Tunnel Attachments With Clear Aligners vs Clear Aligners

Incorporating wire threaded custom tunnel attachments with clear aligner therapy is a novel approach developed to address the shortcomings of the currently available orthodontic systems. This hybrid system is anticipated to take advantage of the benefits and overcome many of the limitations of traditional fixed buccal/lingual appliances and clear aligner therapy. The concept utilizes light arch wires to be threaded through computer designed, chairside-fabricated composite tunnel attachments to achieve better control of three-dimensional tooth movements not achievable by clear aligners, such as Invisalign® (Align Technology, Santa Clara, CA) alone. The superelastic feature of the arch wires allows delivery of more continuous forces than aligners alone, potentially permitting shorter duration of recommended aligner wear during orthodontic treatment. A virtual set-up would be used to plan the desired position of the teeth, which in turn will be used to customize the size and position of composite tunnel attachments based on how two round arch wires will pass through tubes within the attachments. The attachments can be placed on either the buccal or lingual surfaces of teeth, depending on clinical preferences and esthetic demands. This is achievable using in-house aligners, which will also allow the fabrication of aligners in the office or at a conventional orthodontic lab at a fraction of the cost of traditional clear aligners.