Occlusal Plane Modification in Clear Aligners Treatment: Three Dimensional Retrospective Longitudinal Study. Dent. J. 2023, 11, 8.)(CORRESPONDING AUTHOR)

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate: (i) maxillary occlusal plane changes after clear aligners therapy with a 3D measurement technique; and (ii) as a secondary outcome, if such changes were correlated to the patient’s 1axilla-mandibular divergence. 3D maxillary models of 32 patients (7 males and 25 females; mean age 22.3 +/􀀀 3.4 year) treated with clear aligners were analyzed. The angle ( ) between a reference palatine plane and a maxillary occlusal plane was measured. Five angular cephalometric measurements (NSL/MP; PP-OP; OP-MP; PP-MP; PFH/AFH%) were performed and related to D . The subjects were further divided into three groups according to facial divergence. After aligner treatment, D increased in hyperdivergent patients and decreased in hypodivergent patients (p < 0.05). D showed a significant positive correlation with NSL/MP (rho = 0.44) and negative correlation with PFH/AFH% (rho = 􀀀0.53). Aligners treatment produced a counterlockwise rotation of the maxillary occlusal plane, even if this rotation occurs differently depending on divergence.