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Clear Aligners With Two Different Change Schedules vs Traditional Braces for People With Crowded Lower Front Teeth
Sponsor: Ain Shams University
Summary
The goal of this clinical trial was to compare two clear aligner treatment plans with traditional braces for treating crowded lower front teeth in adults. Clear aligners were removable plastic trays. Traditional braces were metal brackets and wires. The main questions the study aimed to answer were: How fast did the teeth move? How long did treatment take? How much pain did participants feel? Researchers studied 21 adults aged 18 to 40 years. The adults had mild to moderate crowding of the lower front teeth. They did not have teeth removed for treatment. Researchers assigned participants by chance to one of three groups: Aligner I: clear aligners that moved teeth 0.25 mm per step. Aligner II: clear aligners that moved teeth 0.35 mm per step. Control: traditional braces. Participants: Wore clear aligners for 22 hours a day and changed to a new aligner every 2 weeks, or wore traditional braces that were adjusted every month. Visited the clinic for checkups, tooth scans, and pain checks. Were treated for up to 20 weeks. Researchers measured crowding with a score that showed how crooked the lower front teeth were. They recorded how many weeks treatment took. They asked participants to rate pain on a 0 to 10 scale. A score of 0 meant no pain. A score of 10 meant the worst pain. Researchers found that all three treatments straightened the teeth. Traditional braces worked fastest. The typical participant in the braces group finished in 10 weeks. The typical participant in Aligner II finished in 12 weeks. The typical participant in Aligner I finished in 16 weeks. Pain changed over time in all groups. Clear aligners were not always more comfortable than braces. At weeks 8 and 10, both aligner groups reported more pain than the braces group.
Official title: Comparison Between Two Clear Aligner Activation Increments and Conventional Orthodontic Fixed Appliance in Treatment of Lower Incisors Crowding: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - 40 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
21
Start Date
2022-10-12
Completion Date
2024-05-20
Last Updated
2026-09-17
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
Clear aligner, 0.25 mm per step
Participants in this group received custom removable clear aligners designed to produce 0.25 mm of planar translation per step. Aligners were fabricated from intraoral scans using 0.8 mm Erkodur-AL material. Extrusive and intrusive movements were set at 0.15 mm per step. Rotational, tipping, and torquing movements were set at 1 degree per step. Composite attachments were placed as needed for tooth movement. Participants wore the aligners for 22 hours per day and changed to a new aligner every 2 weeks. Interproximal reduction was performed as prescribed.
Clear aligner, 0.35 mm per step
Participants in this group received custom removable clear aligners designed to produce 0.35 mm of planar translation per step. Aligners were fabricated from intraoral scans using 0.8 mm Erkodur-AL material. Extrusive and intrusive movements were set at 0.15 mm per step. Rotational, tipping, and torquing movements were set at 1 degree per step. Composite attachments were placed as needed for tooth movement. Participants wore the aligners for 22 hours per day and changed to a new aligner every 2 weeks. Interproximal reduction was performed as prescribed.
Conventional fixed orthodontic appliance
Participants in this group received conventional fixed orthodontic appliances. Stainless steel brackets with a Roth prescription and 0.018-inch slot size, along with bondable molar tubes, were bonded using Transbond XT composite. Leveling and aligning were performed using a standardized progressive sequence of nickel-titanium archwires, advancing to rectangular stainless-steel wires. Archwires were changed every 4 weeks based on clinical response. Participants were seen monthly for checkups.
Locations (1)
Faculty of Dentistry, Ain Shams University, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
Cairo, Egypt