A COMPARATIVE ETUDY OF ALVEOLAR BONE CHANGES AND APICAL ROOT RESORPTION BETWEEN CLEAR ALIGNERS AND FIXED ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCES

Introduction: The capabilities of fixed orthodontic appliance (FA) treatment paved the way to making it the most popular orthodontic appliance. \ Objective: The main objective of the study is to find the comparison of alveolar bone changes and apical root resorption between clear aligners and fixed orthodontic appliances. Methodology: This comparative cross-sectional study was conducted at Dar ul Sehat hospital during January 2023 to March 2024. Data were collected from 155 patients according to objectives of the study. Data collection focused on measuring changes in alveolar bone density and apical root resorption, which were assessed at three time points: baseline (before treatment), mid-treatment (6 months), and post-treatment (upon completion of orthodontic treatment). Results: The results indicate that both treatment groups experienced reductions in bone density and volume over time, with Group B (fixed appliances) showing a more significant decrease than Group A (clear aligners). By the end of treatment, Group A had a bone density of 890 HU and bone volume of 0.22 cm³, while Group B had a bone density of 870 HU and bone volume of 0.20 cm³. At baseline, root lengths were similar between the groups, but by the end of treatment, Group A (clear aligners) had a mean root length of 13.8 mm, while Group B's mean root length decreased to 13.2 mm. Conclusion: It is concluded that clear aligners are associated with less alveolar bone loss and reduced risk of apical root resorption compared to fixed orthodontic appliances.