Interproximal reduction in the refinement phase of Invisalign treatment: A quantitative analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Interproximal reduction (IPR) is a common adjunct to contemporary orthodontic treatment. This study aimed to carry out a quantitative analysis of IPR prescribed in the refinement phases of clear aligner therapy with the Invisalign appliance (Align Technology, San Jose, Calif). METHODS: The digital treatment plans (DTPs) of a total of 330 patients treated by 11 orthodontists were evaluated. Relevant data regarding patient age, gender, and prescription of IPR in the initial and refined DTPs were obtained from Align Technology's digital interface, ClinCheck. Computational analyses included descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U, and Kruskal-Wallis tests. RESULTS: Most (n = 182; 75.2%) of the 242 patients who satisfied inclusion criteria were females. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) age was 29.2 (22.1-40.2) years. More than 60% of the contact sites prescribed IPR related to the initial DTP (n = 1312; 60.4%), with 39.6% (n = 859) recorded in the refinement DTPs. A median (IQR) of 1.1 (0.6-2.1) mm of IPR was prescribed per patient in the initial DTP compared with a median (IQR) of 0.6 (0.3-1.3) mm in the refinement DTPs. The most common site for prescribed IPR in all DTPs was the mandibular anterior region. Almost half (n = 108; 44.6%) of the patients were prescribed IPR at the same contact point site more than once during treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Almost 40% of the contact points that were prescribed IPR were in the patients' refinement DTPs. Most IPR was prescribed for the anterior region of the mandible. Almost half of the patients had IPR repeatedly prescribed at the same sites during treatment.

Value of including loupes in prosthodontic and endodontic components of dental degrees: a systematic review.

Background It is crucial dental students graduate with sound knowledge of endodontics and prosthodontics. The use of loupes is important for these due to their intricate nature, but there is currently no standardisation of curricula.Objective This systematic review investigates the value of including loupes in completing dental degrees and their benefits to dental students.Methods Literature was searched from inception to February 2022 in PubMed, Embase and Scopus. Articles included were primary studies of dental students studying endodontics or prosthodontics, which had outcomes related to the value of utilising loupes in learning, clinical application and ergonomics.Results A total of 1,489 articles were retrieved, of which 14 relevant articles were identified. These articles discussed student perceptions and the impact on visual acuity, ergonomic practices and dental procedures. Overall, students perceived that loupes increased self-confidence and allowed a greater operative view but were initially difficult to use. Using loupes resulted in greater visual acuity than no magnification and improved ergonomic practices by reducing neck angulation and improving posture. Students also received better grades when using loupes during cavity access preparation or root canal therapy.Conclusion The use of loupes by dental students can be beneficial if there is initial teaching on their use.