The orthodontic team and orthodontic assistants play a critical role in the organization and efficiency of every orthodontic practice. The use of 3D printing in the orthodontic office has brought about a new role for the orthodontic assistant as the digital orthodontic assistant. This presentation will explore the role of the digital orthodontic assistant with the in-office clear aligner workflows in both the clinical and laboratory setting. Special focus on the orthodontic assistant’s role in record taking and preparing the digital models for treatment set-up including the use of orthodontic software to prepare models for digital treatment set-up. The presentation will discuss the laboratory steps of 3D printing, in-office clear aligner fabrication, and laboratory organization. A goal of the presentation is to explore the workflows of the digital orthodontic assistant to take ownership of both clinical and laboratory roles with the in-office clear aligner workflow.
Learning Objectives:
After this session, attendees will be able to:
Understand the orthodontic assistant�s role in both the clinical and laboratory workflow for in-office clear aligners.
Explore the digital orthodontic assistant’s role in preparing models for the in-office workflow.
Outline the steps of 3D printing and clear aligner fabrication, and review the different systems of laboratory organization for high volume aligner production.
