Effect of different attachment geometries on the mechanical load exerted by PET‑G aligners during derotation of mandibular canines

Effect of different attachment geometries on the mechanical load exerted by PET‑G aligners during derotation of mandibular canines:

Abstract

Aim

Derotation of rounded teeth has proved difficult for aligners to achieve. In this study, we investigated the effect of aligner attachment geometry on the three-dimensional (3D) force and moment (F/M) values exerted during derotation of a mandibular canine.

Materials and methods

The experiment setup comprised an acrylic mandibular arch model with a separated right canine (tooth 43) mounted on a hexapod via a 3D F/M sensor. Polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PET‑G) aligners with thicknesses of 0.5, 0.625, and 0.75 mm were tested in combination with quarter-sphere, vertical-ellipsoid, and pyramidal attachments bonded to tooth 43. The experimentally measured movement consisted of mesio- and distorotation of tooth 43 in 1° steps up to ±15° in each direction.

Results

Compared with no attachment, vertical-ellipsoid and quarter-sphere attachments increased the rotational moment by a median factor of 1.5–12.3. Moment increases for pyramidal attachments were significantly smaller (Mann–Whitney U‑test, p < 0.05). Quarter-sphere attachments inhibited the intrusive forces up to 6.07° distorotation, whereas the intrusion prevention range for most aligner attachment combinations was significantly smaller (2.95° for vertical-ellipsoid and 2.88° for pyramidal attachments; Mann–Whitney U‑test, p < 0.05). None of the attachment geometries could completely prevent intrusive forces during mesiorotation.

Conclusion

The quarter-sphere geometry had the best overall mechanical properties because it induced relatively high rotational moment increases and counteracted unwanted intrusive forces most effectively of all three geometries. The determined maximum attachment dislodgement and intrusion prevention angles of approximately 6° provide a guide to determining setup increments for mandibular canine derotation.