The future of clear aligners: how Clarity Aligners from Solventum can improve treatment precision

Clarity Precision Grip Attachments provide custom, 3D-printed aligner support with attachment shapes guided directly by the digital treatment plan.

Clear aligner therapy continues to evolve through advances in digital planning and clinical workflows. As expectations for efficiency and predictability grow, attachment design and placement are playing an increasingly important role – an area where Clarity™ Precision Grip Attachments from Solventum are helping to advance the standard of care.

Attachments are designed to help support force expression and aligner tracking, and because they engage with aligners, they introduce force vectors into treatment, making them a key factor in how efficiently treatment progresses. As attachment systems evolve and allow for more accurate reproduction of the digital design, they are helping shape a more precise and consistent approach to aligner therapy.

Why attachments matter more than ever in aligner biomechanics

Attachments play a critical role in translating digital treatment plans into real-world tooth movement. Because of their importance in guiding force direction, aligner engagement, and treatment tracking, shape integrity is essential.

When attachments are inconsistent in shape or placement, even well-designed digital plans can fall short. Small discrepancies can affect aligner fit, introduce unplanned forces, and contribute to refinements or delays.

This is where digitally designed attachment systems are redefining expectations.

Clarity™ Precision Grip Attachments are a pre-loaded, 3D-printed, and custom attachment system designed to support improved aligner engagement. With Clarity Precision Grip Attachments, attachment shape is directly related to the digital plan – not determined chairside. The bonding procedure also doesn’t produce composite flash, which can introduce unplanned pushing surfaces and forces into treatment.

From variability to control: rethinking attachment workflows

Traditional chairside composite attachment workflows are familiar but can introduce variability at multiple points in the process.

Clinicians and teams often manage:

• Manual composite handling - overfilling or underfilling
• Excess composite flash cleanup
• Variations in template seating and pressure
• Technique-sensitive placement

Each of these steps can influence the final attachment shape and position. Over time, this variability can affect both clinical outcomes and operational efficiency.

In contrast, digitally manufactured attachment systems are designed to control for some of these variables.

Clarity™ Precision Grip Attachments arrive pre-loaded, made from a proprietary, fully cured composite. This completely eliminates the need for chairside composite handling. This reduces variability across operators and eliminates the risk of over- or under-filling and the need for cured composite flash cleanup.

By streamlining the bonding process and reducing variability, practices can create more consistent workflows while maintaining focus on treatment goals.

The real-world impact: chair time, efficiency, and scalability

Attachment placement workflows are one of the most significant drivers of chair time in aligner treatment, and filling the tray and removal of composite flash are two of the biggest drivers of inefficiency.

These inefficiencies add up, especially in practices managing a high volume of aligner cases.

Streamlined attachment systems can help reduce these friction points. By minimizing cleanup and reducing the need to fill the templates, practices can improve scheduling predictability and reduce overall chair time at attachment bonding.

From a business perspective, this has a measurable impact. When workflows are optimized, clinicians can reallocate time toward other productive procedures and improve overall practice efficiency.

From digital plan to clinical reality

One of the ongoing challenges in aligner therapy is ensuring that what is planned digitally is accurately delivered clinically.

Digital treatment planning defines:

• Tooth movement sequencing
• Force systems
• Attachment placement and geometry

However, when attachments are created chairside, their final shape may differ from the intended design. These differences can result in unplanned force vectors being delivered to the teeth.

3D-printed attachment systems address this gap by aligning design and clinical reality more closely.

Clarity™ Precision Grip Attachments are digitally designed through Clarity™ Portal with customized bases to match individual tooth anatomy. 

When attachments more closely match their intended geometry, aligners are better positioned to express forces as designed, supporting more predictable tracking. 

A new path forward for aligner treatment

As aligner therapy becomes more integrated into everyday practice, efficiency and predictability are no longer optional. They are essential for both clinical success and sustainable growth.

Clarity™ Aligners, combined with Clarity™ Precision Grip Attachments, are designed to support this evolution by:

• Delivering accurate attachments and supporting consistent attachment placement
• Reducing chairside variability and cleanup
• Helping practices streamline workflows at scale

Together, these elements reflect a paradigm shift for aligner therapy. One that prioritizes precision, efficiency, and consistency from planning through execution.

Looking ahead

As technologies like 3D-printed, custom-designed attachment systems become more widely adopted, practices have an opportunity to improve the accuracy of the clinical situation in the digital treatment plan and the efficiency and scalability of their workflows.

For clinicians evaluating how to optimize their aligner approach, attachment design and workflow may be one of the most impactful places to start.

About Solventum:

Solventum is an independent health care company built to enable better, smarter, and safer health care that improves lives. Formed in 2024 when 3M Health Care became a standalone company, Solventum carries forward decades of scientific expertise, trusted partnerships, and breakthrough innovation—now with a sharper, singular focus on health care professionals and the people they serve. The company's name reflects its purpose: a combination of "solving" and "momentum." Working at the intersection of health, material, and data science, Solventum partners closely with dental and health care professionals to advance practical, people-centered solutions that improve outcomes, simplify workflows, and move care forward. For more information, visit solventum.com.

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Disclaimer: Clinical outcomes may vary depending on patient anatomy, treatment planning, practitioner technique, and other factors. Product performance should be evaluated by qualified dental professionals based on individual clinical circumstances.