Sharif Digital Repository

Orthodontics, a dental specialty focused on tooth alignment, has been practiced for centuries for both therapeutic and aesthetic reasons. Traditional orthodontic treatment involves the use of brackets and wires, a method that has been widely adopted since the 1970s. However, since the early 21st century, the use of clear, polymer-based orthodontic aligners has emerged as an alternative approach for tooth straightening. Clear aligners are typically fabricated using a thermoforming process, where a sheet of polymer is heated and vacuum-formed over a 3D-printed model of the patient's teeth. A more recent approach involves the direct 3D printing of aligners based on digital scans of the teeth,...