title: Microelectronic wear-time documentation of removable orthodontic devices detects heterogeneous wear behavior and individualizes treatment planning.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to investigate whether microelectronic wear-time documentation can contribute to individualized orthodontic management.
  
  
  METHODS
  The wear times and behaviors of 281 patients undergoing orthodontic treatment with removable appliances were quantified and analyzed using the TheraMon microelectronic system (Sales Agency Gschladt, Hargelsberg, Austria) over a 6-month treatment period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 281 study participants wore their removable appliances for a median of 9.0 hours per day, compared with the 12 to 15 hours per day prescribed. Wear behavior was variable and heterogeneous in patients with almost identical median wear times, with fluctuating and numerous zero wear-time periods observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both the duration of daily wear time and the wear behavior need to be considered to individualize the prescription for wear time; this is made possible with microelectronic wear-time documentation. Individual prescription changes based on the wear-time documentation can be arranged with patients in a shared decision-making process to achieve effective and successful treatment progress.
authors.affiliation: Associate professor, Department of Orthodontics and Orofacial Orthopedics, University Hospital of Dentistry, Oral Medicine, and Maxillofacial Surgery, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany. Electronic address: timm.schott@med.uni-tuebingen.de.
authors.forename: Timm Cornelius
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Schott
authors.affiliation: Private practice, Traben-Trarbach, Germany; instructor, Department of Orthodontics, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ludwig
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004282:Documentation / Q000379:methods*; D055615:Electrical Equipment and Supplies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008904:Miniaturization; D018670:Monitoring, Ambulatory / Q000295:instrumentation; D017289:Orthodontic Appliances, Functional; D009968:Orthodontic Appliances, Removable; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012984:Software; D013997:Time Factors