What question did this study set out to answer?

To compare the perception of pain and mucosal lesions between patients treated with clear aligners and fixed appliances.

March 28, 2026Open Access

Long-term comparison in patients treated with clear aligners and conventional fixed appliances – Perception of pain and mucosal lesions: A prospective observational study

Key Points

To compare the perception of pain and mucosal lesions between patients treated with clear aligners and fixed appliances.
50 patients observed over 18 months (25 per group)
Pain assessed using Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at multiple time points
Mucosal lesions evaluated through a questionnaire
Statistical analyses performed using repeated measures ANOVA and Chi-square
Clear aligner group reported significantly lower VAS pain at all time points (p < 0.05)
Fewer mucosal lesions in the clear aligner group (15% vs 35%, p < 0.01)

Abstract

Background: Patient-reported outcomes (pain, mucosal lesions) underexplored in long-term orthodontic comparisons. Methods: 50 patients (25 per group) followed 18 months. VAS pain at multiple time points; mucosal lesions assessed by questionnaire. Repeated measures ANOVA and Chi-square. Results: Clear aligner group reported significantly lower VAS pain at all time points (p < 0.05) and fewer mucosal lesions (15% vs 35%, p < 0.01). Conclusion: Clear aligners associated with reduced pain and mucosal lesions vs fixed appliances, potentially improving compliance and satisfaction.

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Cite This Study

Arora et al. (Sun,) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69c770f78bbfbc51511e0d8e https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4103/ijdr_202637s1_abs_69

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