title: Comparative time efficiency of aligner therapy and conventional edgewise braces.
abstract: To compare the time efficiency of aligner therapy (ALT) and conventional edgewise braces (CEB) based on large samples of patients treated by the same highly experienced orthodontist, with the same treatment goals for both groups of patients.
  
  
  
  The retrospective portion of the study evaluated 150 CEB patients who were matched, based on mandibular crowding and number of rotated teeth, to 150 ALT patients. All records were obtained at one orthodontist's office. All of the patients had mild-to-moderate Class I malocclusions (≤5 mm incisor crowding) and were treated nonextraction. Age, gender, total treatment time, total number of appointments, types of appointments, materials used, mandibular crowding, and number of rotated teeth were recorded from the patients' records. The prospective portion of the study timed the various types of appointments for both treatments with a stopwatch.
  
  
  
  Compared to ALT, CEB required significantly (P<.01) more visits (approximately 4.0), a longer treatment duration (5.5 months), more emergency visits (1.0), greater emergency chair time (7.0 minutes), and greater total chair time (93.4 minutes). However, ALT showed significantly (P<.01) greater total material costs and required significantly more total doctor time than CEB (P<.01).
  
  
  
  Whether the greater time efficiency of ALT offsets the greater material costs and doctor time required depends on the experience of the orthodontist and the number of ALT case starts.
authors.affiliation: a  Regent's Professor and Director of Orthodontic Research, Department of Orthodontics, Baylor College of Dentistry, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Dallas, Tex.
authors.forename: Peter H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Buschang
authors.forename: Steven G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: Doug
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Crosby
authors.forename: Phillip M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Campbell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003764:Dental Materials / Q000191:economics; D004526:Efficiency; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008311:Malocclusion, Angle Class I / Q000628:therapy; D016382:Orthodontic Appliance Design; D016910:Orthodontic Brackets; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014087:Tooth Movement Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003764:Dental Materials
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