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Updated: Oct 21, 2025
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Author Spotlight: 3D Movement Assessment of Maxillary Posterior Teeth in Clear Aligner Treatment
Published on: February 23, 2024
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Upper arch dimensional changes with clear aligners in the early mixed dentition : A prospective study.
Roberta Lione1,2,3, Elisabetta Cretella Lombardo4, Valeria Paoloni3
1Department of Dentistry, UNSBC, Tirana, Albania.
Summary
The Invisalign First System® effectively expands the maxillary arch in growing children, with significant increases observed at the deciduous molar and canine levels. This clear aligner system shows promise for early orthodontic interventions in mixed dentition.
Area of Science:
- Orthodontics
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Dental Biomaterials
Background:
- Maxillary arch expansion is crucial for correcting malocclusions in mixed dentition.
- Predicting treatment outcomes, particularly transverse expansion with clear aligners, remains challenging.
- Standardization of Phase I orthodontic treatments requires clearer outcome predictability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of the Invisalign First System® for transverse maxillary arch development.
- To assess maxillary arch expansion in growing subjects using clear aligner therapy.
Main Methods:
- 23 growing subjects (mean age 9.4 years) were treated with Invisalign First System® clear aligners.
- Treatment was nonextraction, utilizing Invisalign® attachments without other auxiliaries.
- Transverse interdental widths of the upper arch were measured pre- and post-treatment.
Main Results:
- Significant maxillary width increases were observed at deciduous canine (+2.6 mm), second deciduous molar (+3.4 mm), and first deciduous molar (+3.7 mm) levels.
- Upper first molars showed greater mesial intermolar expansion (+3.2 mm) compared to distal intermolar (+1.7 mm) and transpalatal widths (+1.2 mm).
- All measured increases were statistically significant (P < 0.01).
Conclusions:
- The Invisalign First System® is effective for maxillary arch development in growing patients.
- The greatest arch expansion occurred at the level of the upper first deciduous molars.
- Observed expansion in upper first molars suggests rotation around the palatal root.
