statement of problem: as a physical property, wear resistance of the materials used in the fabrication of orthodontic retainers play a significant role in the stability and long term use of the appliances. objectives: to evaluate the wear resistance of two commonly used materials for orthodontic retainers: acropars op, i.e. a polymethyl methacrylate based material, and 3a-gs060, i.e. a polyethy...

Maintaining the treatment results following orthodontic treatment is one of the most important aspects of the entire orthodontic treatment process. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate and compare the uses of Hawley and clear overlay orthodontic retainers relative to changes in overjet, overbite, intermolar width, intercanine width, and arch length measurements. These measurements w...

In the United Kingdom (UK) over the last 10 years, there has been a significant increase in the use of vacuum-formed retainers (VFRs) rather than conventional Hawley retainers. There are currently no data to compare the cost-effectiveness of this change in practice. The two aims of this study were to compare (1) the cost-effectiveness of VFRs and Hawley retainers over 6 months, from the perspec...

SUMMARY BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Social perceptions are influenced by dental appearance. The aim of this study was to determine whether social perceptions of a young adult are influenced by orthodontic retainer design and appearance. MATERIALS AND METHODS Following ethical approval, a pilot-tested questionnaire study was conducted with 402 third-level students from the Republic of Ireland. Each ...

BACKGROUND Retention is an important component of orthodontic treatment; however, poor compliance with retainer use is often encountered, especially in adolescents. The purpose of this study was to prove the hypothesis that verbal instructions combined with images showing the severe consequences of poor compliance can increase retainer use. METHODS This study was a randomized controlled trial...

OBJECTIVES To identify the retention protocols practiced by orthodontists in Saudi Arabia, and the factors affecting retainer choice.  METHODS This cross-sectional study took place between February and March of 2015 at the College of Dentistry, University of Dammam, Dammam, Saudi Arabia. A previously tested electronic survey of 34 items was sent to all 1,200 orthodontic members of the Saudi O...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate retention practices commonly employed by orthodontists. The objectives were to identify the types of retainer frequently used and to investigate the variations in retention practice. METHODS A total of 97 orthodontists were randomly selected, and a questionnaire consisting of 25 multiple-choice questions sent to them by mail. Upon receiving of t...

JCO/FEBRUARY 2010 © 2010 JCO, Inc. T venerable Hawley retainer has been basically unaltered in form and application since its introduction to the specialty nearly 100 years ago.1 To add to its utility, we suggest a modification of the retentive clasping mechanism. Although we prefer to use ball clasps rather than Adams clasps because of their sturdiness and simplicity, they are shorter and thus...