Every aligner case is started the same way: choose the right patient, capture the records, and submit the case to the lab. What follows walks that path end to end — and shows why getting the first two steps right makes everything downstream easier.
The path every case follows
- 1 Records
- 2 Submit
- 3 Virtual Setup
- 4 Review & Approve
- 5 Bond & Deliver
- 6 Monitor & Finish
You capture records and submit. The lab builds a Virtual Setup — a 3D plan of every tooth movement. You review it, request changes, and approve. Then you bond the attachments, deliver the aligners, and monitor through finishing and retention. Nail the first two — patient and records — and the rest gets easier.
Step 1 — Start with the right patient
For your first cases, pick the movements aligners perform most predictably, and have the conversation before you take a scan.
The case:
- Mild-to-moderate crowding or spacing
- A non-growing patient
- A healthy periodontium
The conversation:
- 22 hours a day — success depends on compliance
- Informed consent
- Realistic expectations, set before the scan
Step 2 — Records: your plan is only as good as your records
The quality of your plan is decided by the quality of your records. You need three things:
Remember: poor records produce a poor Virtual Setup, and no amount of editing later fully recovers it.
Step 3 — The prescription
The prescription is your instructions to the design team. Be specific:
- Chief complaint & treatment goals
- IPR — allowed? and where
- Teeth to leave untouched
- Extractions — planned, or none
- One arch, or both
Step 4 — Submit a complete case
Submit through the portal: upload the scan, the photos, and the radiographs, and attach your prescription. Everything the design team needs should travel with the case in one complete submission — an incomplete case simply waits while records are chased.
What happens next
From here, the lab builds your Virtual Setup and returns it for review. You examine the plan, check the bite and the staging, request any changes, and approve. Nothing is manufactured until you approve — so this review is where you stay in control of the final result. (We cover it in detail in the plan-review lesson.)
Key takeaways
A case begins with four things done well: the right patient, complete records, a precise prescription, and a clean, complete submission. Get patient selection and records right up front, and every step after them — the setup, the review, the treatment — gets easier.
Shafaf partners with trained dentists across Iraq and the region. Talk to us about partnering or find a Shafaf provider.