3M Unitek Reaches 1-Million Case Milestone with the SmartClip Appliance System
Orthodontists report shorter treatment times and fewer office visits with the System
Monrovia, Calif. – 3M Unitek has announced that more than one million patients worldwide have been treated with its innovative SmartClip™ Self-Ligating Appliance System. Featuring a unique open ligating clip to hold the archwire, the SmartClip System combines a traditional bracket shape and active-on-demand self-ligation to offer distinct user and patient advantages compared with other systems.
Orthodontists report that they are able to significantly increase practice efficiency with shorter chair time and by completing treatment more quickly with fewer patient appointments.
“The technology of the SmartClip Appliance System has allowed us to go from six- to eight-week intervals between adjustment appointments,” said Dr. Todd Britt of Sosebee & Brit Orthodontics in Gainesville, Georgia. “This has freed up a tremendous amount of clinical time, which we now use to see more patients, add training time for our staff, or spend outside the office. Wire changes are easy and fast for the patients - they also enjoy the increased interval between adjustments.”
“The SmartClip Appliance System combines the best of conventional, active and passive self-ligating brackets into a single system,” said Dr. Leandro Fernandez, of Malaga, Spain. “Its versatility allows me to simultaneously slide teeth and gain maximum control of tooth movement in all types of cases and with a reduced inventory.”
Recently reaching the 10-year anniversary of its introduction, the SmartClip System continues to evolve based on user input, to offer even greater efficiency. The latest advancement is its availability with the APC™ Flash-Free Adhesive Coated Appliance System. APC Flash-Free Adhesive does away with the flash removal step during bracket placement, saving bonding time and lowering the bond failure rate.
“SmartClip™ Self-Ligating Brackets were designed using the latest Finite Element Analysis techniques and rigorously tested to ensure the quality that is expected of a 3M product,” said Oliver Puttler, Technical Manager R&D, 3M Unitek. "Over a decade of use, the SmartClip system has evolved based on input provided by orthodontists, and science that's second nature
to 3M.”
“Science was involved in making the clip intelligent,” said Ming-Lai Lai, Principal Bracket Designer at 3M Unitek. “It is designed to release the archwire from the bracket’s slot if the archwire exerts a force that can cause unwanted bracket debonding, patient discomfort and/or inefficient tooth movement.”
The 3M technology incorporated into the SmartClip system is also found in aesthetic ceramic Clarity™ SL Self-Ligating Brackets from 3M Unitek.
Disclosure: Dr. Fernandez has received an honorarium from 3M Unitek.