Effect of bracket type and wire dimension on orthodontic alignment: An analysis using 3D imaging

Many different brackets and archwires exist to align the teeth in orthodontics. We hypothesized that alignment efficiency is affected by wire dimension, bracket type and jaw. Accordingly, two clinical trials were conducted to compare: 1) customized to non-customized brackets; and 2) conventional brackets to self-ligating brackets in a customized system. Subjects were randomized to either .014” or .016” archwires. Intraoral scans were obtained at 3 time points and 3-way ANOVA was performed. In .016” wires, the mean reduction in malalignment in the customized group (mean=3.2mm, SD=1.9mm) was greater than that of the non-customized group (mean=2.2mm, SD=1.4mm) from 0-6 weeks (p=0.025). Conventional brackets were more efficient than self-ligating brackets from 6-12 weeks (p=.014). However, there were no significant differences in overall alleviation of malalignment based on bracket type, wire dimension, or jaw (p>.05). This suggests the increased cost of customized and self-ligating brackets may not be justified by increased alignment efficiency.