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Author Spotlight: 3D Movement Assessment of Maxillary Posterior Teeth in Clear Aligner Treatment
Published on: February 23, 2024
Positional changes of maxillary central incisors following orthodontic treatment using single-crown implants as fixed
E B Brahem1,2, B Holm1, L Sonnesen2
1Oral Rehabilitation, Department of Odontology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Objectives:
This follow-up study (1) compares tooth displacement of central incisors in patients with and without pre-implant orthodontic treatment and (2) investigates whether sex, age, or orthodontic retention have an effect on tooth displacement after the insertion of single-crown implants.
Materials And Methods:
Fifty-seven patients - thirty-seven with (test group) and twenty without pre-implant orthodontic treatment (control group) - were rehabilitated with 89 single-crown implants in the upper maxilla. Clinical and radiographic data, clinical photographs, and dental casts were collected during baseline examinations after prosthetic rehabilitation and at the final follow-up examination at least 5 years later. A total of 114 dental casts were digitalized and aligned using a software program to measure changes in the positions of the central incisors.
Results:
After a follow-up period of at least five years, 87% of the central incisors measured in the test group were displaced >0.25 mm vertically compared with 70% in the control group. Seventy-eight percent of the test group teeth had moved >0.25 mm horizontally compared with 55% in the control group. These differences were not significant, and there were no significant correlations with patient age or sex.
Conclusion:
The majority of patients had minor vertical (60%) or horizontal (67%) tooth displacement of the central incisors (0.25-0.75 mm) after a minimum follow-up period of 5 years. This study found no significant differences in tooth displacement comparing patients with and without pre-implant orthodontic treatment. No significant effect of sex, age, orthodontic retention, or implant location was observed on tooth displacement.
