A comparison between indirect and objective wear-time assessment of removable orthodontic appliances.

Background/objectives: Patients do not always adhere to the wear times prescribed for removable orthodontic appliances. We evaluated the validity and usability of indirect wear-time assessment methods by comparing wear-time estimates with microelectronically measured wear times in patients with removable orthodontic appliances.

Methods: Wear times of 33 expansion plates, 34 functional appliances, and 42 retention plates of patients aged 6-20 years (12.