Utilizing Aligners to Solve the COVID-19-Affected Orthodontic Practice Conundrum!

ABSTRACT

Dentists all around the world are facing a dilemma on whether to resume their practice or not and the ones who have made the effort to resume work, feel they are at high risk of getting infected by the coronavirus. A majority of dental treatments require the use of high-speed handpieces as well as ultrasonic scalers which can make it even more dangerous for the treating dentists and assistants as these release aerosols which could aid in virus transmission. High-quality personal protective equipment is hard to procure and, if so, is very expensive adding to the cost of running clinics during this period. One of the main issues plaguing dentists practicing orthodontics is the inability to see their patients regularly during this period, which can cause a lot of unwanted tooth movements. This is where aligners can be of big help as the entire treatment planning process can be done virtually and the treatment can be monitored without the need of the patient having to visit the clinic physically.