Structural analysis by text mining and multivariate analysis of awareness of and attitudes towards aligner orthodontic treatment among orthodontists in Japanese academic dental institutions

Objective The objective of this study was to clarify the structural characteristics of awareness of and attitudes towards aligner orthodontic treatment among orthodontists affiliated with 29 Japanese academic dental institutions.Participants and methods A questionnaire survey, including open-ended questions, of orthodontists affiliated with 29 Japanese academic dental institutions was conducted. Text mining of the verbatim responses was carried out, and following feature extraction, principal component analysis (PCA) and k-means clustering analysis were used to extract the latent structure inherent in the responses.Results Awareness of aligner orthodontic treatment was structured along the two principal axes of engagement and evaluative orientation. PCA showed that PC1 reflected the degree of engagement, whereas PC2 reflected differences in how respondents evaluated and expressed their views on aligner orthodontic treatment. K-means clustering (k = 5) identified five response patterns with varying degrees of engagement and evaluative orientation. Diagnostic accuracy and patient selection were more frequently emphasized than advantages such as aesthetics.Conclusions Awareness of aligner orthodontic treatment was multidimensional and characterized by differences in engagement and evaluative orientation. Perceived limitations were related primarily to diagnosis, patient selection, and treatment planning, rather than appliance features.