Invisalign and Clear Aligner Educational Workflow- 27 CEU

 Please watch this video to understand the course workflow.

Step 1: Take BOTH StraightSmile Solutions®, Phase 1 Interceptive Course and Straight-wire Digital Course (27 CEU) – Learn like an orthodontic resident.  We learn about braces and Phase 1 orthodontics BEFORE we start doing aligner cases. These are the orthodontic fundamental principles that are the building blocks of moving teeth with clear aligners. 

Step 2: Decide to do Invisalign or Other Brand of Clear Aligner- This is a personal decision. We can’t tell you which one to pick. If you already have a scanner, your decision may already be made. If you don’t, we’re happy to go over the pros and cons with you in a free phone session. Free Phone Session

Step 3: Buy iTero or Buy Other Scanner

Step 4: Scan Every Patient in your practice but focus on GREEN cases if you have an “Other Scanner” and a Green and Yellow Cases if you have an iTero Scanner. 

Step 5: Collect Photos and Pano on Every Patient in Practice- Use the Invisalign Practice App for Photos if you have an iTero. 

Step 6: Watch the Free StraightSmile Solutions Invisalign or Other Clear Aligner Playlists on YouTube

Step 7: Subscribe to StraightSmile Solutions Concierge Membership for 3-6 Months

How to Learn Clear Aligners from StraightSmile Solutions- Clear Aligner and Invisalign “Courses” for 2026

Why StraightSmile Solutions Doesn’t Offer a “Full Aligner Course”

One of the most common questions Dr. Amanda hears is:
“Why don’t you teach a full, clear aligner course?”

The answer is simple yet deeply rooted in the way orthodontics is taught. Dr. Amanda argues that one should not take a separate aligner course since clear aligners do not form the basis of orthodontics. They are a delivery system. Aligners can be unpredictable, challenging, and annoying without a clear understanding of how the teeth move.

Orthodontic residents do not start with aligners. They learn:

• Straight-wire braces
• Phase 1 orthodontics
• Growth and airway principles

Only after mastering these fundamentals do they move on to aligners. When clinicians attempt to learn aligners first, comprehension takes longer, and outcomes suffer. StraightSmile Solutions was intentionally designed to mirror residency-style learning because that approach has proven effective.

Why Learning Orthodontic Fundamentals Comes First

Clear aligners are based on the same biological principles as braces. The teeth react to force, anchorage, and timing; software preferences are irrelevant. Clinicians are often not provided with the knowledge of straight-wire mechanics and interceptive orthodontics, and they end up making educated guesses about why aligner plans fail.

Dr. Amanda is confident that clinicians have to:

• Learn the movement of teeth with braces.
• Acquire orthodontic and airway at an early stage.
• Establish orthodontic thinking preceding contact with Aligners.

This will enable aligners to be meaningful rather than appear like black box technology.

Why StraightSmile Solutions Is Aligner-Agnostic

Another reason StraightSmile Solutions does not offer a single, branded aligner course is the simple reality:
There are dozens of aligner companies, and they are constantly changing.

Features are added, removed, rebranded, or discontinued. Teaching a single aligner system inevitably leads to outdated education. Dr. Amanda chooses to remain aligner-agnostic, meaning:

• She does not work for aligner companies
• Non-disclosure agreements do not restrict her
• She can openly discuss what works and what doesn’t

Some companies she discusses frequently because she sees consistent success. Others she does not mention due to legal or professional constraints. Silence does not mean failure, but transparency matters.

The Problem with Branded Aligner Courses

Many Invisalign and clear aligner courses are sponsored or co-sponsored by aligner companies. While these programs can appear comprehensive, they often prioritize:

• Branding over biomechanics
• Product promotion over fundamentals
• Marketing outcomes over long-term predictability

Dr. Amanda has firsthand experience consulting for aligner companies and being discouraged from speaking openly about movements she felt were biologically questionable. This conflict is exactly why StraightSmile Solutions exists independently.

The goal is education and not sales.

The StraightSmile Solutions Aligner Learning Workflow

Step 1: Learn Straight-Wire and Phase 1 Orthodontics

The first step is always the same:
Learn braces and Phase 1 orthodontics.

StraightSmile Solutions offers:

• Fully digital orthodontic courses
• Phase 1 and airway education
• Residency-style foundational learning

For clinicians who do not plan to place brackets clinically, the digital courses alone are more than sufficient and extremely affordable. For those who want hands-on experience, additional options and referrals are available.

There are 27 structured units, designed to be completed at your own pace.

Step 2: Choose Your Aligner Path (Scanner Determines Options)

Once fundamentals are learned, clinicians choose their aligner pathway, which is often dictated by the type of scanner used.

The iTero Route

• Higher initial investment
• Access to Invisalign and multiple third-party aligners
• Exclusive tools like Outcome Simulator and Smile Architect

StraightSmile offices use iTero scanners, but also work with non-Invisalign aligner systems.

The non-iTero Route

• Lower cost scanners
• More limited Invisalign access in many regions
• Still viable with strong orthodontic fundamentals

Scanner choice often determines the flexibility of aligners, so this decision should be made intentionally.

Step 3: Scan Every Patient (Not Just Ortho Cases)

One of the most important recommendations in this workflow is to scan every patient aged six and up.

Scanning becomes:

• Routine documentation
• Risk management
• Patient education
• Orthodontic opportunity discovery

Instead of asking patients if they want an orthodontic exam, scanning becomes a standard procedure just like probing or oral cancer screening. This approach creates opportunities that clinicians often overlook.

Step 4: Collect Proper Records

If using Invisalign, Dr. Amanda strongly recommends:

• Invisalign Practice App for photos
• Integration with Outcome Simulator
• Access to Smile Architect and AI tools

For non-Invisalign workflows:

• Standard 8-photo orthodontic series
• Panoramic X-ray when available
• FMX if a pano cannot be obtained

Cephalometric X-rays are not required initially and should be introduced later based on treatment goals. StraightSmile Solutions offers comprehensive Ceph education as a separate offering.

Step 5: Learn Aligner Features Through Free Education

Rather than paying for a branded aligner course, clinicians are encouraged to utilize Dr. Amanda’s extensive free educational resources.

Her Invisalign playlist includes:

• Over 300 videos
• Feature explanations
• Movement analysis
• Workflow guidance

While aligner features evolve, understanding how and why they are used remains consistent.

Step 6: Concierge and VIP Support

After data collection and initial learning, StraightSmile Solutions recommends a short-term concierge or VIP membership.

Most clinicians choose:

• 3 – 6 months of support
• Case guidance and troubleshooting
• Real-time confidence building

Doctors who implement the full workflow consistently report significant profitability, not because aligners are inherently profitable but because opportunities were already present and are now properly identified.

Why This Workflow Works

Clinicians who follow this workflow:

• Understand when to treat and when to refer
• Communicate orthodontic needs confidently
• Improve restorative, implant, and cosmetic outcomes

Even when cases are referred out, clinicians benefit from understanding why referral is appropriate.

Orthodontics improves:

• Comprehensive care
• Airway awareness
• Long-term treatment stability

Dr. Amanda has never seen an office fail after fully implementing this workflow.

Conclusion

Invisalign and clear aligners do not require learning a brand, but rather learning the basics of orthodontics. StraightSmile Solutions trains clinicians on how orthodontists can think, rather than on how software sells. Clinicians who first learn braces and Phase 1 orthodontics have the freedom, confidence, and predictability of any system of aligners.

This is not an aligner course. It is an orthodontic training on how it should be.