Considerations Before Finishing a Case
When your patient has finished the active part of treatment, a retainer can be ordered to prevent relapse. There is always a risk of some relapse, so a retention system is required to prevent this, whether a fixed lingual arch, Essex, or Hawley retainer.
If additional work is desired, consult with the patient to continue the treatment and create a continuation order with a new scan (or impressions) and a prescription for the additional work needed. If the result is satisfactory, we recommend discussing a retention system with your patient.
Workflow for Finishing a Case
We recommend performing the following within 45 days of the last step being worn:
Review the final Dental Monitoring scan. Schedule a final clinical evaluation to take photos/records/radiographs.
At the visit, remove all attachments, equilibrate the bite with spot adjustments, enameloplasty the incisal edges to optimize their smile esthetics (if you feel comfortable performing this procedure and have patient consent).
Have the patient sign an Orthodontic Completion & Retainer Consent Form
If you are proud of your results, send us the records!
Do a thorough exam and perform all restorative and elective procedures before ordering the retainer.
Scan the teeth for retainers (or take new impressions). The patient can wear their final aligner while waiting for the retainers to come in.
The patient should wear the retainer on the same 22-hour schedule as usual for the first 6 to 8 weeks and then change to a “night-only” schedule.
Patients can wear each retainer for 6 to 12 months before switching. Keep patient records on file for additional ordering.
This is a great time to offer a whitening system or address any white spot lesions.
How to Order a Retainer in the Orthosnap Portal
In Orthosnap’s portal, first locate the patient and note the Action: Order Next Aligners:
You will then be able to place another order, and specify if you would like Active steps, Retainers, or both (i.e. retainers at the end of the active steps). You can order retainers at many points in the middle of treatment, in case the patient needs to pause their treatment.
Then, Orthosnap would produce, ship, and bill just the same as a clear aligner treatment.
If you have questions, please reach out to us at support@orthosnap.com.