A Comparison of Different Biomechanical Systems for the Orthodontic Treatment of Palatally Impacted Canines

Canine impaction constitutes a clinical entity that, if untreated, can compromise dentition. Thus, various treatment approaches and different biomechanical systems have been proposed over the years for its management. Clinical records of patients who consecutively visited the Postgraduate Clinic of the Department of Orthodontics of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, were retrieved and analyzed retrospectively with the aim to compare two different biomechanical systems for the orthodontic/surgical treatment of palatally displaced canines. A total of 29 patients with 36 palatally impacted canines were included in the current investigation. The patients had a median age of 16 years (IQR: 15-20); 69% of them were females (n = 20) and 31% were male (n = 9). No statistically significant differences regarding treatment outcomes were detected between different types of active unit (p > 0.99), or the types of bonded attachments (p = 0.52). The use of ballista springs or cantilever configurations was not found to significantly affect the alignment duration (p = 0.56) as opposed to the type of attachment, where eyelets outmatch brackets (p = 0.009). The use of brackets over eyelets significantly prolongs the canine alignment duration.