title: A comparison of traditional and computer-aided bracket placement methods.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test the hypothesis that there is no difference in the accuracy of bracket placement produced by OrthoCAD iQ indirect bonding (IDB) and that of an in-house fabricated IDB system by measuring the quality of intra-arch dental alignment at the end of simulated orthodontic treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight artificial teeth were arranged to resemble a typical preorthodontic malocclusion. Forty-six sets of models were duplicated from the original malocclusion and randomly divided into two sample groups. Half of the models had their bracket positions selected by OrthoCAD, while the others were completed by a combination of faculty and residents in a university orthodontic department. Indirect bonding trays were fabricated for each sample and the brackets were transferred back to the original malocclusion following typical bonding protocol. The individual teeth were ligated on a .021 × .025-inch stainless steel archwire to simulate their posttreatment positions. The two sample groups were compared using the objective grading system (OGS) originally designed by the American Board of Orthodontics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean total OGS score for the OrthoCAD sample group was 39.25 points, while the traditional IDB technique scored 41.00 points. No statistical difference was found between total scores or any of the four components evaluated. Similar ranges of scores were observed, with the OrthoCAD group scoring from 30 to 52 points and the traditional IDB group scoring from 33 to 53 points.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The hypothesis is not accepted. OrthoCAD iQ does not currently offer a system that can position orthodontic brackets better or more reliably than traditional indirect bonding techniques.
authors.affiliation: Private practice, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Israel
authors.forename: Budi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kusnoto
authors.forename: Carla A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Begole
mesh_terms: D001641:Bicuspid / Q000473:pathology; D017076:Computer-Aided Design / Q000592:standards; D003481:Cuspid / Q000473:pathology; D003722:Dental Alloys / Q000737:chemistry; D001840:Dental Bonding / Q000295:instrumentation; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor / Q000473:pathology; D003765:Models, Dental; D008963:Molar / Q000473:pathology; D016910:Orthodontic Brackets; D009969:Orthodontic Wires; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013193:Stainless Steel / Q000737:chemistry; D014087:Tooth Movement Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation
chemical_list: D003722:Dental Alloys; D013193:Stainless Steel