Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate whether base height of 3D-printed dental models has an impact on local thickness values from polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PET-G) aligners. A total of 20 aligners were thermoformed on dental models from the upper jaw exhibiting either a 5 mm high (H) or narrow (N), i.e., 0 mm, base height. The aligners were digitized using micro-CT, segmented, and local thickness values were computed utilizing a 3D-distance transform. The mean thickness values and standard deviations were assessed for both groups, and local thickness values at pre-defined reference points were also recorded. The statistical analysis was performed using R. Aligners in group H were significantly thinner and more homogenous compared to group N (p < 0.001). Significant differences in thickness values were observed among tooth types between both groups. Whereas thickness values were comparable at cusp tips and occlusal/incisal/cervical measurement locations, facial and palatal surfaces were significantly thicker in group N compared to group H (p < 0.01). Within the limits of the study, the base height of 3D-printed models impacts on local thickness values of thermoformed aligners. The clinician should consider potential implication on exerted forces at the different tooth types, and at facial as well as palatal surfaces.
Highlights
Aligners, thermoformed from elastic polymers, gained widespread application in recent years [1,2] due to ease of use, patient comfort, aesthetics, ease of oral hygiene and a reduced risk for white spot lesions [3,4,5].Despite their broad application, predictability of aligner treatment outcomes is still controversially discussed [6,7,8]
Previous research revealed that predictability and accuracy of aligner treatments can be as low as 30–50% when compared with the initial setup [14,15,16,17,29]
Besides patient related factors, varying material thickness of aligners has been suspected to impact on predictability of aligner treatments [18]
Summary
Aligners, thermoformed from elastic polymers, gained widespread application in recent years [1,2] due to ease of use, patient comfort, aesthetics, ease of oral hygiene and a reduced risk for white spot lesions [3,4,5]. Despite their broad application, predictability of aligner treatment outcomes is still controversially discussed [6,7,8]. Improving biomechanical understanding of exerted forces and moments is of crucial importance to enhance safety and predictability of aligner treatments
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