Comparative Evaluation of Postoperative Facial Swelling and Occlusion in Orthognathic Treatment with Clear Aligners versus Fixed Orthodontic Appliances: A Systematic Review

The purpose of this systematic review was to assess the postoperative facial swelling (FS) and occlusion attained with clear aligner therapy (CAT) and fixed orthodontic therapy (OT) after orthognathic surgery (OS). The focused question was Is there a difference in postoperative FS and occlusion attained with CAT and fixed OT after OS? Indexed databases were searched up to and including October 2023 using different keywords. Original clinical studies that compared postoperative FS and occlusion attained with CAT and fixed OT after OS were included. Risk of bias (RoB) and quality of evidence were also assessed. Four retrospective studies were included. One study reported no difference in postoperative FS among patients that underwent CAT or fixed OT after OS. In one study, patients treated with CAT demonstrated less FS in the first post-surgical week than individuals that underwent fixed OT. In one study, postoperative occlusion was comparable among patients that underwent CAT or fixed OT, whereas in another, postoperative occlusion was better in patients that underwent fixed OT than CAT. All studies had a moderate RoB and none of the investigations were based on power-adjusted data. Based upon the sparsity and questionable quality of available evidence, there is a need to render a firm conclusion. However, it seems that CAT and fixed OT are comparable in relation to postoperative occlusion and FS after OS.

Automated summary

This systematic review assessed the postoperative facial swelling and occlusion achieved with clear aligner therapy and fixed orthodontic therapy after orthognathic surgery. Four studies showed that clear aligner therapy and fixed orthodontic therapy are comparable in terms of postoperative occlusion and facial swelling.