ReviewInternational journal of dentistry2026
The Environmental Burden and Sustainability Challenges of Clear Aligners: Implications for Public Health, Practice, Policy, and Future Research-A Scoping Review.
Review in International journal of dentistry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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.
- The Environmental Burden and Sustainability Challenges of Clear Aligners: Implications for Public Health, Practice, Policy, and Future Research-A Scoping Review.International journal of dentistry · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Malocclusion is a major global oral health concern and has driven the rapid adoption of clear aligner therapy (CAT) as an esthetic and removable alternative to conventional fixed appliances. However, the widespread use of CAT has raised important concerns regarding its environmental footprint and potential public health implications, including waste generation, chemical leaching, and the release of microplastics. This scoping review aimed to systematically synthesize the available evidence on the environmental and public health implications of CAT and identify key areas in practice, research, and policy to advance toward sustainable oral healthcare services in alignment with the World Health Organization's Global Oral Health Action Plan 2023-2030. Methods: This scoping review was conducted in accordance with Arksey and O'Malley's framework and reported in line with PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Eligible sources were identified through a search across four databases, namely, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase, to identify literature addressing environmental or public health aspects of clear aligners, published in English, either in print or online ahead of print, between January 2005 and December 2025. Data charting was conducted, followed by qualitative analysis using ATLAS.ti to identify the key themes emerging from included sources relating to the research question. Results: A total of 61 sources were included. The major themes which emerged from this scoping review included material toxicity and chemical exposure, microplastic and nanoplastic release, environmental burden of CAT, technological transitions in the form of 3D/4D aligners, strategies toward sustainability and governance, regulation, and research gaps. Conclusions: CAT must be recognized not only as an orthodontic innovation but also as an emerging public health and sustainability challenge, highlighting the need for stronger evidence, safer materials, improved waste management, and clearer regulations to align future orthodontic care with Sustainable Development Goals 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and 13 (Climate Action).
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.