ArticleProgress in orthodontics2019
Thickness of orthodontic clear aligners after thermoforming and after 10 days of intraoral exposure: a prospective clinical study.
Article in Progress in orthodontics, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 65 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Morphological Changes of Removable Orthodontic Retainers During the Use, a Prospective Study
Analysis of Changes in Electromyographic Activity in Aligner Treatment of Adult Patients With and Without Nocturnal Bruxism: Single-centre Interventional Case-control With Device
Who cites it
65 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 102 citations in OpenAlex.
- Ageing effects on chemical, physical, mechanical, and morphological properties of clear aligners - a systematic review.Progress in orthodontics · 2026Pooled it
- Alterations in condylar position and bite force distribution following clear aligner use: a single-arm clinical trial.Clinical oral investigations · 2026Trial
- The effectiveness of orthodontic treatment with clear aligners in different thicknesses.Scientific reports · 2025Trial
- Does Thermoforming Setup Affect Thickness in Thermoplastic Orthodontic Appliances? A Comparison of Single vs. Dual-Model Fabrication.Polymers · 2026Article
- Longitudinal analysis of bite force and strength of orofacial tissues during orthodontic aligner treatment.Journal of orofacial orthopedics = Fortschritte der Kieferorthopadie : Organ/official journal Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Kieferorthopadie · 2026Article
- Micro-computed tomography evaluation of aligner fitting on anchorage attachments.Korean journal of orthodontics · 2026Article
- Automated micro-CT quantification of clear aligner fit: a pilot comparison of manufacturing processes.BMC oral health · 2026Article
- Thickness-dependent biomechanical accuracy of additively manufactured and thermoformed orthodontic aligners: an in vitro comparative study.BMC oral health · 2026Article
- Patient satisfaction with at-home dental bleaching using Vivera or Essix retainers: a randomised clinical trial.BMC oral health · 2026Article
- Influence of thermoforming techniques on thickness distribution of in-office aligners: a micro-computed tomography analysis.The Angle orthodontist · 2026Article
- Dimensional behaviors of direct-printed versus thermoformed clear retainers in relation to changes of inter-piece occlusal contact distribution measured by T-scan after intraoral aging: a prospective clinical study.Progress in orthodontics · 2026Article
- 3D volumetric changes and force delivery at the attachment region of different aligner materials.Clinical oral investigations · 2026Article
- A standardized protocol for clear aligner thickness measurement using a 3D-printed auxiliary device.The Angle orthodontist · 2026Article
- Effect of 3D-printed model base height on thickness distribution of thermoformed zendura FLX dual-layer clear aligners: anFrontiers in dental medicine · 2026Article
- Thickness distribution and site-specific variability of thermoformed multilayer clear aligners: anFrontiers in dental medicine · 2026Article
- Measurement of Aligner Thickness and Gap Width in Two Types of Clear Aligner Sheets Manufactured Using Two Different Thermoforming Machines - A Nano-CT Pilot Study.Turkish journal of orthodontics · 2025Article
- Impact of removal frequency on site-specific force profile and dimensional stability of clear aligners in relation to dental crowding.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Micro- and Nanoplastics and the Oral Cavity: Implications for Oral and Systemic Health, Dental Practice, and the Environment-A Narrative Review.Journal of functional biomaterials · 2025Review
- Evaluation of Compatibility of Different Attachment Types Used in Orthodontic Clear Aligners with Electron Microscopy.Dentistry journal · 2025Article
- Time-dependent microbiome dynamics in orthodontic thermoplastic materials: comparing PETG and TPU.Clinical oral investigations · 2025Article
5 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundClear aligners (CA) are among the most chosen orthodontic therapies for patients who require an invisible treatment. Previous studies showed that the thermoforming process and the complexity of the intraoral environment might alter the properties of these devices. The aim of the current prospective clinical study was to assess the thickness changes of the CA after 10 days of intraoral use. The secondary aim was to assess the reproducibility of the thermoforming process, in terms of aligner thickness. MATERIALS AND
methodsCA from 18 consecutive patients (13 women, 5 men, mean age 28.8 ± 9.6 years) were investigated. Before intraoral exposure (T0), the thickness of the unused CA was measured at different occlusal points on a 3D model with a dedicated software (Geomagic Qualify 2013; 3D Systems, Rock Hill, SC, USA). Two CA configurations were studied: passive maxillary aligner (P-no tooth movement; no shape for attachments) and active maxillary aligner (A-tooth movement; shape for attachments and divot). The used aligners were returned after 10 days (T1) and the thickness measurements were repeated. A Student's t test for paired data (T1 vs. T0) was applied to compare the thicknesses of used and unused devices (significance level after Bonferroni correction for multiple comparison was set at p < 0.0014). Furthermore, to study the reproducibility of the thermoforming process, P and A aligners were thermoformed twice, and the thicknesses of the two unused thermoformed devices were compared by means of Student's t test for paired data (significance level after Bonferroni correction for multiple comparison was set at p < 0.0014) and Dahlberg's error.
resultsThe thermoforming process showed good reproducibility for both aligner configurations, with a maximum Dahlberg's error of 0.13 mm. After intraoral use, the thickness of P showed some statistically significant, but not clinically relevant, thickness changes as compared to the unused aligners, while A did not show any significant changes.
conclusionConsidering the thickness changes, the thermoforming process is reliable both with active and passive aligner configurations. Also, the CA examined show good thickness stability after physiological intraoral ageing in a population of healthy adults.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.