SUMMARY BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Social perceptions are influenced by dental appearance. The aim of this study was to determine whether social perceptions of a young adult are influenced by orthodontic retainer design and appearance. MATERIALS AND METHODS Following ethical approval, a pilot-tested questionnaire study was conducted with 402 third-level students from the Republic of Ireland. Each ...

INTRODUCTION The objectives of this study were to evaluate fixed bonded palatal surface retainers between the maxillary central incisors that were placed to maintain midline diastema closure and record their longevity, proclivity for damage, and periodontal health of the central incisors in patients 5 or more years after treatment. METHODS Twenty-nine subjects were contacted and interviewed b...

OBJECTIVE Traditional retainers (both metal and fiber-reinforced composite [FRC]) have limitations, and a retainer made from more flexible ligature wires might be advantageous. We aimed to compare an experimental design with two traditional retainers. METHODS In this prospective preliminary clinical trial, 150 post-treatment patients were enrolled and randomly divided into three groups of 50 ...

BACKGROUND Relapse following orthodontic treatment is a constant concern of orthodontists. Fixed retention is preferred especially for the lower arch by most orthodontists. OBJECTIVES This review focuses on in vivo studies. The main objective is to determine the survival rates of different types of retainer: glass-fiber reinforced composite resin, polyethylene or multistrand stainless steel w...

The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate and compare stability after 6 months of Essix retainer use. Patients' perceptions of wearing the retainer were also evaluated. A total of 69 patients, 53 girls and 16 boys [mean age 15.7 years, standard deviation (SD) 1.96], were included in the study and randomized into two groups with different wear regimens; full-time wear for 3 months and th...

This work explores the performance of different silicon retainer ring designs when integrated into silicon micro-turbines (SMTs) incorporating thrust style bearings supported on 500 μm diameter steel balls. Experimental performance curves are presented for SMTs with rotor diameters of 5 mm and 10 mm, each with five different retainer designs varying in mechanical rigidity, ball pocket shape and...

INTRODUCTION We aimed to compare the shear bond strength (SBS) of three different retainer wires and three different bonding adhesives in consideration of the pretreatment process of enamel surface sandblasting. METHODS 400 extracted bovine incisors were divided into 10 groups of 20 paired specimens each. 10 specimens of each group were pretreated by enamel sandblasting. The retainer wires Bo...

OBJECTIVE To test the null hypothesis that orthodontist characteristics and factors related to retainer choice do not influence the management of the retention phase with regard to frequency and duration of follow-up care provided. MATERIALS AND METHODS Orthodontists (n  =  1000) were randomly selected to participate in an online survey divided into three categories: background, retainer choi...