Align Technology shares the experience of one practice that considers its intraoral scanners to be the stars of the clinic.
A multi-disciplinary clinic based in the City of London scans every patient, regardless of the treatment they might need. It is an integral part of each consultation. The scan images inform orthodontic treatments, hygiene appointments and regular check-ups – helping patients to better understand the status of their dentition and their overall dental health. They also help the dental team to explain and demonstrate any issues, and recommended treatments, as well as forming the basis of every treatment journey.
‘Our bank of iTero intraoral digital scanners are essential “team members” without which our practice could not function,’ says Dr Alexis Seijas. He underlines that the clinic’s digital scanners ensure efficient and effective diagnosis and treatment, while also inspiring confidence in patients.
The stars of the clinic
In fact, as the five scanners used by Dr Seijas and his colleagues are so highly valued and considered to be the ‘stars’ of the clinic, each has been given a celebrity singer’s name with a play on their famous song lyrics. He adds that to make patients laugh, put them at ease and help to break the ice: ‘We’ve written their names on the scanners and given each a persona, because we want them to look friendly and be perceived to be an integral part of our team. Our scanners have completely changed the way we work and we see them as valuable team members!’
Says Dr Seijas: ‘The iTero scanners are as much about education as anything. Patients have never seen anything like it before. They have a 3D view of every single tooth in their mouth, even the position of the wisdom teeth. If they are partially impacted, they can see how food is getting trapped in that area and see the reason why the tooth needs to be removed, for example.’
His practice currently offers Invisalign treatment alongside more traditional brackets and wires braces, but it will soon move to solely providing Invisalign aligners. ‘We’ve been working with the Invisalign system for a few years now and love the cutting-edge technology and how Align Technology introduces such regular upgrades to its digital workflow. We think in the future that every single treatment will be 100% digital,’ Dr Seijas adds.
Co-discovery
Orthodontic therapists Sarah MacDonald and Chrystal Sharp work with Dr Seijas. They are equally enthusiastic about the scanners. Says Sarah: ‘Patients are impressed by the technology because typically, if they are older, they are from a generation that had moulds taken of their teeth, and it wasn’t a very pleasant experience.’ She adds that younger patients take the technology in their stride, and they’re likely to want to share images of their scans on their social media channels, which helps with stimulating referrals.
Sarah also agrees with Dr. Seijas that digital scans help patients to understand their oral health. ‘We use them for co-discovery; pointing out features of their occlusion that they may not be familiar with. Perhaps they have initiated a consultation to discuss ways to fix their two front teeth or align their lower teeth. However, as a professional, you can guide them and make them aware of other issues, such as malocclusions they might have.
‘People don’t know what a crossbite is. They don’t understand that the teeth bite the wrong way round. But if you have a digital representation of how the teeth are meeting, the patient can visualise, and understand it without having to lie back in a chair with me pointing at parts with my fingers in their mouth, and a mirror.’
She adds that her favourite feature of the iTero scanner is the Occlusogram tool. ‘It shows the patient where they bite and how hard, so I can help them understand why their teeth are chipping. I also use it at the end of their treatment to demonstrate the improvements and help me to assess the retention protocol that the patient is going to need.’
Treatment acceptance
Other key tools used by the team in the Align Digital Workflow include Invisalign Virtual Care AI, which allows the practice to monitor treatment progress remotely, and Invisalign Outcome Simulator Pro – an AI-powered programme that allows patients to see what their new smile might look like after Invisalign treatment. The practice has also begun to use Invisalign Smile Architect software, which combines alignment and restorative treatment planning on a single, digital platform.
Chrystal enthuses about the way these tools, used in conjunction with digital scans, make patients more accepting of the treatments they might need: ‘When you can show patients where they are today and where they could be, and then show them their journey step-by-step, that is so much more powerful than trying to explain it verbally.’
The three also agree that the scanner can be key in helping a patient to understand what treatment they need and why. Says Sarah: ‘A lot of people walk through the door, and they just want straight teeth, but we have to explain that actually they need a hygiene appointment first -and if you can show them their tartar build-up on the scanner, they don’t question you.’
Finally, Dr Seijas, and his team concur that they simply wouldn’t be able to operate without their iTero scanners. ‘Patients have trust in the technology, which is fantastic. If they were taken away, we wouldn’t be able to work,’ concludes Dr. Seijas.
Dr. Seijas was the winner of The Best use of the iTero Scanner at the Invisalign Live Awards 2024, which was judged by an independent panel
For more information about the iTero intraoral scanner and the Align Digital Platform visit: Intraoral scanners | iTero.
This article is sponsored by Align Technology.
