Agnese Nieri

Dr. Agnese Nieri


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

1Year (2026-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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4 June 2026 in Medicina
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
ELElisabetta Lalli
Elisabetta Lalli
ECElena Caramaschi
Elena Caramaschi
ANAgnese Nieri
Agnese Nieri
SVSara Vitale
Sara Vitale
MLMaurizio Ledda
Maurizio Ledda
Enrico SpinasEnrico Spinas
Enrico Spinas
Background and Objectives: The impact of orthodontic appliances on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) has gained increasing attention, particularly in relation to patient-centered outcomes. Clear aligners (CAs) are often perceived as more comfortable than fixed appliances (FAs), although evidence remains limited and heterogeneous. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to compare the effects of CAs and FAs on OHRQoL in patients with Angle class I malocclusion and to further evaluate the reliability of the findings using trial sequential analysis (TSA). Materials and Methods: This review followed PRISMA guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251051003). A comprehensive search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane CENTRAL was conducted. Only randomized controlled trials comparing CAs and FAs and reporting OHRQoL outcomes (OHIP-14) were included. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed on early changes in OHRQoL. TSA was applied to control for type I and II errors and to evaluate the sufficiency of the cumulative evidence. Results: Two randomized controlled trials (n = 74) were included in the quantitative synthesis. Both treatments were associated with a transient deterioration in OHRQoL after appliance placement. Meta-analysis showed statistically significant improvements favoring CAs in psychological discomfort (p = 0.007) and psychological disability (p < 0.001), while no significant differences were observed for other domains or for overall OHRQoL. Exploratory TSA suggested an early signal in favor of psychological outcomes, with the cumulative Z-curve crossing the monitoring boundary; however, given the very small number of included trials, these findings should be regarded as preliminary and hypothesis-generating rather than confirmatory. In contrast, for most other outcomes, the required information size was not reached and results remained inconclusive. For handicap, TSA suggested that a clinically relevant difference is unlikely. Conclusions: Clear aligners may provide a modest short-term advantage over fixed appliances in psychological aspects of OHRQoL, while no consistent differences are observed in physical or overall domains, based on very limited evidence. TSA suggests a preliminary signal in psychological outcomes but highlights insufficient evidence for most other domains. These results should be interpreted with caution, and further high-quality randomized trials are needed.