Comparative Study of Proximal Caries Formation and Decay, Missing, Filled Teeth Scores in Clear Aligners and Fixed Orthodontic Treatments.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate proximal caries formation and Decay, Missing, Filled Teeth (DMFT) scores during clear aligner (CA) therapy compared with fixed orthodontic treatment.

Methods: A total of 50 patients with a mean age of 19.9 years were divided into two equal groups (n=25) according to treatment method. Both CA and fixed appliance (FA) patients had low-to-medium levels of crowding. Caries formation and DMFT scores were assessed via radiographic and clinical examination before treatment (T0) and at the end of a six-month observation period (T1). The numbers of caries lesions and fillings was analyzed using a Two-Way Analysis of Variance with a significance level of 0.05.

Results: Significant statistical differences were found for both groups (p<0.001). The amount of proximal caries significantly increased in both groups, whereas the increase in non-proximal caries was only statistically significant in the FA group. DMFT scores also increased significantly in both groups, with the FA group showing a higher increase at the end of the observation period.

Conclusion: Although CAs had an advantage in decreasing the overall risk of caries, no distinct advantage was found in reducing the risk of proximal caries lesions. The DMFT index was significantly higher in fixed orthodontic treatment patients than in CA treatment patients.