Root resorption after orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances and clear aligners: a literature review

Abstract

The popularization of orthodontic aligners in recent decades is unquestionable. Characteristics such as favorable aesthetics, comfort and ease of cleaning justify this fact. The orthodontic literature related to this kind of device is also growing. Although several studies mainly involve its efficiency and employability in cases of the most diverse severities, special attention can be paid to the evaluation of an inevitable side effect of induced tooth movement: root resorption. To describe comparatively the root resorption in patients treated with fixed orthodontic appliances and clear aligners. Root resorption is present in patients treated with both devices, but with greater severity in those treated with the fixed ones. Most of the studies evaluated patients treated without extractions, or in groups in which extraction and non-extraction protocols were mixed. Comparability data is often missing. Root resorption seems to tend to be expressed more mildly in treatments with aligners, compared to those performed with fixed appliances. However, further studies specifically evaluating the intensity of root resorption in compatible groups regarding initial occlusal severity, amount of occlusal alteration and quality of completion should be performed.