Can clear aligners match braces for crowded lower teeth?
NCT ID NCT07821723
First seen Sep 16, 2026 · Last updated Sep 18, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
Researchers compare two clear aligner treatment plans with traditional braces for adults who have mild to moderate crowding of the lower front teeth. Twenty-one adults aged 18 to 40 wear either clear aligners that move teeth 0.25 mm per step, aligners that move teeth 0.35 mm per step, or metal braces. The study tracks how fast teeth straighten, how many weeks treatment takes, and how much pain participants feel.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- clear aligners with different tooth-movement step sizes
- What this could lead to
- If one aligner step size works as well as braces, adults with crowded lower front teeth could have a removable option that straightens teeth with fewer clinic visits.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small study of 21 adults with mild to moderate crowding, so results may not apply to more severe cases or to teenagers. Aligners also caused more pain than braces at some checkups.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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21 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Oct 2022
- Finished
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May 2024
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 40 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 18 to 40 years * Non-extraction treatment plan * Little's Irregularity Index (LII) ≥ 4 mm * Presence of permanent dentition from first molar to first molar * Absence of supernumerary teeth or tooth shape anomalies Exclusion Criteria: * History of prior orthodontic treatment * Systemic pathologies * Ongoing use of medications known to influence tooth movement (e.g., prostaglandin inhibitors, bisphosphonates) * Active periodontal disease * Belonging to vulnerable populations
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Faculty of Dentistry, Ain Shams University, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
Cairo, 0020, Egypt
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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