Orthodontic finishing errors detected in board-approved cases: common types and prediction

To report and rank orthodontic finishing errors recorded in the clinical phase of the Brazilian Board of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics (BBO) examination and correlate pretreatment case complexity with orthodontic treatment outcomes.

This single-center cross-sectional survey collected retrospective data from the clinical phase of BBO examinations between 2016 and 2023. The quality of orthodontic clinical outcomes of each case was assessed by means of the Cast-Radiograph Evaluation (CRE), while case complexity was evaluated using the Discrepancy Index (DI), both tools provided by the American Board of Orthodontics. Survey items were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and a correlation analysis between total CRE and DI scores (p<0.05) was also performed.

A total of 447 orthodontic records was included. Orthodontic finishing errors were often observed, and no case was completely perfect. In the total CRE score, an average of 15 points was discounted for each case. Most frequently found issues involved problems with alignment, buccolingual inclination, marginal ridge, and occlusal relationship. The median DI score for initial case complexity was 22.0 (range 10.0 - 67.0). There was no significant correlation between the DI and CRE scores (p=0.106).

Orthodontic finishing errors are inevitable, even in well-finished board-approved cases. Rotation, excessive buccolingual inclination, and discrepancies in marginal ridges are the most frequently observed areas of concern, in that order. Moreover, while case complexity, determined by DI, can impact orthodontic planning and pose challenges for clinicians, the study did not consider it a determining factor in predicting treatment outcomes.