ArticleScientific reports2025
Impact of various cleaning protocols on the physical and aesthetic properties of 3D-printed orthodontic aligners.
Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Article
- Article
- Next-Generation Orthodontics: Functional Resins, Biomechanics, Biocompatibility, and Current Clinical Reality of Direct 3D-Printed Aligners.Journal of functional biomaterials · 2026Review
- Structural Stability of Silicone-Based Elastodontic Appliances After Clinical Use: Insights from FTIR Spectroscopy.Materials (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Micro- and Nanoplastics in Dentistry: Challenges in Obtaining High-Quality Evidence.Materials (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The surface similarity phenomenon describes how users apply maintenance habits from one material to another based on perceived similarities. Cleaning protocols for thermoformed aligners are often used for three-dimensional (3D) printed aligners, despite their different material properties. This study aimed to evaluate how such practices impact the physical and aesthetic properties of 3D-printed aligners. A total of 84 polyurethane-based specimens were fabricated using direct light processing. They were divided into three groups: brushing only, brushing with toothpaste, and immersion in an alkaline solution (Corega). Each protocol simulated two weeks of daily cleaning. Surface roughness was assessed via profilometry and AFM, hardness via the Ball Indentation Method, and color change via VITA Easyshade before and after cleaning. Water absorption was measured daily over 14 days during immersion in either Corega or saline. Statistical analyses included Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, paired t-tests, one-way ANOVA with LSD post-hoc tests, and Kruskal-Wallis tests with post-hoc Dunn test. Brushing with toothpaste caused the greatest increase in surface roughness (ΔSa = 37.45 nm), followed by brushing alone (ΔSa = 10.55 nm); Corega slightly reduced roughness (ΔSa = -4.86 nm). Surface hardness increased after brushing but decreased with Corega (p < 0.05). No significant ΔE color differences were found, though "b" values decreased with brushing (p = 0.012). Water absorption stabilized at 8.47% in saline, while Corega immersion led to peak absorption on day 8 before degradation (p < 0.001). Cleaning methods designed for thermoformed aligners can alter surface properties and degrade 3D-printed aligners. Tailored cleaning protocols are essential to preserve their integrity and functionality.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.