Published in:
01-04-2011 | Original article
Wearing times of orthodontic devices as measured by the TheraMon® microsensor
Published in: Journal of Orofacial Orthopedics / Fortschritte der Kieferorthopädie | Issue 2/2011
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Background
The objective measurement of wearing times, a task attempted for decades without success, is examined for the first time in a clinical study using the newly-developed TheraMon® system.
Materials and methods
A prototype of the new TheraMon® sensor was embedded in the acrylic of various removable orthodontic devices worn by a group of 20 patients and assessed over a 5-month treatment period.
Results
Daily wearing times (hours) were recorded every day throughout the treatment period by means of a wearing-time graph printed out from a computer by the TheraMon® system. In an additional analysis, the length of time the device was worn on each date, as well as any relevant temperature deviations, were also determined. Using a representative sample, we assessed the time during which a 10-year-old patient had worn his upper plate over a 5-month period in relation to treatment progression.
Conclusion
The objective measurement of wearing times, in the sense of a patient’s “electronic intensive care”, may lead to a paradigm shift in how wearing times are prescribed, thus contributing to better patient compliance.