The effect of bite planes on deepbite correction with clear aligners

OBJECTIVES: Deep overbite correction with clear aligners faces challenges including decreased anterior intrusion efficiency and spontaneous molar intrusion. Bite planes are often incorporated to address these issues, but their effects remain debated. This study aimed to investigate the impact of bite planes on anterior intrusion efficiency and posterior displacement during a specific deep overbite correction phase using clear aligners. MATERIALS AND METHODS: system) divided into a bite plane group (n = 15) and a control group (n = 21). Pre- (T1) and post-intrusion (T2) digital models were superimposed to measure tooth displacement and subsequently calculate intrusion accuracy of anterior teeth. Comparisons of tooth displacement and intrusion accuracy between the two groups were performed using an independent t-test or a Mann-Whitney U test, intragroup vertical changes of posterior teeth were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation was used to assess the relationship between molar intrusion and treatment duration. RESULTS: No significant difference was found in anterior intrusion accuracy between the bite plane group (18.8% ± 24.7%) and the control group (18.4% ± 21.6%). The bucco-lingual movement of teeth where bite planes were designed was not significantly affected. Premolars in both groups exhibited extrusion ranging from 0.0 to 0.5 mm, with no significant intergroup difference. Molars in the control group exhibited 0.1-0.2 mm of spontaneous intrusion (P