The Invisalign University Programme has been deemed an integral part of the course for post graduate dentists as they train to become orthodontists, which recognises that aligner therapy is now accepted as a mainstream orthodontic treatment.
Newly included in the programme are Dundee and Edinburgh Universities in Scotland as well as KCL/Guys, two academic institutions in the West Midlands and Bristol and Newcastle Dental Hospitals.
For the first time, Align Technology is ensuring that all costs associated with Invisalign training as well as providing each student with their first ten Invisalign treatments, are free of charge, making the training accessible to all universities and ensuring that the students are afforded ample opportunity to perfect their skills with the system.
Grant McIntyre from Dundee University offered the following comment about the announcement:
“The launch of the Invisalign University Programme at the University of Dundee is good news. We believe it is only right we ensure our specialty training registrars and postgraduate students are well versed in the latest treatment methods before they complete their specialist training, which is the best time to learn the skills associated with new treatment modalities. Orthodontics in the UK has an exciting future as demand continues to rise, driven in part by the increasing number of adults who are seeking treatment to address dissatisfaction with their malocclusions.
“We are delighted we will be able to ensure our specialty training registrars and postgraduate students will now have practical, hands-on clinical experience with this aligner system rather than relying on theoretical knowledge alone. We believe this approach to teaching ensures our specialty training registrars and postgraduate students are well equipped to make decisions for their future patients.”
The Invisalign University Training Programme covers introduction to the Invisalign Doctor Site right through to monitoring and finishing cases, including treatment options and treatment selection, record submission and the use of the ClinCheck software and aligner delivery. Each university is provided with a University Kit which includes Invisalign materials and access to the ClinCheck software programme – everything the students need to get started. The participating university is also issued with a username and password for students to use to access the Invisalign Doctor Site which is a website portal for submitting cases. In addition to this, the site includes an educational sub-site which is continuously updated with clinical tips, hints, clinical presentations and publications. Students will also have access to the International Treatment Gallery to view completed cases and they are encouraged to submit their own cases to the International Treatment Gallery after completion.
Other benefits include additional free Invisalign treatments and discounts once the first student intake has submitted their first 10 cases. Every student who participates is also entitled to an Invisalign account which is activated after their graduation, which allows them to care for patients using the Invisalign system once they start in practice.
An authorised member of the faculty of universities interested in adding Invisalign to its orthodontic training curriculum is requested to email eu-universities@aligntech for more information.