A randomized clinical trial comparing the accuracy of direct versus indirect bracket placement

OBJECTIVE: To determine the accuracy of direct or indirect bracket placement. DESIGN: A prospective, randomized comparison of 2 different methods of bracket placement. SETTING: Queens Hospital, Burton upon Trent, UK between February and May 2001. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Twenty-six consecutive patients requiring upper and lower MBT trade mark pre-adjusted Edgewise appliances had their labial segments bonded directly or indirectly according to a split mouth system of allocation. Before and after bond-up all brackets were photographed and measured from tracings to determine positional differences from the ideal. RESULTS: Using ANOVA (General Linear Model), vertical errors were found to be greater than those in the horizontal plane, which in turn were greater than angular errors (p<0.05). Errors were greater in the maxillary arch than in the mandibular arch. There was no significant difference between the mean errors produced by the two methods of bracket placement. CONCLUSIONS: Mean bracket placement errors were similar with both techniques.