Lets get clear!
Tooth movement is the result of forces applied to the crown of the tooth. The force at the crown translates into subtle movement at the root level, which is where the “biology of tooth movement occurs,” as Dr. Hurst puts it. When force is applied to the tooth via Candid clear aligners, the periodontal ligament on one side of the tooth root compresses, making room for the periodontal ligament on the other side to stretch. This, in short, is how we do it — one side gives while the other side takes.
With our aligners, your teeth will move at a maximum velocity of 0.2mm per tooth per aligner used, while the carefully crafted (created using ultra-precise 3D printing!) aligners act as a guide, so your teeth move just enough — and yet, not too much. Each set of aligners pushes your teeth gently and effectively.
While your aligners might feel like a snug hug around your teeth, this should not be painful. When done correctly and precisely, tooth movement from one aligner to the next aligner is subtle yet efficient — so you don’t feel anything more than mild pressure.
And here’s where clear aligners have a healthy edge over traditional clear/metal braces: traditional clear/metal braces are fixed to each and every tooth, and connected (via wires) to every other tooth … causing movement of any one tooth to affect — you guessed it — each and every tooth. With clear aligners, orthodontists like Dr. Hurst are able to carefully target only the teeth that need adjusting, which, as you can imagine — is ideal from an engineering perspective. This subtle difference allows for more carefully controlled movement, which in turn reduces negative side effects often seen with traditional clear/metal braces, like root resorption and pain (ouch!).
So, there you have it — our recipe! Basically — take traditional metal braces; remove ugly metal-mouth; reduce pain, gingival inflammation, periodontal disease, root resorption, and treatment duration; add great customer service all in one shiny package (literally), and that’s your Candid smile; the new you.
