ReviewCureus2025
Clinical Effectiveness of Clear Aligner Therapy During Interceptive Orthodontic Treatment in Adolescent Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Review in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Interceptive orthodontics plays a crucial role in guiding dental and facial development while addressing occlusal discrepancies at an early stage. Clear aligner therapy (CAT) has gained popularity as an alternative to conventional orthodontic techniques, particularly with the introduction of Invisalign First for treating patients in the mixed dentition phase. This systematic review, conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, assesses the effectiveness of CAT in adolescent interceptive orthodontics. A thorough literature search across PubMed, Embase, and Scopus led to the identification of eight relevant studies examining treatment outcomes such as arch expansion, anterior crossbite correction, and patient satisfaction. The search strategy employed keywords and MeSH terms such as "clear aligners", "interceptive orthodontics", "adolescents", "mixed dentition", "arch expansion", and "anterior crossbite", combined using Boolean operators like AND and OR to ensure comprehensive coverage. The findings suggest that CAT facilitates transverse arch expansion, delivers predictable clinical results, and promotes better patient adherence. Satisfaction levels among both patients and parents ranged between 85% and 92%, with clear aligners being preferred over traditional orthodontic appliances due to their enhanced comfort and aesthetic appeal. However, limitations such as small sample sizes and inconsistencies in study methodologies restrict the generalizability of these results. A meta-analysis indicated moderate success in arch expansion (3.0-3.5 mm), though significant heterogeneity was observed (I² ~99.9%). While clear aligners show considerable promise in early orthodontic intervention, further well-structured, large-scale studies are necessary to validate their effectiveness and optimize treatment protocols.
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.