Abstract
A randomised controlled trial (RCT) was performed in a single orthodontic practice. The aim was to compare the clinical effectiveness of Hawley and vacuum-formed retainers (VFR) over a 6-month period of retention. Three hundred and ninety-seven patients were treated by a specialist orthodontist and randomly allocated to wear either Hawley retainers (n=196) or VFR (n=201). A blinded examiner analysed the records of maxillary and mandibular dental casts at debond and at 6 months into retention, assessing tooth rotation mesial to the first permanent molar, intercanine and intermolar widths, and Little's Index of Irregularity. Three hundred and fifty-five individuals participated through to the conclusion of the trial, giving a completion rate of 89%. The results showed significantly greater changes in irregularity of the incisors in the Hawley group than in the VFR group at 6 months. VRF are more effective than Hawley retainers at holding the correction of the maxillary and mandibular labial segments.
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