Proficiency of Clear Aligner Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Area of Science:

• Orthodontics
• Dental Materials Science

Background:

• Clear aligner therapy (CAT) is increasingly popular for orthodontic correction.
• Assessing the efficacy and efficiency of CAT is crucial for clinical decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and meta-analyze the efficacy and efficiency of clear aligner therapy.
• To compare CAT outcomes with traditional orthodontic treatments.

Main Methods:

• Electronic searches of Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Google Scholar (1998-2021).
• Quality assessment using ROBINS and Cochrane risk of bias tools.
• Certainty of evidence evaluated with GRADE approach.

Main Results:

• Six studies with 166 participants were included.
• CAT demonstrated successful outcomes and improved efficiency (treatment time) in mild to moderate cases.
• Efficacy evidence was insufficient, but CAT offered a more stable treatment course than traditional brackets.

Conclusions:

• Clear aligner therapy is effective for orthodontic treatment, especially regarding efficiency.
• Further research is needed to establish definitive efficacy compared to conventional methods.
• CAT provides a stable treatment outcome, comparable or superior to traditional braces.