Funding outcome

The use of clear orthodontic aligners has become an increasingly popular treatment option to correct tooth misalignments in children due to their aesthetic advantages over conventional braces. Notwithstanding their popularity, the use of aligners often results in post-treatment corrective action and poor predictability of tooth movement which results in increased treatment times, increased costs, and overall detrimental outcomes that greatly impact the lives of children undergoing orthodontic treatment. With over 1-in-5 Canadians receiving orthodontic treatment and associated rising treatment costs, research to improvement treatment efficacy is critical. Use of multi-material constructs for aligners is being explored heavily for use in orthodontic treatment in order to deliver targeted force levels that produce expedient tooth movement with limited undesirable effects (e.g., tissue damage). The proposed project is focused on better characterizing multi-material orthodontic aligners through a combined material-level and in vitro applied approach. We will utilize uniaxial flexure and planar biaxial testing modalities to better understand the material response of bi- and try-layer materials to relevant loading. Subsequently, a full-arch Orthodontic SIMulator (OSIM) capable of measuring the forces acting on each individual tooth of a simulated arch will be used to determine forces produced in a simulated environment. Results from material-level and in vitro testing will then be combined to better understand how material performance can impact treatment in application. In turn, outcomes from the proposed project will better inform further innovation in the area of multi-material aligners and associated treatment outcomes for children receiving orthodontic treatment.