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Near-invisible clear aligners advance both case acceptance and minimally invasive treatments

Clear aligners are an easy and effortless orthodontic treatment solution, which can be used to achieve aesthetic or functional improvement in the patient’s occlusion or e.g. as a pre-restorative treatment option. Dr Teemu Vuoristo performs all kinds of restorative dentistry and added HeySmile® aligners to his repertoire in the summer 2023. Since then, the aligners have become a go-to tool in his daily work. “So, so many good things about HeySmile,” he says.

Article Jun 03, 2025

When you ask general dentist, Dr Teemu Vuoristo, how he ended up performing aligner dentistry, his innate yearn for knowledge soon becomes apparent. “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 e.g. 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 rehabilitations, occlusal wear, as well as aesthetic dentistry, and he sees a range of patients at the Hohde Espoo Keinojuuriklinikka and Ebeling Ruoholahti dental clinics in Espoo and Helsinki, Finland, respectively. In addition to the private sector, Dr Vuoristo has also worked as a clinical instructor at the HUS Oral Diseases Teaching and Dental Care Unit as well as an assistant teacher in Prosthetics at the University of Helsinki.

His standard toolbox includes the flexible Planmeca Compact™ i5 dental unit as well as the 3D and 2D images provided by the state-of-the-art Planmeca Viso® G5 CBCT imaging system. Eventually, his drive for professional development also led him to familiarise himself with clear aligner therapy and try out HeySmile®, the clear aligner brand that is also part of Planmeca Group.

Fast treatment planning in line with treatment goals

It should be said that HeySmile was by no means Dr Vuoristo’s first introduction to clear aligner dentistry, and he had already used several aligner brands before taking on the Planmeca product.

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

Since getting started, Dr Vuoristo has already amassed close to 2 years of experience with HeySmile. According to him, the company’s investment in manufacturing and technology is reflected in the quality of the aligners.

“I have really taken a liking to HeySmile aligners, especially how they are designed, the customer service, and how the aligners fit in general,” Vuoristo says. “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 also painless overall.”

“The HeySmile® Studio portal is really clear 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.”

Tailored support to both new and advanced doctors

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

Meanwhile, if you are already familiar with performing aligner treatments with a previous brand, there is no need to get recertified – Dr Vuoristo himself jumped straight to work with HeySmile. Many local distributors also offer tailored courses and advanced training for more experienced aligner doctors, as well as personalised support whenever you need help with the system.

Best overall results through pre-restorative ortho

According to Dr Vuoristo, a surprising number of e.g. prosthetic cases first require straightening or moving the teeth in order to achieve the ideal treatment result. For many such cases, aligner therapy offers a terrific effortless treatment solution. In addition to the benefits for professionals, however, Dr Vuoristo thinks the barely noticeable treatment also lowers the threshold for patients.

“Many people feel aligners are easier for them than braces. If a treatment appears laborious, the patient may simply opt not to do it, and then at their next appointment a year later they simply say, ‘yeah, I just didn’t get around to it,’” Dr Vuoristo explains.

“But the more restorative cases I’ve gotten to perform, 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. Pre-restorative ortho conserves tissue compared to e.g. having to file down a tooth into a pillar, and it helps achieve results both more effectively and minimally invasively.”