Question · asked by 1 review
Clear aligners (Invisalign / thermoformed aligners) vs Conventional orthodontic appliance treatment: White spot lesion incidence
- Population
- Orthodontic patients undergoing comprehensive treatment (late mixed or permanent dentition, no active caries)
- Intervention
- Clear aligners (Invisalign / thermoformed aligners)
- Comparison
- Conventional orthodontic appliance treatment
- Outcome
- White spot lesion incidence
Most studies reported a lower incidence of white spot lesions with clear aligners than fixed appliances, but heterogeneous assessment methods precluded meta-analysis (ungraded).
What each review found
Current versions only| Finding | Effect | Studies | GRADE certainty |
|---|---|---|---|
Clear aligners (CA) vs Conventional fixed orthodontic appliances (CF) Incidence of white spot lesions (WSLs) · Orthodontic patients undergoing comprehensive treatment (late mixed or permanent dentition, no active caries) · End of orthodontic treatment (varying), University/hospital orthodontic clinics and private practice (multiple countries) Most studies reported a lower incidence of white spot lesions with clear aligners than fixed appliances, but heterogeneous assessment methods precluded meta-analysis (ungraded). White spot lesions, plaque accumulation and salivary caries-associated bacteria in clear aligners compared… (2023) All outcomes | Not meta-analyzed (heterogeneous methods; tooth-based vs patient-based incidence). 4 studies assessed WSL incidence; 3 (Albhaisi 2020 [12]; Buschang 2019 [29]; Dallel 2020 [30]) reported a lower risk of developing WSLs… | 4 studies | GRADE not reported |
Findings are shown side by side, never pooled across reviews.
The reviews
| Review | Searched up to | Included studies | AMSTAR 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White spot lesions, plaque accumulation and salivary caries-associated bacteria in clear aligners compared to fixed orthodontic treatment.… 2023 All outcomes | May 2023 (searched January 2022 to May 2023; literature 1990-May 2023) | 14 | Critically Low / Low |
How reviews are matched to this question
Reviews word the same question differently. Four decision models (TypeSafe's Jev, Liquid AI's d1-ultra, SubQ Snap and Baseten's Elephant) judged each wording of the population, intervention, comparator and outcome against the others; two wordings count as the same when at least three of them agree and none clearly disagrees, and findings count as this question only when all four elements match. Timing, setting and subgroup never split a question: they are shown on each finding.