Progress in clinical application of clear aligner treatment

Abstract

Clear aligner treatment(CAT) is becoming a hotspot in orthodontic practice and investigation. This review discusses tooth movement, complications and present clinical applications of the treatment. According to existing researches, CAT performs better in intrusion, tipping and molar distalization, but has difficulties in extrusion, rotation and torque controlling. Simple malocclusion is the most common indications for CAT. However, complicated cases such as openbite, Class Ⅱ/Ⅲ malocclusion treated with aligners combining attachments and auxiliaries have been reported. Moreover, a similar external root resorption predisposition was identified using either aligners or fixed appliances, but periodontal health indexes were significantly improved in CAT. Key words: Clear aligner treatment; Clinical application; Orthodontic tooth movement; Complications