I would make an argument that clear aligners may trump all of those by the time it is all said and done. If you look at the history of orthodontics, a few moments (or inventions if you will) stand out: twin brackets, pre-adjusted brackets, super elastic NiTi wires, self-ligating brackets, to name just a few. To say clear aligners have changed the specialty of orthodontics would be an understatement.
This is going to ruin the specialty.” But I also heard positive comments: “This is going to completely revolutionize the profession.” It went on and on depending on your viewpoint.įast forward 20 years and you’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t agree that clear aligners are here to stay. You can’t move teeth and correctly finish cases with a piece of plastic. I heard many orthodontists comment, “This will never fly. The reactions from my colleagues at the time were varied. While I was in my residency and during my first year in private practice, I remember John Sheridan, DDS, MSD, presenting his Essix aligners. Clear aligners have been in orthodontics for a very long time.
