Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Jul 8;25(1):27.
doi: 10.1186/s40510-024-00525-3.

Clear aligner therapy practices among orthodontists practicing in Canada

Djessyca Miranda E Paulo  1 , Letícia Fernanda Moreira-Santos  2 , Maisa Costa Tavares  2 , Tony Weir  3 , Maurice J Meade  3 , Carlos Flores-Mir  4
Affiliations

Clear aligner therapy practices among orthodontists practicing in Canada

Djessyca Miranda E Paulo et al. Prog Orthod. .

Abstract

Background: The acceptability and preference for clear aligner therapy (CAT) has been increasing among orthodontists, but there is still a lack of consensus regarding CAT best practices. Consequently, this study aimed to investigate CAT practices among orthodontists practicing in Canada.

Methods: The survey was conducted among orthodontists practicing in Canada using a modified previously published survey. Sixty orthodontists participated (6.1% response rate). It consisted of 11 sections with open and closed questions related to demographic information and particularities about using or not using CAT. The survey responses were exported from REDCap to a Microsoft Excel (Microsoft, Redmond, Wash) spreadsheet, then statistically analyzed using SPSS software (SPSS for Windows, version 21.0; IBM Inc., Armonk, NY, USA). The comments were categorized under themes and subthemes. Data were organized in descriptive statistics, expressing frequencies and percentages.

Results: Almost 30% of the orthodontist's annual caseload was treated with CAT, most frequently prescribed to adult patients. Case complexity and patient cooperation were the factors that most influenced the decision to prescribe CAT. Almost half of orthodontists reported sometimes combining CAT with adjunctive fixed appliances.

Conclusions: Most orthodontists prescribe CAT, and its use is based on the malocclusion's complexity. Orthodontists who do not prescribe CAT believe that fixed appliance therapy has superior treatment outcomes.

Keywords: Clear Aligner Appliances; Dental Health surveys; Orthodontics.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

References

    1. Abu-Arqub S, Ahmida A, Godoy LC, Kuo CL, Upadhyay M, Yadav S. Insight into clear aligner therapy protocols and preferences among members of the American Association of Orthodontists in the United States and Canada. Angle Orthod. 2023;93(4):417–26. doi: 10.2319/101022-694.1. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kaklamanos EG, Makrygiannakis MA, Athanasiou AE. Oral health-related quality of life throughout treatment with Clear aligners in comparison to conventional metal fixed Orthodontic Appliances: a systematic review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;20(4):3537. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20043537. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Weir T. Clear aligners in orthodontic treatment. Aust Dent J. 2017;1:58–62. doi: 10.1111/adj.12480. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Yassir YA, Nabbat SA, McIntyre GT, Bearn DR. Clinical effectiveness of clear aligner treatment compared to fixed appliance treatment: an overview of systematic reviews. Clin Oral Investig. 2022;26:2353–70. doi: 10.1007/s00784-021-04361-1. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Upadhyay M, Abu-Arqub S. Biomechanics of clear aligners: hidden truths & first principles. J World Fed Orthod. 2022;11(1):12–21. doi: 10.1016/j.ejwf.2021.11.002. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources