Can a 3D-Printed retainer keep your gums healthier after braces?
NCT ID NCT07760935
First seen Aug 12, 2026 · Last updated Aug 14, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This trial compares two types of clear retainers worn after braces to see if the way they are made affects gum health. One retainer is created from a digital scan of the teeth, while the other uses a traditional plaster mold. About 52 people who recently finished braces will wear one type for six months, and dentists will measure plaque, gum swelling, and pocket depth at regular check-ups. The goal is to find out whether the digital method leads to healthier gums than the conventional approach.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Digital vacuum-formed retainer (PETG, 1.5 mm) versus conventional vacuum-formed retainer (PETG, 1.5 mm)
- What this could lead to
- If digital retainers prove better for gum health, they could become the preferred choice after braces, reducing gum problems for many patients.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study (52 participants) and results may not apply to everyone. Differences in gum health could be minor or not clinically significant.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
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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About 52 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- 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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15 to 30 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.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
INCLUSION CRITERIA * Patients aged 15-30 years * Patients with good oral and general health * Patients in which both the arches were treated with fixed orthodontic treatment on a non-extraction basis completed within the last 1 month * Patients with minimum 24 permanent teeth present EXCLUSION CRITERIA * Patients that are medically compromised due to a systemic disease * Patients having periodontal disease before debonding * Patients with severe and uncontrolled caries * Patients having cleft palate or any other severe facial deformity * Patients using drugs that have direct or indirect effect on the periodontal health such as phenytoin, cyclosporine etc. * Patients that have a habit of chronic smoking * Pregnant patients
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.