Over the past two decades, clear aligners have become an increasingly popular alternative to treatment with fixed appliances for mild to moderate malocclusions. Tooth movement with aligners is more complex than with fixed appliances. This difference can be attributed to the absence of specific points of force application, the anatomy of the tooth, the material properties of the aligner, the mismatch between the geometries of the aligner and the tooth elements, and other biomechanical factors. Knowledge then of the state of the art of the biomechanical components of this technique such as material properties, attachments, and staging becomes critical in approaching malocclusions from the simple, but especially to the more complex. This lecture explores the critical issues that clinicians may encounter during their clinical practice by understanding the biomechanical aspects that may be able to improve the predictability of desired outcomes through orthodontic movement control, always considering careful treatment planning based on each patient's specific malocclusion.


Learning Objectives
After this lecture, you will be able to recognize the potential and limitations in treatment goals in difficult movements
After this lecture, you will be able to manage anchorage in orthodontic treatment with aligners
After this lecture, you will be able to understand the role of attachments and staging in malocclusions resolution