A Randomized Clinical Trial to Evaluate Labial Alveolar Bone Thickness and Apical Root Resorption between Two Types of Brackets using CBCT

Abstract

Objective: To assess labial alveolar bone thickness and apical root resorption of incisors in patients undergoing the first phase of orthodontic treatment with two types of brackets.

Materials and Methods: 21 Angle’s Class I patients (anterior crowding: 3 to 5 mm; mean age: 17.58 years ± 2.38) were included in the study and randomly divided into two groups: group I (n = 10, self-ligating brackets) and group II (n = 11, conventional preadjusted brackets). Labial alveolar bone thickness in two levels (L1, L2) and apical root resorption were evaluated in 152 incisors by using CBCT scans. The CBCT scans were assessed by the same researcher, requested both at the beginning (T0) and 6 months after the initiation of orthodontic treatment (T1), with a level of sensitivity fixed at 25% by using Ondemand 3D Application software (version 1, cybermed, south korea). The two groups were compared with Student t-test (parametric data) and Mann–Whitney test (non parametric data) while paired groups were compared by paired t-test with 5% significance level.

Results: On comparing the changes in apical root resorption of lower incisors, the results showed statistically, but not clinically, significant change for the conventional group. However, no significant difference changes were observed between both groups regarding Labial alveolar bone thickness at L1, labial alveolar bone thickness at L2 and apical root resorption of upper incisors.

Conclusions: There was tendency of incisors to suffer less resorption when using self-ligating brackets, but the results were inconclusive and clinically insignificant.