Digital orthodontics: 25 years after the advent of Align Technology’s transparent aligners, a revolution that continues.

Digital dentistry is a constantly growing field, combining digital technologies with traditional dental practice. This innovative approach has revolutionized the way dental treatments are carried out, improving efficiency, accuracy and overall precision. Digitalization has had a significant impact in several areas of dentistry, including diagnostics, treatment planning, design and manufacturing, as well as in patient management from all points of view, which is why the term “virtual patient” is already in use. Digital dentistry, in addition to acting in purely clinical areas, as mentioned above, also acts on the communicative sphere between patient and dentist. This happens, for example, when we use those software that, through the acquisition of patient data and images, are able to simulate a dental treatment before surgery, but as we will see later, also through devices designed for diagnostic use only. In Orthodontics the digital revolution was started by the advent of transparent aligners produced by Align Technology more than 25 years ago. Much has changed in this time, the technique has become increasingly predictable and performing and aligners have gained an important part of the market today. They are no longer used only for aesthetic corrections but also in the interceptive orthodontic treatment of the growing patient. The innovation was not only dedicated to the materials used for the production of aligners, but above all to the Clincheck software, a powerful diagnostic tool and to the implementation with the Itero intraoral scanner. The scannner is an integral part of the digital flow, it is able not only to help the specialist in communicating with the patient with the various simulation software but also to be more performing in monitoring the therapy with the integrated digital monitoring tools. We can say that the constant digital evolution, not only in Orthodontics, but also in the other branches of Dentistry, will involve not only the specialist but will guide and develop him “digitally” also broadening the views to interdisciplinary treatment and in the treatment of the growing patient. Sometimes the digital revolution may seem slow, but it is certainly tireless and more and more than we can imagine. Artificial intelligence will become an important integral part of development software and will increasingly support dentistry. All that remains is to live this evolution and digital revolution, in Orthodontics and dentistry in general, aware that it will change often and will not stop, but will allow us to integrate basic knowledge and clinical practice into a digital system that will allow patients to be treated in a more predictable way and with more effective communication. My advice? Have fun being an integral part of this digital revolution and keep your mind open to continuous innovations, software and techniques, never being frightened, but absolutely fascinated, because your human intelligentsia will guide you.