An index system for the clinical supervision of clear aligner in extraction patients based on the Delphi method and the analytic hierarchy process.

Abstract

Background: Clinical supervision of clear aligner treatment in extraction patients is essential during the long process of follow-up period. However, there is insufficient clinical guidance available to define the key points of a standard examination for clinical supervision.

Methods: An initial index system was constructed based on a comprehensive literature review. The final indexes to be used in the system were determined through Delphi process. Weightings for the final index system were determined using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), which required the development of a judgment matrix to assess the relative significance of each index through pairwise comparisons.

Results: A tiered indexing system was created, consisting of two primary indexes, 10 secondary indexes, and 30 tertiary indexes. The expert authority coefficient (Cr) was 0.89 for the first round of consultation and 0.91 for the second round. The weighting values for the first-level indexes 'tooth movement' and 'dentofacial health' were 0.38215 and 0.61785, respectively, thus indicating that dentofacial health holds greater importance.

Conclusions: We integrated both qualitative and quantitative analyses to establish a novel index system for clinical supervision of clear aligner treatment in extraction patients to reduce the incidence of complications.