Hawley retainers full- or part-time? A randomized clinical trial

Area of Science:

• Orthodontics
• Dental Biomaterials
• Clinical Dentistry

Background:

• Orthodontic treatment aims to correct malocclusions.
• Retention is crucial to maintain achieved results after orthodontic treatment.
• Hawley retainers are commonly used for post-orthodontic retention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of two Hawley retainer wear regimens.
• To determine if night-only wear is as effective as a mixed full-time and night-only schedule.
• To evaluate long-term stability of orthodontic outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Randomized controlled trial with 67 patients undergoing orthodontic debond.
• Group 1: Night-only Hawley retainer wear for 1 year.
• Group 2: Full-time wear for 6 months, then night-only for 6 months.
• Dental models analyzed for labial segment irregularity and crowding using Little's index.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant differences were found between the two groups at 1-year post-debond.
• Both retention regimens demonstrated comparable effectiveness in maintaining labial segment alignment.
• P-values for irregularity and crowding were greater than 0.05.

Conclusions:

• Night-only wear of Hawley retainers for 1 year is clinically acceptable and as effective as a 6-month full-time followed by night-only regimen.
• Simplified retention protocols may be feasible for orthodontic patients.
• This study supports less demanding retainer wear schedules without compromising stability.