Stabilnost ishoda ortodontskog liječenja  

Potpora Sveučilišta u Rijeci (uniri-iskusni-biomed-23-18)

Voditelj prof. dr. sc. Stjepan Špalj 

Stability is a burning issue in orthodontic treatment. Post-treatment changes in the dental arch may be a relapse of previous malocclusion, exceeding the limit of compensation that the body can tolerate, a consequence of a dysfunction, late mandibular growth or physiological changes of aging / maturation of the dentition. Various retention protocols seek to maintain the achieved outcome of orthodontic treatment. Success also depends on damages of retainers and patient cooperation. Retainers may interfere with the maintenance of oral hygiene and periodontal health. Two approaches will be used in this project - observational and experimental. This project would explore the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of three retention protocols in a randomized controlled trial: twisted round and multistranded rectangular fixed retainers bonded lingually to the crowns of teeth of the intercanine sector and removable retainer made of thermoplastic foil. Effectiveness is a measure of the effects of an intervention under controlled conditions, and cost-effectiveness is the economic aspect of the relationship between outcomes and costs. Protocols over a two-year retention period will be compared - costs, hygiene, changes in teeth and periodontium, and dependence on pre-treatment status (arch shape and space), age and gender. In the historical cohort, the stability of orthodontic treatment 20 years after treatment and 17 years after the end of retention and predictors of instability would be analyzed (type of treatment and its duration, condition before treatment and changes induced by treatment). This would provide guidelines for the longevity of the achieved results.