We are very excited to announce a new product in our online store -- Smile Again orthodontic appliance cleaner, manufactured by ProTech.

Smile Again is an extra-strength, concentrated prosthetic cleaner which will safely and efectively help to remove coffee, tea, tobacco, iron stains, plaque, tartar, calcium and calculus without damaging the aligners. Simply stir one packet into a cup of water, soak the aligners, rinse and pop them back in.

For $18, each box contains a 3-month supply (12 packets) of cleaning solution, which will conveniently last your patient an entire phase of ClearCorrect treatment. 

*This product is for sale through our online store to registered ClearCorrect providers.

Our merchandise department is brimming with shiny stacks of orange and blue boxes today. That can only mean one thing: our kits are back in stock!

Our kits are conveniently packed with everything you'll need to perform IPR and make your own replacement aligner or retainer. Already have a kit? We make it easy to order refills, so you'll never be empty-handed. 

Visit the ClearCorrect online store to order your kits today -- before they fly off the shelves again!

Note to consumers: Our lab fees are confidential. Which is a shame, because they’re really worth bragging about. If you’re a dentist or orthodontist, give us a call at (888) 331-3323 to get the full scoop. If you’re already a provider, details are available on our wiki.

We’re excited to introduce our all-new treatment options, available starting January 1, 2013.

We tested countless variations before finalizing these options. Based on the feedback we’ve received from doctors, we think these new options will provide the greatest combination of affordability, flexibility, and predictability ever available for clear aligners.

Let’s get started, shall we?

Limited 6 — $███

We believe this will be the most affordable clear aligner treatment option available in the industry.

The Limited 6 is ideal for simple anterior adjustments. It includes up to 6 steps of clear aligners (single or dual arch). That’s more aligners than the competition, offered at a lower price. This price is not a limited-time promotion—it’s our everyday lab fee.

Like every ClearCorrect case, this comes with a treatment setup, and (unlike the other guys) Phase Zero and retainers are included at no extra cost. (We could have called this Limited 8, but we didn't want to rub it in.)

Limited 12 — $███

Cases you currently submit as Limited will be treated as a Limited 12, starting January 1.

It’s very similar to what you’re familiar with—you still get up to 12 steps of clear aligners, plus a setup, Phase Zero, and retainers. There's still no fee for revisions, so long as you stay under 12 total aligners. Up to 2 free replacement aligners are now included, and they won't count against the 12 steps allowed for your case.

Unlimited — $███

This is a biggie. If Limited 6 is the most affordable clear aligner option in the industry, this is the most flexible and predictable.

Starting January 1, any cases you currently submit as Full will be treated with the new Unlimited option. It's pretty simple to explain: you get as many aligners as you need, until the case is closed. That includes unlimited revisions for up to 3 years and replacements for any step at no extra cost. Seriously.

While you take a minute to let that soak in, I’ll just mention that the Unlimited lab fee can actually sink as low as $███ with our new volume discount program. (More on that another time.)

We'll also be offering case evaluations and standalone setups to lower the barrier to entry even further. And you can upgrade any case (including legacy Limited and Full cases) to a more comprehensive treatment option just by paying the difference in lab fees. We've added answers to most of your questions about these changes on the wiki, and we'll introduce updated terms & conditions soon with full details.

It’s the same great ClearCorrect product you're used to, now even more flexible and doctor-friendly.

What’s the catch?

As the sharper-eyed among you may have noticed, the Limited 12 and Unlimited lab fees are slightly higher than the current Limited and Full options. We haven’t raised our prices since we started 6 years ago, and we don't plan to do it again any time soon.

We believe in being open and transparent, so here's why we're making this change now:

1. A new medical device excise tax is going into effect on January 1, 2013. Rather than tack it on top of our advertised lab fee, it seemed better to revise our prices to accommodate it.
2. We heard your feedback: you love the flexibility of phase-based delivery, but you don’t like keeping track of unused phases, or paying for extra ones. We've eliminated that hassle by creating the new Unlimited option. Increasing the lab fee slightly makes that feasible.
3. The increases are partially offset by the introduction of Limited 6—our most affordable treatment option ever.
4. This keeps us in line with inflation, and will allow us to continue to expand and improve our product.

If you want to submit cases before this price increase goes into effect, we totally understand. Any cases submitted by December 31, 2012 will be handled just like they are today, and charged at the current rates. Next year, you’ll have the option to upgrade those cases to the new treatment options at any time just by paying the difference in the lab fee.

I’m sure you want to know more. First, check out the wiki. If you still have questions, post them in the comments, and we'll include our responses in the next tech tip.

Until next time!

For a limited time*, you can save 10% on IPR and Trimming kits, Zendura aligner plastic, and other resources to assist you in the treatment of your ClearCorrect cases with this code:

SAVE10

Here's how to place your order:

1. Visit the store and browse the product categories.
2. Select items for your order by clicking "Add to Cart".
3. At checkout, enter code SAVE10 in the "Discount Code" window. You can then choose to have us charge the card on file in ClearComm, or contact you for payment information.

*Discount code expires on 11/02/12.

We've designed an array of merchandise to help you manage your cases and promote your practice -- from posters, pens and brochures to IPR kits, aligner plastic and diamond discs. We've now made it easier than ever to order these items for your practice.

Introducing the ClearCorrect Online Store -- a website featuring every item that we offer, including several free promotional items. You can now view photos, descriptions, and tech specs for each item, with links to Wiki articles showing how to use them. Best of all, the store is available 24/7, so that you can re-order supplies at any time: on your home computer, on your smartphone or tablet, or in your practice before an appointment.

Here's how to place an order:

1. Visit the store and browse the product categories.
2. Select items for your order by clicking "Add to Cart".
3. Order your items by entering your provider email and shipping address at checkout. You can choose to have us charge the card on file in ClearComm, or contact you for payment information.

Good news! The ClearCorrect Wiki is now open to all providers. 

The ClearCorrect Wiki is a comprehensive guide to every component of being a ClearCorrect provider: the ClearCorrect basics, submitting a case, managing your cases, and building your practice as a ClearCorrect provider. It has step-by-step guides, definitions, how-to's, and a big ol' FAQ section.

If you have any questions about the basics of clear aligner therapy, how to perform IPR, our shipping schedule, or you simply need help approving your treatment setup - it's all here!

The Wiki is available 24/7, so that you can learn and find answers at any time: on your home computer, on your smart phone or tablet, or in your practice before an appointment. A link to the Wiki is located on your ClearComm sidebar, so it's never been easier to find the right information -- right when you need it.

A big thank you goes out to all the hard-working ClearCorrect staff members who made this amazing resource available! Please let us know what you think!

Sometimes, aligners fit perfectly but leave a small gap between them and the teeth. This can occur when intruding and extruding teeth, or when a new patient tries on their first pair of aligners. We now carry a tried and true product to help you and your patient solve this issue!

Chewies™ help patients improve the fit of their aligners and close gaps, both inside and outside of the doctor's office. By chewing on these reusable plastic rolls, patients help their aligners seat while relieving any tension or discomfort caused by a fresh set of aligners.

Chewies come pre-packaged in handout-friendly sets of two. We recommend distributing Chewies to your patients at each fitting appointment, or including a large bag with the price of treatment.

To order a bag of twenty Chewies for $10, call your account rep at (888) 331-3323. 

Mastering the secrets of laser markings isn't all we've been up to. We're putting the final touches on the ClearCorrect Wiki, and we think you're gonna love it. It's a lot like Wikipedia, except it's devoted to anything and everything ClearCorrect.

The Wiki is a comprehensive guide to every component of being a ClearCorrect provider - the ClearCorrect basics, submitting a case, managing a case, and building your practice as a provider. It has step-by-step guides, how-to's, definitions, explanations of key concepts and a big ol' FAQ section.

You can look up IPR instructions during an appointment, review your knowledge of clear aligner therapy, or find help filling out any of our forms.

Best of all, it'll be available 24/7, just a click away on your ClearComm sidebar. Simple as that.

We'll let you know as soon as the Wiki and all our other new features will be available!

We improved our shipping label tracking last week, and as a side effect, a lot of folks realized that they’ve been getting something for free that they were really supposed to be paying for. Hey, we’re cool like that. Unfortunately, all good loopholes must come to an end.

As explained in our terms & conditions and our product list, the following shipping charges are included in your up-front costs:

• one shipment to us to submit impressions for a new case
• shipments to you for all included phases (including Phase Zero & retainers)

These shipping costs are not included in the lab fee:

• additional shipments to us (such as new impressions for midcourse corrections)
• shipments to you of replacement aligners
• a one-time surcharge for shipments to Alaska, Hawaii, and offshore territories

This isn’t a new policy—we just haven’t been enforcing it very strictly. Now that we’re tracking what each shipping label is for, people can no longer print unlimited shipping labels for free. The days of walking into clubs and “making it rain” with UPS Ground shipping labels are over. (We’re looking at you, Dr. Harold “Mad Grillz” MacPhearson of Omaha, Nebraska.)

However, there is some sugar sprinkled on this donut of disappointment, and boy is it sweet:

First of all, we’re upgrading all new online case submissions to 2nd-day air shipping at no extra charge. (If you’re close to our headquarters in Houston, your impressions might still be sent via Ground if the estimated delivery time is the same or quicker.) For folks who are further away, this will shave days off your turnaround time. Just submit a case on ClearComm, and an upgraded shipping label will be generated automatically. (This change doesn’t affect aligners, which are still shipped via UPS Ground.)

Secondly, if you’re not comfortable submitting online yet, you can still get free Ground shipping labels for handwritten case submissions. Just call or email your account rep, and we’ll email or fax you a label, just like old times.

If you need shipping labels to send us anything else, print your own labels on ClearComm and take advantage of our lower shipping rates and tracking on ClearComm.

On a related note, we have heard that some doctors have had trouble uploading photos when submitting online. While we improve the photo uploading page, we’re temporarily allowing doctors to skip that step and include photos in the submission box if they have problems. If you can upload your photos, please do—it’s quicker and more accurate than matching up physical prints.

Finally, this should probably go without saying, but don’t use shipping labels more than once. If you print multiple copies of a shipping label and use them to ship multiple packages, UPS will get all confused, and there’s no telling what will happen to your valuable submission. If you need to reprint a label for legitimate reasons, it is possible. Go to the Shipments page on ClearComm, show your shipments “to ClearCorrect”, and click “Details” next to the label you want to reprint. A pop-up window will appear with tracking information and an option “View/Print Label”.

Do you have a pressure-forming machine like a BioSTAR, MiniSTAR, Drufomat, or Drufosmart?

Would you like to make aligners in your own office with the same industry-leading aligner material that ClearCorrect uses?

You're in luck. Zendura is now available for purchase from your account rep.

This is the finest material you can buy for making clear aligners. The best doesn't come cheap: Zendura costs $4 per sheet direct from the manufacturer. However, we've negotiated a discount exclusively for ClearCorrect providers. When you order material through us, you'll get 25% off.

Most doctors aren't ready for this industrial-strength material—for them, we still offer standard orthodontic plastic. However, if you're one of the elite few with serious pressure-forming equipment, and you'll settle for nothing less than the best, email or call your account rep to order Zendura. You'll be one of the first doctors in the world with the capability to create factory-quality aligners & retainers in your own office.