Navigating the Biomechanics of Clear Aligner Treatments

Clear aligner therapy (CAT) has rapidly become an integral modality in orthodontics, driven largely by increasing demand among adult patients seeking esthetic treatment options. While diagnostic principles remain unchanged, the biomechanics, staging, and clinical delivery of CAT differ in key ways from fixed appliance therapy. As aligners are increasingly used in general dental practice, it is essential to understand both the scope and the limitations of CAT, as well as the reasons why digitally simulated treatment plans often fail to match real-world outcomes. This course will review the biomechanical principles unique to CAT, highlight strategies to address discrepancies between planned and achieved results, and examine evidence-based approaches for corrections of some malocclusion using CAT. After completion of this course, the participant will be able to: Review biomechanical principles of orthodontic tooth movement as applied to fixed appliances and clear aligners; Evaluate some of the current evidence on tooth movement with CAT; Recognize why digitally simulated treatment outcomes may diverge from clinical outcomes and identify strategies to minimize these gaps.