White spot lesions, plaque accumulation and salivary caries-associated bacteria in clear aligners compared to fixed orthodontic treatment. A systematic review and meta- analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To analyse the available evidence regarding the incidence and severity of white spot lesions (WSLs), plaque accumulation and salivary caries-associated bacteria(SCB) in clear aligners (CA) verses conventional fixed (CF) orthodontic appliances.

Methods

Electronic searches of MEDLINE, Scopus, Embase, Google Scholar, Clinical trial registry, OpenGrey and ProQuest were done for all relevant studies. Eligibility criteria were; Randomized Controlled Trials and Non-Randomized Studies that compared the incidence and severity of WSLs, plaque accumulation and SCB between CA and CF appliances in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment. The risk of bias(ROB) and certainty of evidence was assessed independently by two reviewers using Cochrane's ROB and GRADEpro, respectively.

SUBMITTER: Raghavan S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10463770 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature