When asked how he ended up performing aligner dentistry, Dr Vuoristo’s innate yearning for knowledge quickly became apparent. He explained: “I decided to go out into the world and get specialised by seeking training in fields and topics that were interesting to me, especially restorative prosthodontics. And the further you go into the aesthetic side of things, you realise how much it involves orthodontics, soft-tissue surgery, crown lengthening and more. A few years ago, I finally decided that now is the time to start forging my own path to specialisation.”

Today, Dr Vuoristo specialises in broad occlusal rehabilitation, occlusal wear and aesthetic dentistry and sees a range of patients at the Hohde Espoo Keinojuuriklinikka and Ebeling Hammaslääkärit dental clinics in Espoo and Helsinki in Finland, respectively. In addition to practising in the private sector, Dr Vuoristo has worked as a clinical instructor at the Helsinki University Hospital Oral Diseases Teaching and Dental Care Unit and as a teaching assistant in prosthetics at the University of Helsinki.

His standard toolkit includes the Planmeca Compact i5 dental unit, complemented by both 3D and 2D images from the Planmeca Viso G5 CBCT imaging system. His commitment to professional development has also led him to familiarise himself with aligner therapy and to explore the use of HeySmile.

Dr Teemu Vuoristo, a general dentist with a strong background in restorative and aesthetic dentistry, integrated HeySmile aligners into his practice in mid-2023.

HeySmile is a flexible, cost-effective and open aligner system and service provider. The company’s team includes several dental technicians and an orthodontist and has more than 20 years of experience in aligner therapy collectively. The high-quality aligners are manufactured in Spain using the latest technology.

Dr Vuoristo had worked with several other aligner brands before adopting HeySmile and has since accumulated nearly two years of experience with the system. According to him, the company’s investment in manufacturing and technology is reflected in the quality of its aligners. He noted: “I have really taken a liking to HeySmile aligners, especially how they are designed, the customer service and how the aligners fit in general.” He added: “Most patients are generally not familiar with more than one brand, but I’ve noticed that HeySmile aligners fit super nicely, which makes them really unnoticeable and painless overall.”

“The HeySmile Studio portal is really intuitive to use as well, and the treatment plans correspond accurately to the treatment goal and patient wishes. I was also surprised how quickly the aligners are delivered to the clinic after the treatment plan has been approved. So, so many good things about them,” he explained.

Tailored support for both novice and experienced dental professionals

HeySmile aligners are only sold to dental professionals, and the company does not sell directly to patients. Planmeca’s local dealers and subsidiaries all over Europe offer certification courses and other intensive training to those interested in expanding their expertise. These courses typically cover the basics of aligner therapy and the HeySmile workflow using real patient cases and hands-on exercises.

However, dental professionals who are already experienced in providing aligner treatments with other systems are not required to undergo recertification. Dr Vuoristo, for example, transitioned directly into working with HeySmile. Many local distributors also offer tailored courses and advanced training for more experienced aligner practitioners as well as personalised support for those who need help with the system.

Optimal outcomes achieved through orthodontics prior to restorative care

According to Dr Vuoristo, a surprising number of prosthetic cases first require orthodontic therapy to achieve the desired treatment result. For many such cases, aligner therapy offers an efficient treatment solution. In addition to the benefits for dental professionals, the discreet nature of the treatment also lowers the barrier for patient acceptance.

“The more restorative cases I’ve gotten to perform, the more I’ve come to realise that both a functionally and aesthetically optimal treatment result often requires that the teeth are in the right place on the arch, and if the bottom line is that we can’t place an implant unless certain teeth are straightened, of course, that completely changes the available treatment options. Performing ortho before restorative treatment conserves tissue compared with, for example, having to aggressively reduce a tooth to serve as an abutment, and it helps achieve results both more effectively and less invasively.”

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