Occlusal contact area changes with different retention protocols using T-Scan III: An observational study.

Area of Science:

• Orthodontics
• Dental Biomaterials
• Occlusion Analysis

Background:

• The retention phase is critical in orthodontics to prevent relapse after treatment.
• Clear aligner retainers like Essix are popular but may affect occlusal contacts.
• Occless Essix retainers were developed to potentially improve occlusal contact preservation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare occlusal changes over three months between Essix and Occless Essix retainers.
• To evaluate the impact of retainer design on anterior and posterior occlusal contacts and intensities.
• To utilize the T-scan III system for quantitative occlusal analysis.

Main Methods:

• An analytical observational study involving 30 orthodontic patients.
• Patients were divided into two groups: Essix retainer and Occless Essix retainer.
• Occlusal contacts and intensities were measured using the T-scan III system at baseline and three months post-debonding.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant differences were observed in occlusal contact intensity or number between the two retainer groups after three months.
• Minor non-significant trends showed slight increases in anterior contacts for Essix and posterior contacts for Occless Essix retainers.
• P-values for changes in contact intensity and number were not statistically significant (P=0.17 and P<0.05 respectively).

Conclusions:

• Both Essix and Occless Essix retainers demonstrated comparable outcomes in maintaining occlusal stability over a three-month period.
• Neither retainer type showed statistically significant adverse effects on occlusal contacts or force distribution.
• Further long-term studies may be warranted to assess the sustained efficacy of these orthodontic retainers.