Dental aligners, also known as «invisible orthodontics», are orthodontic treatments in which instead of using brackets that are cemented to the teeth, a kind of guards are used that are not fixed to the teeth (that is, they are removed to eat, etc.) This type of treatment is not for everyone, a specialist will decide individually on a case-by-case basis whether or not the patient is a candidate for this type of treatment. Although aligners are not a «new» treatment, technology has allowed their evolution and improvement over time, to the point that aligner treatments solve complex cases and are comparable to fixed orthodontic techniques with traditional brackets. The most outstanding advantages of «invisible orthodontics» or orthodontics with aligners are, of course, it is the most discreet type of orthodontics, it is difficult to notice when a person is wearing the aligners and when not, they are more comfortable than conventional orthodontics since they can be removed at certain times if the patient so wishes (however, to obtain better results, the specialist will indicate how many hours a day each patient should use the aligners), of course possible complications common with conventional orthodontics are avoided, which makes it difficult to maintain correct oral hygiene . And perhaps one of the advantages that may interest the patient the most, apart from aesthetics, is that, since the planning of the cases is almost 100% digital, the duration of each treatment is more predictable than with treatments with brackets, since that before starting the treatment and making the aligners, the number of aligners needed is estimated, how often they should be changed and this gives a very precise idea of the duration of the treatment. Perhaps the biggest disadvantage, if it can be called a disadvantage, is that, being removable aligners, a large part of the success of the treatment depends directly on the patient, how consistent the use of the aligners is, their cleaning, maintenance and following the instructions of the specialist, while in orthodontics with braces, apart from maintaining their hygiene, patients only have to go to their monthly adjustment consultations and have very few responsibilities other than those.
