Evaluating orthodontic bracket slot dimensions and morphology: A narrative review

Abstract

The current article aims to review the previous studies that measure the orthodontic bracket slot dimensions and geometry. Searches in different databases, including PubMed Central, Science Direct, Wiley Online Library, the Cochrane Library, Textbooks, Google Scholar, and Research Gate, in addition to a manual search, were performed about the methods of assessing orthodontic bracket slot dimension up to March 2023. The irrelevant and duplicate studies were eliminated, leaving 35 studies for this narrative review. The findings indicate that the slots are oversized with diverging walls in most studies. Manufacturers must respect the standards during manufacturing brackets and adhere to the actual dimensions and tolerance values.

A scanning electron microscopy investigation of the precision of three orthodontic bracket slot systems

“…The results indicate that the heights of all bracket slots were larger than the stated dimensions but still within the acceptable range specified by the company. This aligns with recent studies, which found that most bracket slot heights exceed the manufacturers’ specifications [ 42 – 44 ].…”