Effects of orthodontic treatment with aligners and fixed appliances on speech:

Abstract

Objectives To evaluate effects of orthodontic treatment with aligners and conventional fixed appliances on production of speech. Materials and Methods This was a parallel, randomized clinical trial. Patients with Angle Class I malocclusion, moderate crowding, and no speech impairment were randomly allocated to two groups: patients with orthodontic aligners (OAs; n = 20; mean age = 23.60 ± 5.65 years) and those with conventional fixed appliances (n = 20; mean age = 20.56 ± 4.51 years) and treated at the University of North Parana's clinic in Londrina, Brazil. Evaluation of speech production was performed semiobjectively by a speech therapist (myofunctional orofacial examination) and subjectively (self-assessment) at five time points: baseline, immediately after insertion of appliances, and subsequently at 3, 30, and 180 days after insertion. For intergroup comparison, independent t, χ2, Fisher exact, and Mann-Whitney tests were used; for intragroup comparison, the Friedman test was applied (α = 5%). Results In the semiobjective evaluation, patients with OAs exhibited a change in production of speech production, compared with patients with fixed appliances, immediately and 3 days after insertion of appliances (P < .001). Thirty days after insertion, the groups were similar (P = .487), an outcome that was unchanged at 180 days. However, in the self-assessments, patients in both groups reported significant speech difficulties immediately and 3 days after insertion of appliances, but such impairment was no longer perceived at 30 days or 180 days. Conclusions Although the speech therapist identified changes in speech production at the start of treatment in the OA group only, patient self-assessments demonstrated that orthodontic treatment, regardless of the type of appliance used, interfered with their perception of speech.

The Effect of Treatment With Clear Aligners Versus Fixed Appliances on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients With Severe Crowding: A One-Year Follow-Up Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

“…For the pronunciation difficulties, the results of this study indicated that the patients in the FA group suffered from problems more than those in the CA group during the first six months of treatment. These findings were different from the findings of Melo et al indicated that the orthodontic aligners caused more speech difficulties than the fixed appliances immediately and three days after insertion of the appliances with no significant differences after 30 days of treatment [ 33 ]. These differences could be attributed to the fact that the anchorage control with the labial fixed appliances was maintained using TPAs and Nance buttons in the current study, which could be the leading cause of speech distortions, especially in the initial stages of treatment [ 34 ].…”

Effectiveness and Efficiency of Orthodontic Treatment Using Fixed Appliances Versus Aligners: A Systematic Review

“…The ten included studies were conducted in six different countries: Two in Brazil [17,19], three in the USA [14, 15,18], one in Italy [12], Ireland [13], Melbourne [11], Jordan [16], and China [20].…”

“…Seven of the studies included patients without extractions in the search [12,13,[15][16][17][18][19] and three studies did not report the absence or presence of extraction [11,14,20].…”

Alinhadores Ortodônticos Removíveis Versus Aparelhos Ortodônticos Fixos: uma Revisão da Literatura

“…Já na autoavaliação, os pacientes relataram a percepção de modificação na fala com ambas as abordagens de tratamento. Isso enaltece a importância de o ortodontista alertar os pacientes a respeito de possíveis alterações na fala, deixando claro que são temporárias, independentemente da terapêutica empregada (9).…”