Comparing the Big Three Technologies

Skarin System, Aligners, and Braces

Every orthodontic technology has its pluses and minuses. Our aim with this table is for you to be informed of all of those pluses and minuses. That being said, this chart is very detailed. We know it takes more time on your part to go through everything in this chart, but we truly do believe that the best way to understand our device is by understanding more about how the traditional treatments work.

That being said, Dr. Skarin offers all treatment options as discussed below and is experienced in using all three. We do not subscribe to just one technology choice despite having our own technology.

Technology Features	Skarin System	Clear Aligners	Traditional / Edgewise Braces Systems
Speed of Treatment	Up to 5X faster treatment time than aligners, which reduces time of treatment by months. Aligners can move teeth 0.2-0.3 millimeters per tray every two weeks. Our technology can move teeth 1.0-1.5 millimeters every two weeks. Faster than Traditional Edgewise Braces Systems (including Damon, Norris, MBT, Andrews, Roth, etc.)	Significantly slower than the Skarin System or Traditional Braces to treat to the same level of care.* This is due to the technological mechanics of aligners. Each tray can only move the teeth as far as each tray allows, which is 0.2-0.3 millimeters every two weeks. (*As admitted by a company representative from a popular aligner company)	Faster than aligners Moves teeth more than 0.3 millimeters every two weeks Slower than The Skarin System, especially for leveling and aligning teeth
Aesthetics	Good aesthetics Attachments to teeth are clear	Barely visible Many patients will require "attachments," which are plastic bumps applied to the teeth to help the trays guide the teeth into place. These are necessary for vertical and rotational movements. This causes the trays to look much more visible than patients are expecting.	Good aesthetics when using clear brackets The metal archwire is visible Can lessen visibility with smaller/thinner archwires
Pain Levels	Significantly less pain than aligners and traditional braces (clinically documented) due to how teeth are moved.	Heavy, immediate force is applied to the teeth when each new tray placed every two weeks	Generally less pain than aligners depending on the wire chosen by the orthodontist.
Force Levels On the Teeth	Light, continuous force. The most desired force established by decades of orthodontic research. Uses a constant, light, continous force to move the teeth, which results in much less pain and trauma on the teeth and roots.	Heaviest, most intermittent force	Heavy, intermittent force Still moves teeth in a "stop and go" fashion, which moves teeth with high force, slows down, then moves teeth with high force again each time the wire is adjusted.
Cost	$$$	$$$$ Generally the most expensive, but varies based on the orthodontic practice.	$$$ Can be more expensive depending on the specialized bracket system used.
Control of Movement	Best The Skarin System eliminates many of the design limitations inherent in the Edgewise appliance for better control. The doctor has full control of each tooth invividually	Poor Even when patients wear new aligners every two weeks, treatment frequently requires adjuctive intervention as cases get "off track." Even when aligners are "planned" out perfectly, the teeth do not always move as expected. Cost of new adjunctive aligners are frequently passed on to the patient despite following the proper protocol (see reviews of patient's online)	Very good Doctors can control movement of the teeth with much finer control than aligners, but has unavoidable design limitations that are consistent with Traditional Bracket designs over the past 93 years.
Accuracy of Movement	Skarin System gradually locks together in an accurate tight fit with unparalleled accuracy.	The concept behind aligners is innovative, but aligners can distort during normal wear and tear, which leads to each subsequent aligners fitting less well. This lack of accurate fit requires more revisions and impressions.	Accuracy of tooth movement is dependent on the fit of an archwire in the rectangular slot on each bracket on each tooth. However, there is always space between the wire and the bracket that can be quite variable. This looseness leads to unavoidable inaccuracy.
Appointment Intervals and Length of Treatment to Attain Identical Results	Fewest appointments, longest intervals between doctor visits, shortest treatment.	Longest treatment time. Requires the most appointments if monitored as recommended and appropriate	Faster treatment time and fewer appointments than aligners, slower and more appointments than Skarin System.
Accuracy of Torsional Control	Extremely accurate with no negative adjacent tooth movement.	Least accurate	Accurate, but difficult to attain exact desired tooth positions without moving adjacent teeth
Force Dispersion System	Teeth and supporting structures can respond normally to heavy biting forces.	No. If tray material flexes on the teeth, then it is no longer working to move the teeth	All teeth are connected to each other with the archwire. This restricts normal supporting tissue response to heavy biting pressures.
Friction (Interference With Tooth Movement)	Minimal friction, by design	Significant friction inherent in the design	Significant friction inherent in the design
Appliance Comfort (Smoothness)	Same characteristics as the Edgewise system	Best of these three. Best choice for serious musicians playing wind instruments	Has necessary protrusions, but engaged wire smooths out the effect of the brackets and is usually easy to adapt to.
Appliance Maintenance and Oral Hygiene	Same characteristics as the Edgewise system	Best as it is removable, but trays can crack if not handled correctly. If cracked, can be removed to eliminate pain. Hygiene easier	Appliance can break with poor eating habits and trauma. Problems can require immediate help. Oral hygiene is more difficult but can be managed well with appropriate effort.
Compliance (or Lack Thereof!)	Same characteristics as the Edgewise system	Absolutely critical to wear 24/7 except for eating, and could still get "off track" despite absolute compliance. If new trays no longer engage properly because previous trays did not totally express the programmed movement, new impressions will be needed again.	As long as braces stay on teeth, tooth alignment will occur. Speed of bite correction will be influenced by compliance with elastics, but unlike aligners, variable compliance will not adversely affect the appliance itself.

Speed of Treatment

THE SKARIN SYSTEM

Up to 5X faster treatment time than aligners, which reduces time of treatment by months.
Aligners can move teeth 0.2-0.3 millimeters per tray every two weeks. Our technology can move teeth 1.0-1.5 millimeters every two weeks.
Faster than Traditional Edgewise Braces Systems (including Damon, Norris, MBT, Andrews, Roth, etc.)

CLEAR ALIGNERS

Significantly slower than the Skarin System or Traditional Braces to treat to the same level of care.*
This is due to the technological mechanics of aligners. Each tray can only move the teeth as far as each tray allows, which is 0.2-0.3 millimeters every two weeks.
(*As admitted by a company representative from a popular aligner company)

TRADITIONAL/EDGEWISE BRACES SYSTEMS

Faster than aligners
Moves teeth more than 0.3 millimeters every two weeks
Slower than The Skarin System, especially for leveling and aligning teeth

Aesthetics

THE SKARIN SYSTEM

Good Aesthetics
Attachments to teeth are clear
Option to finish treatment with a clear aligner at the very end.

CLEAR ALIGNERS

Barely visible
Most patients will require "attachments," which are plastic buttons applied to the teeth to hold the trays into place. This causes the trays to look much more visible than patients are expecting.

TRADITIONAL/EDGEWISE BRACES SYSTEMS

Good aesthetics when using clear brackets
The metal archwire is visible
Can lessen visibility with smaller/thinner archwires

Pain Levels

THE SKARIN SYSTEM

Significantly less pain than aligners and traditional braces (clinically documented) due to how teeth are moved.

CLEAR ALIGNERS

Heavy, immediate force is applied to the teeth when each new tray placed every two weeks

TRADITIONAL/EDGEWISE BRACES SYSTEMS

Generally less pain than aligners depending on the wire chosen by the orthodontist.

Force Levels On the Teeth

THE SKARIN SYSTEM

Light, continuous force. The most desired force established by decades of orthodontic research.
Uses a constant, light, continous force to move the teeth, which results in much less pain and trauma on the teeth and roots.

CLEAR ALIGNERS

Heaviest, most intermittent force

TRADITIONAL/EDGEWISE BRACES SYSTEMS

Heavy, intermittent force
Still moves teeth in a "stop and go" fashion, which moves teeth with high force, slows down, then moves teeth with high force again each time the wire is tightened.

Cost

THE SKARIN SYSTEM

CLEAR ALIGNERS

$$$$
Generally the most expensive, but varies based on the orthodontic practice.

TRADITIONAL/EDGEWISE BRACES SYSTEMS

$$
Can be more expensive depending on the specialized bracket system used.

Control of Movement

THE SKARIN SYSTEM

Best
The Skarin System eliminates many of the design limitations inherent in the Edgewise appliance for better control.
The doctor has full control of each tooth invividually

CLEAR ALIGNERS

Poor
Even when patients wear new aligners every two weeks, treatment frequently requires adjuctive intervention as cases get "off track."
Even when aligners are "planned" out perfectly, the teeth do not always move as expected. Cost of new adjunctive aligners are frequently passed on to the patient despite following the proper protocol (see reviews of patient's online)

TRADITIONAL/EDGEWISE BRACES SYSTEMS

Very good
Doctors can control movement of the teeth with much finer control than aligners, but has unavoidable design limitations that are consistent with Traditional Bracket designs over the past 93 years.

Accuracy of Movement

THE SKARIN SYSTEM

Skarin System gradually locks together in an accurate tight fit with unparalleled accuracy.

CLEAR ALIGNERS

The concept behind aligners is innovative, but aligners can distort during normal wear and tear, which leads to each subsequent aligners fitting less well. This lack of accurate fit requires more revisions and impressions.

TRADITIONAL/EDGEWISE BRACES SYSTEMS

Accuracy of tooth movement is dependent on the fit of an archwire in the rectangular slot on each bracket on each tooth. However, there is always space between the wire and the bracket that can be quite variable. This looseness leads to unavoidable inaccuracy.

Appointment Intervals and Length of Treatment to Attain Identical Results

THE SKARIN SYSTEM

Fewest appointments, longest intervals between doctor visits, shortest treatment.

CLEAR ALIGNERS

Longest treatment time. Requires the most appointments if monitored as recommended and appropriate

TRADITIONAL/EDGEWISE BRACES SYSTEMS

Faster treatment time and fewer appointments than aligners, slower and more appointments than Skarin System.

Accuracy of Torsional Control

THE SKARIN SYSTEM

Extremely accurate with no negative adjacent tooth movement.

CLEAR ALIGNERS

Least accurate

TRADITIONAL/EDGEWISE BRACES SYSTEMS

Accurate, but difficult to attain exact desired tooth positions without moving adjacent teeth

Force Dispersion System

THE SKARIN SYSTEM

Teeth and supporting structures can respond normally to heavy biting forces.

CLEAR ALIGNERS

No. If tray material flexes on the teeth, then it is no longer working to move the teeth

TRADITIONAL/EDGEWISE BRACES SYSTEMS

All teeth are connected to each other with the archwire. This restricts normal supporting tissue response to heavy biting pressures.

Friction
(Interference With Tooth Movement)

THE SKARIN SYSTEM

Minimal friction, by design

CLEAR ALIGNERS

Significant friction inherent in the design

TRADITIONAL/EDGEWISE BRACES SYSTEMS

Significant friction inherent in the design

Appliance Comfort
(Smoothness)

THE SKARIN SYSTEM

Same characteristics as the Edgewise system

CLEAR ALIGNERS

Best of these three. Best choice for serious musicians playing wind instruments

TRADITIONAL/EDGEWISE BRACES SYSTEMS

Has necessary protrusions, but engaged wire smooths out the effect of the brackets and is usually easy to adapt to.

Appliance Maintenance and Oral Hygiene

THE SKARIN SYSTEM

Same characteristics as the Edgewise system

CLEAR ALIGNERS

Best as it is removable, but trays can crack if not handled correctly. If cracked, can be removed to eliminate pain. Hygiene easier

TRADITIONAL/EDGEWISE BRACES SYSTEMS

Appliance can break with poor eating habits and trauma. Problems can require immediate help. Oral hygiene is more difficult but can be managed well with appropriate effort.

Compliance
(or Lack Thereof!)

THE SKARIN SYSTEM

Same characteristics as the Edgewise system

CLEAR ALIGNERS

Absolutely critical to wear 24/7 except for eating, and could still get "off track" despite absolute compliance. If new trays no longer engage properly because previous trays did not totally express the programmed movement, new impressions will be needed again.

TRADITIONAL/EDGEWISE BRACES SYSTEMS

As long as braces stay on teeth, tooth alignment will occur. Speed of bite correction will be influenced by compliance with elastics, but unlike aligners, variable compliance will not adversely affect the appliance itself.

Comparing the Big Three Technologies