title: Self-ligating vs conventional brackets as perceived by orthodontists.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if there are significant clinical differences between self-ligating brackets (SLB) and conventional brackets (CB) during orthodontic treatment, as perceived by orthodontists.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey was developed and distributed to evaluate how SLB compare to CB in terms of orthodontists' perceptions (n  =  430).
  
  
  RESULTS
  SLB were preferred during the initial stage of treatment based on the shorter adjustment appointments and faster initial treatment progress they provided (P < .0001). On the other hand, practitioners preferred CB during the finishing and detailing stages of treatment (P < .0001). CB were also preferred over SLB because they were cheaper and resulted in fewer emergency appointments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The orthodontists' preference was significantly influenced by (1) the proportion of patients treated with SLB (P < .0001), (2) the number of cases it took them to become accustomed to SLB (P < .0001), and (3) the average appointment intervals associated with SLB (P < .0001).
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, USA.
authors.forename: Chase
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Prettyman
authors.forename: Al M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Best
authors.forename: Steven J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lindauer
authors.forename: Eser
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tufekci
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016382:Orthodontic Appliance Design; D016910:Orthodontic Brackets; D009970:Orthodontics