Efficiency and Predictability of Coronal Maxillary Expansion Repercussion with the Aligners System: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

The Invisalign® system (SmartForce® G8) aims to guarantee aesthetics and provide good orthodontic treatment results. Dentoalveolar expansion is possible with clear aligners and can be used to correct dentoalveolar crossbite, resolve crowding or modify the arch shape. Despite the treatment’s effectiveness, there is still disagreement among professionals concerning its true clinical potential. This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness and predictability of coronal tooth expansion movement in permanent dentition in patients who had completed the first phase of treatment with Invisalign® orthodontic aligners. Materials and Methods: The tooth movement tables of 75 previously selected cases were analyzed in terms of dental-arch width and expansion efficiency, through the Invisalign® platform, considering the pre-treatment (T0), planned treatment (TP) and post-treatment models (T1) using ClinCheck Pro® 6.0 software. All patients were treated by an orthodontic specialist and Invisalign® Diamond Provider in a private practice (T.P.). Results: Difference between T1 and T0: for each maxillary and mandibular measurement, there was a statistically significant difference between pre- and post-aligner treatment values. The greatest amount of expansion occurred in both the upper and the lower premolars. Difference between TP and T1: for each maxillary measurement, statistically significant differences were verified for the molar and canine. At the mandibular level, statistically significant differences were only verified in the first molar. Conclusions: The Invisalign® clear aligners are effective for simultaneous intra-arch expansion in both jaws.

Treatment Efficiency of Maxillary and Mandibular Orovestibular Tooth Expansion and Compression Movements with the Invisalign® System in Adolescents and Adults

“…This also accounts for a current study likewise dealing with expansion efficiency and propagating that torque compensation should be implemented in the planning to enhance torque control during arch expansion, which also applied finite element analysis and only objected the upper jaw [ 30 ]. Another very recent study evaluated aligner performance regarding the efficiency and predictability of expansion, here in a retrospective study like ours likewise comparing maxillary and mandibular pre-treatment, planned treatment and post-treatment models [ 31 ]. They found that the greatest expansion was found in both the upper and lower premolars, and that aligners are effective for simultaneous intraoral expansion in both jaws.…”