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Arch expansion with the Invisalign system: Efficacy and predictability.
Ignacio Morales-Burruezo1, José-Luis Gandía-Franco2, Juan Cobo3
1Orthodontics Teaching Unit, Department of Stomatology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
Plos One
|December 10, 2020
Summary
The updated Invisalign SmartTrack system effectively expands arches, though planned expansion often exceeds actual results. Overcorrection during virtual planning is recommended for optimal outcomes in orthodontic treatment.
Area of Science:
- Orthodontics
- Dental Materials Science
Background:
- Skeletal crossbite in adults necessitates combined surgical and orthodontic treatment.
- Dentoalveolar crossbite can be treated with fixed or removable appliances, including clear aligners.
- Previous studies on Invisalign predictability used older appliances; this study evaluates the updated SmartTrack system.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the predictability of arch expansion using the Invisalign SmartTrack system.
- To compare planned expansion measurements with actual outcomes in patients with transverse malocclusion.
Main Methods:
- 114 patients with transverse malocclusion were treated with SmartTrack aligners.
- Clincheck software predictions were compared to actual measurements of canine, premolar, and molar widths, rotations, and inclinations.
- Three data sets were analyzed: initial (T1), predicted (T2), and post-treatment (T3).
Main Results:
- Significant arch width increases were observed across all measured teeth.
- Planned expansion consistently overestimated actual expansion, particularly for canines and premolars.
- The system's predictions were significantly higher than actual outcomes, except for the second molar.
Conclusions:
- Clear aligners, including SmartTrack, are effective for arch expansion, with greater efficacy in the premolar region.
- The predictability of expansion movement is reasonable, but overcorrection in virtual planning is advised.
- Clincheck software predictions require adjustment for optimal treatment outcomes.
