Backgrounds: The present study was designed to define: (1) which are the less predictable OTM with Invisalign aligners when the treatment plan is designed by expert operators, (2) if the presence and shape of attachments influence the predictability of OTM and (3) if patients’ demographics influence OTM predictability. The sample comprises 79 prospectively recruited patients (mean age 30.8 years; SD 12.0; 23 M, 56 F), treated by expert operators with an average of 27 aligners (SD 15) in the maxillary arch and 25 aligners (SD 11) in the mandibular arch. Post-treatment digital models and final virtual treatment plan models were exported from ClinCheck^® software as STL files and subsequently imported into Geomagic Qualify ^®software, to compare final teeth positions. The differences were calculated and tested for statistical significance for each tooth in the mesial–distal, vestibular–lingual and occlusal–gingival directions, as well as for angulation, inclination and rotation. In addition, the statistical significance of categorical variables was tested. Results: The lack of correction was significant for all movements and in all group of teeth (P < 0.01) except for the rotation of maxillary first molar. The prescribed OTM, the group of teeth and movement, the frequency of aligner change and the use of attachment influence the outcome. The greatest discrepancies in predicted and achieved tooth position were found for angular movements and rotation of teeth characterized by round-shaped crowns, for a ratio of approximately 0.4° per 1° prescribed. Optimized attachments for upper canines and lower premolar rotation seem not working properly. Second molar movements are mostly unexpressed. Furthermore, changing the aligner every 14 days will reduce the lack of correction of the 12% with respect to 7 days aligner change. Conclusions: Predictability of orthodontic movement with aligners still has limitations related to the biomechanics of the system: the shape of some attachments and the characteristics of aligner material need to be redefined. However, the results of this study allow to properly design the virtual treatment plan, revealing how much overcorrection is needed and which attachments are most effective.

Pathologic tooth migration (PTM) is a complication of Stage III and IV periodontitis. This pilot study aims to analyze the periodontal response to orthodontic aligner therapy in stage IV periodontitis patients, by perio charting and digital orthodontic data obtained from intraoral scans. Following periodontal treatment of 21 recruited patients, 11 underwent clear aligner treatment. Periodontal data (Probing Pocket Depth—PPD, Recession Index—REC, Clinical Attachment Loss—CAL) were collected at baseline (T0), after periodontal treatment (T1), and at the end of the orthodontic treatment (T2). Digital data obtained at T1 and T2 were processed with the 3D software Geomagic^® Control X™. Occlusograms obtained by the proximity sensors of the scans were converted into differently colored pixelated areas. These results were compared to highlight changes in clinical crown length or occlusal contact areas. The results showed a slight increase in the REC index and a statistically significant reduction of PPD and CAL at T1 and T2. Digital data showed a statistically significant decrease in terms of gingival recessions and clinical crowns at the end of orthodontic treatment. Hard occlusal contacts showed a statistically significant decrease by the end of the orthodontic treatment. The results are comparable to those reported in the scientific literature for fixed orthodontic treatment. Clear aligner treatment could be considered an option in patients with severe periodontitis, promoting final light occlusal contacts.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the dimensional deformation that can occur during the fabrication of a 3D-printed aligner made with the TC-85 DAC resin (Graphy Inc., Seoul, Republic of Korea) and determine if the manual removal of the print supports before final aligner curing affects the dimensional accuracy. Methods: 10 subjects with permanent dentition were selected, and a set of aligners was digitally designed using the uDesign Direct Aligner beta software (Graphy Inc., Seoul, Republic of Korea). Each aligner was 3D-printed using TC-85 DAC resin (Graphy Inc., Seoul, Republic of Korea) twice: one copy was produced removing the print supports before final curing, whereas the other was cured with the supports still attached. The aligners were digitized and compared to the original design of the digitally designed aligner using RMS and Inter-second molar distance data to identify variations between 3D-produced aligners and their respective digital design. Results: the comparison between aligners produced in two different ways was statistically significant with a p-value < 0.0001 for both the records used. Conclusions: the manual removal of the print supports before final curing affects the dimensional accuracy of aligners made by direct 3D printing, permanently altering the aligner’s internal geometry, confirming that post-processing conditions significantly affect dimensional stability.

Objective: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of myofascial release therapy (MFR) on pain in patients affected by myogenous temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Methods: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched from inception until 31 January 2026, to identify RCTs including patients affected by TMD as participants, MFR therapy as intervention, and pain intensity as outcome. The risk of bias of studies was assessed with the Version 2 of the Cochrane risk‐of‐bias tool for randomized trials (RoB 2). The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach was used to assess the certainty of evidence. Results: Out of 857 articles, 7 studies were included. All subjects had a diagnosis of TMD performed according to the RDC/TMD or DC/TMD. The rehabilitation period ranged from 10 days to 5 weeks. Treatment frequency ranged from a minimum of one session per week to a maximum of 3 sessions per week. Medium/long‐term follow‐up was performed in four studies. The Cochrane RoB 2 tool showed that zero studies had a low risk of bias, six had some concerns, and one had a high risk of bias. The GRADE assessment showed a low certain of evidence for pain reduction and mouth function, and a very low certain of evidence in improving QoL. Conclusions: MFR seemed to reduce pain and improve mouth function in patients with myogenous TMD. However, when benchmarked against established clinical thresholds, clinically meaningful efficacy (surpassing the 15–22 mm MCID) is only supported by a subset of the included trials. In this context, MFR could be considered as part of a multidisciplinary approach for patients with TMD. More rigorous isolated‐MFR trials are needed to better characterize the efficacy of MFR in patients affected by myogenous TMD.

Design: Retrospective observational cohort study conducted at university and private practice setting. Objective: To evaluate whether operator experience affects the predictability of orthodontic tooth movements and the overall treatment duration in clear aligner therapy. Materials and Methods: This retrospective observational study was conducted at the Dental School of the University of Turin and in private orthodontic settings. Seventy-two patients (50 females, 22 males; median age: 24.6 years; IQR = 5.9) with mild to moderate malocclusions were included and equally distributed between two groups: 36 patients treated by postgraduate orthodontic students (Group B) and 36 patients treated by experienced orthodontists (Group E). Post-treatment digital models were analyzed to assess discrepancies between the predicted and achieved tooth positions. The accuracy of specific movements—rotation, vertical displacement, and treatment duration—was statistically evaluated using the Mann–Whitney U test. Most of these differences, although statistically significant, remained below established thresholds for clinical relevance (0.5 mm/2°). Results: Expert operators achieved significantly greater accuracy in controlling the vertical movements of the upper central incisors (p = 0.01) and the rotational movements of the upper first molars (p = 0.03), upper lateral incisors (p = 0.03), lower incisors (p = 0.001), and lower premolars (p = 0.001). In contrast, non-expert operators demonstrated superior outcomes in the control of vertical movements of the upper premolars (p = 0.01) and in the rotational movement of the lower canines (p = 0.03). Treatment duration was significantly shorter in the expert group, with a median difference of 4.1 months (p = 0.0037). Conclusions: These findings confirm the importance of clinical experience in enhancing the predictability and efficiency of clear aligner therapy, particularly in complex movements. However, the improved performance of non-expert operators in selected areas—such as vertical control of upper premolars and rotation of lower canines—suggests that conservative movement planning may also play a role in improving clinical outcomes. Overall, expert clinicians achieved more predictable tooth movements and shorter treatment durations, underscoring the value of structured training and accumulated clinical expertise in optimizing clear aligner therapy.