging, troubleshooting, revisions, overcorrection and other advanced topics.
Topics covered in part two includes:
- Basic Cephalometric Analysis and Interpretation
- Basic Aligner Biomechanics
- Biology of Tooth Movement
- Treatment Staging
- Presenting Treatment Options
- Monitoring Treatment Progress and Troubleshooting
- Refinement, Revision, and Midcourse Corrections
- Evaluating Treatment Completion
- Treatment Completion: Removing Attachments and Retention Techniques
- 7-Steps to Increasing Aligner Case Flow
The case competency requirement of six cases allows participants to learn in a mentored environment. Participants can discuss, troubleshoot and otherwise interact with Faculty regarding their aligner patients and experiences. Following the completion and documentation of six cases, participants are eligible to receive a certificate of completion in Clear Aligners and to move onto the advanced applications of Clear Aligners.
Please make sure you follow the rules of your regulatory body regarding immunization. Moreover, we highly recommend for you to be immunized as per the University requirement.
Faculty
Dr. James Mah is a Clinical Professor and the current Dean of the School of Dental Medicine at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. His academic career spans over 25 years with prior academic appointments at the University of Southern California and Harvard School of Dental Medicine. He obtained his Doctorate of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) degree, Master of Science degree and his Certificate of Specialization in Orthodontics from the University of Alberta. He then graduated from Harvard University with a Doctorate of Medical Science degree and completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Department of Orthopedics at Children's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.
His research is focused on orthodontic biomechanics, clear aligners, neuromodulators and cone-beam CT. Dr. Mah has organized several conferences on the biology of tooth movement, authored textbooks and book chapters, and he regularly presents nationally and internationally. He has published extensively and was recently recognized by Stanford University in their annual report of the top-cited researchers from across the globe as among the top 2% within Dentistry.
Dr. Melissa Shotell is a Board Certified Orthodontist and practices in a multi-specialty practice in Sonora, CA focusing on the interplay of Orthodontics and restorative treatment. Dr. Shotell received her DMD at Nova Southeastern University and a General Practice Residency Certificate from Ohio State University.
After spending years in general practice treating a broad range of patients, Dr. Shotell returned to complete a certificate and master’s degree in Orthodontics from Loma Linda University. At Loma Linda University, Dr. Shotell focused her training on cutting-edge three dimensional imaging technology for diagnosis and treatment planning for interdisciplinary dentistry. Dr. Shotell considers education to be her passion and regularly consults and lectures on dental technology, clear aligner therapy, orthodontics, in-office clear aligners, office efficiency and workflow, and teamwork. Dr. Shotell shares tips and tricks on orthodontics and clear aligners on social media as alignerbee.
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