A comparison of treatment impacts between Invisalign aligner and fixed appliance therapy during the first week of treatment.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences in quality of life impacts between subjects treated with Invisalign aligners (Align Technology, Santa Clara, Calif) and those with fixed appliances during the first week of orthodontic treatment.

Methods: A prospective, longitudinal cohort study involving 60 adult orthodontic patients (33 with Invisalign aligners, 27 with fixed appliances) was completed by using a daily diary to measure treatment impacts including functional, psychosocial, and pain-related outcomes. A baseline survey was completed before the start of treatment; diary entries were made for 7 consecutive days to measure various impacts of the subjects' orthodontic treatment over time.