Degree
Master of Clinical Dentistry
Program
Orthodontics
Supervisor
Tassi, Ali
Abstract
Introduction: Patients undergoing orthodontic clear aligner therapy (CAT) may experience discomfort in their teeth and jaws, and often present with visible wear on their aligners. This multi-site prospective clinical study aimed to analyze tooth pain and masticatory muscle tenderness in patients subjected to CAT with Invisalign©.
Methods: Twenty-seven healthy adults undergoing treatment with Invisalign© were recruited from three university-based orthodontic clinics. Tooth pain and muscle tenderness were reported on visual analog scales in pain diaries prior to, and after starting CAT. Pressure pain thresholds (PPT) measured using pressure algometers were used to assess somatosensory changes in trigeminal and extra-trigeminal locations.
Results: The aligners resulted in tooth pain, which was greater with the initial passive aligner than the subsequent active aligners (all p0.05).
Conclusion: In the short-term, CAT results in mild tooth pain and jaw muscle tenderness of likely limited clinical significance, and does not result in significant somatosensory changes.
Recommended Citation
Tran, Johnny, "Effect of Clear Aligner Therapy on Masticatory Muscle Tenderness and Orthodontic Pain" (2018). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 6014.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/6014