Efficacy of the mini tooth positioner in improving orthodontic finishes

The primary objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of the mini tooth positioner in improving the quality of orthodontic treatment outcomes, as measured by the American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) cast-radiograph evaluation (CRE).

Thirty patients were treated prospectively with a minipositioner for 4-6 weeks immediately after debond. Sixteen patients who had received a maxillary vacuum-formed retainer (VFR) and fixed mandibular canine-to-canine retainer at time of debond were enrolled retrospectively as control subjects. Models from time of debond (T1) were graded with the use of the ABO CRE and compared with models obtained 4-6 weeks after debond (T2) for each group.

For the minipositioner group, the overall CRE score improved significantly by an average of 6.77 points. Significant improvements were noted in the categories of alignment and rotations (-0.68), marginal ridges (-1.40), buccolingual inclination (-0.45), overjet (-0.97), and occlusal contacts (-3.00). For the control group, overall CRE score improved significantly by an average of 1.16 points. Only the categories of overjet (-0.38) and occlusal contacts (-1.22) showed significant improvements.

The minipositioner is an effective tool in improving the overall finish of orthodontic treatment. In the 4-6 weeks after debond evaluated in this study, the minipositioner significantly outperformed the maxillary VFR/mandibular fixed canine-to-canine retainer in improving final treatment outcomes.