5 things you need to start clear aligners services in your dental office

Clear aligner therapy has amassed great success in the global sphere with its unique and patient-friendly approach to straight teeth, usually modelled from the comfort of your own living room. Due to its massive popularity, young dental entrepreneurs are now scampering to plough money on an extravagant dental office to attract prospective patients from the neighbourhood (and if they are lucky, from far and wide).

First things first. Before you start, you must invest in your production line. Know exactly what equipment you will need to take your home-grown business into a national success. This article outlines all the necessary equipment you need for starting a clear aligner business and making it through this cut-throat industry with grace.

1. Intraoral Digital Scanner and Desktop

The first step to manufacturing a clear aligner in-office is capturing a digital impression of your patient’s teeth. Impressions, whether physical or digital, are crucial for designing a custom orthodontic treatment plan. However, digital impressions are far superior to traditional putty impressions for several reasons such as ease of impression-taking, minimal discomfort to the patient and effortless transition to the next stage of treatment.

Most orthodontic practitioners outsource their aligner manufacturing services to independent labs by sending over the patient’s digital scans. With the growing demand for clear aligners, you should be well-equipped to receive digital scans from your remote customers or send out scans from your office patients. Since this is quickly becoming the standard of care these days, you need to know what to consider before purchasing a digital scanner for your office.

It is key to purchase a system that fits your workflow. For instance, if you are looking for a CEREC digital scanner system, you should know that they also supply milling machines that integrate with your software.

You should also consider ease of use. Intraoral scanners should ideally be comfortable to use and not too bulky to hold. The size of the wand (the area that goes into the patient’s mouth) should thus be small and compact, especially for pediatric patients.

You should even consider getting wireless scanners like 3Shape’S TRIOS scanner for superior operation. Finally, price is a deciding factor. Intraoral scanners can go from US$15,000 to US$50,000.

2. Treatment planning software

Your digital scanner is an excellent tool but it will be useless if you do not have an integrating software to transfer the scans from the scanner to your computer. Therefore, it is wise to remember that on top of your one-time purchase of the intraoral scanner, you will also be required to allocate an annual subscription cost to the overall price of the software license.

The software is the computer-aided design (CAD) component of your digital workflow. It allows you to design the orthodontic tooth movement plan at every phase of the treatment. This orthodontic software can range between USD$5,000 to USD$2,000. Some vendors supply digital scanners with built-in software, so you can opt for those if you are on a tight budget. But, before you swipe your card on that purchase, make sure that the software exports files in a format that is compatible with your computer-aided manufacturing system of choice.

3. 3D Printers

Once you are all set with your digital scanner and compatible software, you will next need to create a physical model of the clear aligners to provide to your patient. This is where 3D printers come in handy. 3D printers are used to translate the digital file of the scans of your patient’s teeth into a series of models that represent each treatment step. Without this step, it would be impossible to develop the consecutive clear aligners that your patient needs and therefore, impossible to achieve the desired outcomes.

Today, 3D printers come in all shapes, sizes, and prices. Small desktop versions may cost you a few hundred dollars while industrial-sized systems can easily cost you a few thousand. For clear aligners, the most commonly used 3D printing technology is vat photopolymerization or resin-based 3D printing.

Stereolithography (SLA) is the method most utilized for 3D printing clear aligners as this technique delivers accurate yet slow prints compared to other methods. To combat the slow prints, Digital Light Processing (DLP) printers were developed to give speedy results.

4. Thermoforming Machines

With the help of a thermoforming machine, you can transform a plastic sheet into a 3-dimensional clear aligner shape by wielding heat, vacuum, and pressure. As with 3D printers, thermoforming machines also come in a variety of shapes and sizes. When it comes to choosing a thermoforming machine for manufacturing clear aligners, you will need to focus on three essential factors – quality, temperature, and workflow.

• Quality: A good thermoforming machine will deliver clear aligners that are a perfect negative of the model used. You should consider choosing a different thermoforming machine if there are air pockets between your aligners and the model inside.
• Temperature: Make sure that the temperature of the thermoforming machine is compatible with the models produced by your 3D printers. Choosing a material that does not leech into the final appliance during the thermoforming process may also be significant.
• Workflow: Choose a thermoforming machine that is compatible with your workflow. Your workflow should be as simple as possible so that it ensures a seamless manufacturing process.

5. Brand Identity

Now that you’ve got all the tools to convert a digital picture of your patient’s teeth into a tangible product, you are ready to set sail on your aligner business journey. Perhaps, we saved the most important factor for the last – your brand.

Market the clear aligners you offer directly to your clients. It is in your clutches now to convince your loyal customers to switch from traditional braces to clear aligners. The easiest way would be by optimizing the production process to fabricate clear aligners from your office, all from scratch! This gives you a cost advantage in a billion-dollar industry.

Takeaway

Have everything you need to create a stellar brand of in-office clear aligners? We help you take your first major step towards authenticating your clear aligner business! Check out PlusSmile® – a full-service aligner brand made by doctors for doctors and elevate your business model today.