A RETROSPECTIVE CLINICAL ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DENTAL ARCH EXPANSION WITH TRANSPARENT ALIGNERS IN CHILDREN WITH MIXED BITE

The purpose of the study. To evaluate the clinical efficacy and accuracy of transverse expansion of dental arches using Invisalign First transparent aligners in children with mixed bite. Materials and methods. The study included 15 pediatric patients (7-9 years old) undergoing orthodontic treatment at the Art Dental Clinic using a standardized extension protocol. To evaluate the results, digital casts obtained using an iTero® scanner were used at three stages of treatment (T0, T1, T2), and compared with the planned parameters in ClinCheck. Results. The largest expansion was recorded at the level of the first and second milk molars, the predictability of planned movements according to ClinCheck ranged from 88.6% to 94%. The data obtained confirmed the high accuracy of the expansion in the framework of early orthodontic treatment and good patient compliance. Conclusions. Invisalign First transparent aligners are an effective tool for transverse bite correction in children with a mixed dentition, providing stable and predictable results without the use of additional orthodontic devices.