Finishing and retention best practices for clear aligner therapy 

The last aligner stage is the beginning of a whole new journey. Your approach to balancing the bite, confirming satisfaction, and transitioning the patient to retention can determine whether that journey is a success. Dr. Brian Gray reviews the end-of-treatment techniques that help him create smiles that last a lifetime. 

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Watch recording:

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Instructor:

Brian Gray, DDS • Chief Dental Officer

Dr. Gray is a clinical evaluator, triathlete, Master at the Academy of General Dentistry, and a Fellow in five other academies. He’s trained nearly 30,000 dentists in clear aligners and helped launch retainers at a leading aligner company. Now, he’s bringing his knack for education and clinically excellent treatment planning to ProMonitoring partners.

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Course Information:

Participants will learn techniques to promote a successful transition from active clear aligner treatment to passive retention. Dr. Gray will review how to assess whether a case is clinically complete, how to avoid issues that may delay an excellent finish, and strategies that promote patient compliance with retention protocols. 

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Objectives:

• Evaluate end-of-treatment clear aligner outcomes against aesthetic, functional, and occlusal goals
• Identify common finishing issues and learn how to address them
• Discuss when a refinement is clinically appropriate
• Apply a clear finishing checklist before transitioning a patient into retention
• Select and communicate retention protocols that help maintain long-term treatment stability
• Review other scenarios where retention may benefit patients

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