CE Eligible Article Early OrthOdOntic intErvEntiOn a casE sEriEs Utilizing digital trEatMEnt Planning & sEqUEntial alignEr thEraPy By Dr. Humberto Nunez Gil, Humberto Nunez Gil, DMD, MAGD, LLSR; Dr. Crystal Villarreal, DDS; and Dr. Fabiana Briceno, DDS, RDA with clEar alignErs in MixEd dEntitiOn PatiEnts: P hase I orthodontic treatment aims to intercept developing malocclusions, improve arch form, guide eruption, and reduce future treatment complexity. Historically, removable appliances, such as Schwarz expanders and acrylic expansion plates, have been used successfully in growing children. Modern clear aligner therapy represents a contem-porary evolution of removable orthodontics, combining digital planning with dentoalveolar expansion and alignment capabilities. litEratUrE rEviEw The mixed dentition period offers a unique oppor-tunity to influence craniofacial development. Ange-lieri and colleagues introduced a CBCT-based classifi-cation system for evaluation of midpalatal suture maturation and demonstrated that chronological age alone is an unreliable predictor of suture maturation. 1 In many children between 6 and 10 years of age, the Figure 1: In Case 1, an 8-year-old patient presented for a prophylaxis appointment. Figure 2: The 8-year-old’s Initial clinical presentation showed maxillary constriction and limited arch space. 20 Summer 2026 JAOS
Journal of the American Orthodontic Society Summer 2026: Page 20
