Predictability of orthodontic movement with orthodontic aligners: a retrospective study

Area of Science:

• Orthodontics
• Dental Technology

Background:

• Evaluating the predictability of F22 aligners for tooth movement.
• Assessing accuracy against digital orthodontic setups.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the effectiveness of F22 aligners in achieving planned orthodontic tooth movements.
• To analyze the predictability of specific tooth movements like tipping and rotation.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of pre-treatment, ideal post-treatment, and real post-treatment dental models from 16 patients.
• Utilized VAM software to calculate prescribed versus actual tooth movements (rotation, mesiodistal tip, vestibulolingual tip).
• Segmented analysis by tooth type to identify movement accuracy variations.

Main Results:

• Overall predictability of F22 aligner movements was 73.6%.
• Mesiodistal tipping (82.5%) was more predictable than vestibulolingual tipping (72.9%) and rotation (66.8%).
• High predictability for mesiodistal tip in upper molars (93.4%) and lower premolars (96.7%); lowest predictability for lower canine rotation (54.2%).

Conclusions:

• Orthodontic aligners alone have limitations in achieving 100% planned movement predictability.
• Tipping movements, especially in molars and premolars, are generally predictable.
• Rotation of lower canines presents a significant challenge for aligner predictability without additional support.