Remote digital monitoring during the retention phase of orthodontic treatment: A prospective feasibility study

Abstract

Objective To evaluate if a remote digital monitoring system added at the end of orthodontic treatment could positively influence the retention phase by reducing the occurrence of misfit of removable appliances, number of emergency appointments (EA), and orthodontic relapse. Methods Twenty-seven patients who completed active orthodontic treatment were divided into the study and control groups. In addition to the standard chairside follow-up appointments at month 1 (T1), month 3 (T2), month 6 (T3), the study group patients were monitored using Dental Monitoring ® with monthly intra-oral scans. Occurrence of misfit of removable retainers, number of EAs, and intercanine width change were recorded for both groups. Differences in EAs and retainer fit were assessed using the chi-square test. Intra-group and inter-group differences in the intercanine width were assessed with Friedman test and Mann–Whitney U test, respectively (α = 0.05). Results The study group showed a significantly lower occurrence of misfit of removable retainers ( p = 0.027) compared to the control group. No significant inter- and intra-group difference was found in the EAs and intercanine width change at each time-point. Conclusions Integrating remote monitoring systems, such as Dental Monitoring ® , to the retention phase of the orthodontic treatment may lower the occurrence of misfit of removable retainers. However, a small sample size and a short observation period limit the strength of this evidence. These preliminary results tentatively suggest that remote monitoring technologies may be beneficial, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the regularity of in-office visits might be disrupted.

Artificial intelligence driven dental monitoring and surveillance of malocclusion treatment in orthodontic patients

“…Based on the five journals included in this review, the clinical application of DM can provide several advantages for its users, including facilitating dentists to monitor patients' tooth movements remotely and reducing the number of inoffice visits. In addition, the use of DM can also increase patient compliance in maintaining oral hygiene and using retainers [1,[3][4][5][6].…”

“…The success of orthodontic treatment does not only depend on proper diagnosis and treatment, but also on patient's compliance [1,2]. During orthodontic treatment, several studies have shown a rapid decline in the level of oral hygiene, which may lead to changes in composition of bacteria flora, leading to dental plaque accumulation.…”

“…However, studies showed patient's compliance tends to decrease, resulting in orthodontic relapse, with the prevalence ranging from 10-67%. Therefore, dentists need to regularly monitor the adherence of patients in using their removable retainer [1].…”

“…However, this interval is not necessarily ideal for every patient [4]. To overcome this limitation, Dental Monitoring® (DM, Dental Monitoring, Paris, France) is introduced as artificial intelligence (AI) driven remote monitoring, which analyzes tooth movement, oral hygiene, and the condition of orthodontic appliances [1,3,5].…”

“…Retention stability [1] The use of DM showed a significant reduction in the incidence of removable retainer misfit compared to the control group (p = 0.027) 5…”