Occlusal outcome of orthodontic treatment: a systematic review with meta-analyses of randomized trials.

Background: Several appliances or treatment protocols are marketed to either patients or orthodontists as being associated with improved orthodontic outcomes. However, clinical decision-making should be based on robust scientific evidence and not marketing claims or anecdotal evidence.

Objective: To identify appliances/protocols being associated with improved outcomes of fixed appliance treatment.

Indicators of transparency and data sharing in scientific writing in published randomized controlled trials in orthodontic journals between 2019 and 2023: an empirical study.

Aim: To identify data sharing practices of authors of randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) in indexed orthodontic journals and explore associations between published reports and several publication characteristics.

Materials And Methods: RCTs from indexed orthodontic journals in major databases, namely PubMed® (Medline), Scopus®, EMBASE®, and Web of Science™, were included from January 2019 to December 2023. Data extraction was conducted for outcome and predictor variables such as data and statistical code sharing practices reported, protocol registration, funding sources, and other publication characteristics, including the year of publication, journal ranking, the origin of authorship, number of authors, design of the RCT, and outcome-related variables (e.

Microplastics and orthodontic aligners: The concerns arising from the modernization of practice through polymers and plastics.

Plastic aligners have transformed orthodontics, offering a discreet, comfortable, and aesthetically pleasing alternative to traditional fixed appliances. While they have advantages over fixed appliances, they come with environmental and health concerns due to the use of nonbiodegradable plastics, such as the leaching of Bisphenol-A (BPA) and microplastics that can impact human health directly through ingestion. Studies have shown that plastic aligners release microplastics during use, raising concerns about their potential health effects and environmental pollution.

Intraoral ageing of aligners and attachments: Adverse effects on clinical efficiency and release of biologically-active compounds.

The clinical application of aligners is accompanied by the ageing of the polymer appliances and the attachments used, which may result in inefficiency in reaching the predicted range of tooth movement, and release of compounds and microplastics in the oral cavity as a result of the friction, wear and attrition of the aligner and composite attachment. The purpose of this review is to present the mechanism and effects of ageing; describe the hydrolytic degradation of aligners and enzymatic degradation of composite attachments; examine the ageing pattern of aligners , under actual clinical scenarios; and identify a link to the discrepancy between predicted and actual clinical outcome. Lastly, strategies to deal with three potentially critical issues associated with the use of aligners, namely the necessity of weekly renewal, the dissimilar mechanical properties of aligner and attachment resulting in wear and plastic deformation of the aligner, and the development of integuments and biofilms with microbial colonization of the appliance, are discussed.

Salivary levels of eluents during Invisalign™ treatment with attachments: an in vivo investigation.

Background: The aim of the present study was to investigate qualitatively and quantitatively the elution of substances from polyester-urethane (Invisalign™) aligners and resin composite attachments (Tetric EvoFlow) in vivo.

Methods: Patients (n = 11) treated with the aligners and attachments (16 per patient, without other composite restorations) for an average of 20 months, who were planned for attachment removed were enrolled in the study. Patients were instructed to rinse with 50 mL of distilled water upon entry and the rinsing solution was collected (before removal).

The effect of freezing on the fracture pattern of adhesive on debonding: an study.

The purpose of this study was to quantitatively evaluate adhesive remnants on the enamel surface following bracket debonding using a freezing element. Thirty-six sound premolars were used in this study. In each case, a bracket was bonded onto each tooth with conventional light-cured composite resin and de-bonded after one week.

Long-term stability of curve of Spee depth among orthodontically treated patients: A retrospective longitudinal study.

Objective: The curve of Spee is deemed important characteristic of the dentition for a balanced occlusion and distribution of masticatory forces, while orthodontic levelling of an accentuated curve of Spee is generally included as a treatment goal for deepbite correction. However, relapse is often seen and can be problematic.

Methods: A retrospective longitudinal study of predominantly young patients with a deep curve of Spee, who had been treated orthodontically with 0.

Initial bacterial adherence and biofilm formation on novel restorative materials used in paediatric dentistry.

Objective: To evaluate the initial bacterial adherence and biofilm formation on novel restorative materials in paediatric dentistry and compare the results to stainless steel crown and primary enamel.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-five samples (Diameter = 4 mm) from five restorative materials (Tetric Power Fill light cured for 3 s or 10 s, Fuji II LC, Equia Forte HT Fil, Cention Forte, Stainless-steel crown) and primary enamel were prepared. Four samples served for recording of surface roughness (R) using a contact profilometer, 21 samples were incubated in stimulated human saliva for 2 h (initial bacterial adherence) and 72 h (biofilm formation) and served to determine ion releasing and bacterial growth.

Effect of printing orientation on mechanical properties of 3D-printed orthodontic aligners.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess differences in the fundamental mechanical properties of resin-made three-dimensional (3D) printed orthodontic aligners according to the printing orientation.

Methods: Twenty resin 3D-printed dumbbell-shaped specimens and 20 orthodontic aligners were fabricated and postcured in nitrogen. Half of the specimens and aligners were built in horizontal (H), the other half in vertical (V) directions.

Genetic and environmental impact on mandibular growth in mono- and dizygotic twins during adolescence: A retrospective cohort study.

Introduction: This study aimed to discover the genetic and environmental factors that contribute to the mandibular development of untreated monozygotic and dizygotic twins.

Material And Methods: The sample, taken from the Forsyth Moorrees Twin Study, included 52 untreated monozygotic twins (36 male, 16 female) and 46 untreated dizygotic twins (23 male, 23 female). At the ages of 12 and 17, lateral cephalograms were collected and traced to assess total mandibular length, mandibular ramus length, mandibular corpus length, gonial angle, SNB, and bony chin prominence.

Effect of heat treatment and nitrogen atmosphere during post-curing on mechanical properties of 3D-printed orthodontic aligners.

Objectives: Three-dimensional (3D)-printed aligners present a promising orthodontic treatment modality, whose clinical success largely depends on the material's mechanical properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mechanical properties of resin-made 3D-printed aligners and assess the effect of two different post-curing conditions.

Materials And Methods: Forty dumbbell-shaped specimens and 40 resin aligners were 3D-printed and divided into four equal groups according to post-curing conditions: presence or absence of oxygen during post-curing and water heat treatment at 85°C for 15 s or none.

Gender-specific treatment effects and outcomes reported in orthodontic research. A cross-sectional empirical study.

Aim: To identify practices of assessment of gender effects in research articles in orthodontics and detect whether there were significant differences in the treatment effects on outcomes according to gender.

Materials And Methods: Four major orthodontic journals were sought over a 3-year period to identify publications which included assessment of gender effects on outcomes in their reporting. Data were extracted on the following characteristics: journal, year of publication, region of authorship, and study design.

Degree of cure of orthodontic composite attachments underneath aligners.

The aim of this study was to assess the percentage degree of cure (DC%) of 2-mm-thick resin composite attachments used for aligner treatment. Three types of aligner - two thermoformed aligners (Clear Aligner [CLA], polyethylene terephthalate glycol modified; and Invisalign [INV], polyester urethane) and a three-dimensional-printed aligner (Graphy TC-85DAC [GRP], an acrylate-methacrylate copolymer) - were selected, along with two universal resin composites (3M Filtek Universal [FTU] and Charisma Topaz ONE [CTO]). Samples of each composite were placed under each aligner, and the degree of cure of each composite was evaluated on the top (facing the aligner) and the bottom (facing the substrate) attachment surfaces after curing.

From biomimetics to smart materials and 3D technology: Applications in orthodontic bonding, debonding, and appliance design or fabrication.

This review covers aspects of orthodontic materials, appliance fabrication and bonding, crossing scientific fields and presenting recent advances in science and technology. Its purpose is to familiarize the reader with developments on these issues, indicate possible future applications of such pioneering approaches, and report the current status in orthodontics. The first section of this review covers shape-memory polymer wires, several misconceptions arising from the recent introduction of novel three-dimensional (3D)-printed aligners (mistakenly termed shape-memory polymers only because they present a certain degree of rebound capacity, as most non-stiff alloys or polymers do), frictionless surfaces enabling resistance-less sliding, self-healing materials for effective handling of fractured plastic/ceramic brackets, self-cleaning materials to minimize microbial attachment or plaque build-up on orthodontic appliances, elastomers with reduced force relaxation and extended stretching capacity to address the problem of inadequate force application during wire-engagement in the bracket slot, biomimetic (non-etching mediated) adhesive attachment to surfaces based on the model of the gecko and the mussel, and command-debond adhesives as options for an atraumatic debonding.

Effects of intraoral aging on mechanical properties of directly printed aligners vs. thermoformed aligners: an in vivo prospective investigation.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the impact of intraoral aging on the mechanical properties of directly printed aligners (DPA) compared to thermoformed aligners (TA).

Materials And Methods: This prospective in vivo experiment included three types of aligners: DPAs (group DP) fabricated from Tera Harz TC-85 DAC resin (Graphy, Korea), TA (group INV) made from a polyurethane-based polymer (Align Technology, Inc., CA, USA), and TA (group DUR) made from polyethylene glycol terephthalate based polymer (Scheu-Dental, Germany).

Long-term stability after high-pull headgear combined with fixed appliances: A retrospective cohort study of growing class II patients.

Background: High-pull headgear with fixed appliances is a common therapeutic plan in class II growing individuals, especially in those with a tendency to hyperdivergence. The stability of this approach has not been adequately assessed in the long-term. The aim of this retrospective study was to assess that long-term stability by means of lateral cephalograms.

Covariance patterns between ramus morphology and the rest of the face: A geometric morphometric study.

Objective: The growth and development of the mandible strongly depend on modeling changes occurring at its ramus. Here, we investigated covariance patterns between the morphology of the ramus and the rest of the face.

Methods: Lateral cephalograms of 159 adults (55 males and 104 females) with no history of orthodontic treatment were collected.