A comparative assessment of transfer accuracy of two indirect bonding techniques in patients undergoing fixed mechanotherapy: A randomised clinical trial

Objectives To assess the transfer accuracy of three-dimensional (3D) printed transfer trays and compare them with transfer trays made up of polyvinyl siloxane (PVS) for use in indirect bonding. Design: This was a two-arm parallel prospective randomised controlled trial. Setting: The trial was undertaken at the outpatient department of a dental college. Participants: A total of 30 patients (18 men, 12 women) were randomly allocated to two groups. Methods: The inclusion criteria included patients with permanent and fully erupted dentition (age range = 17–24 years), Angles class I malocclusion with crowding Results: A total of 600 teeth were bonded, 300 each for both groups. Statistically significant differences were observed in all dimension between the two groups, with 3D-printed trays being more accurate than PVS trays except in the vertical dimension ( P < 0.05). The prevalence of clinically unacceptable transfer errors revealed that most of the transfer errors were in the vertical dimensions for 3D-printed trays. Conclusion: 3D-printed trays are more accurate than PVS trays except for transfers in vertical dimension.