Wearing times of orthodontic devices as measured by the TheraMon® microsensor

• Published in: Journal of orofacial orthopedics 2011-03, Vol.72 (2), p.103-110
• Main Authors: Schott, T.C., Göz, G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Dentistry; Equipment Design; Equipment Failure Analysis; Medicine; Miniaturization; Monitoring, Ambulatory - instrumentation; Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery; Original Article; Orthodontic Appliances, Removable - utilization; Patient Compliance; Transducers
• ISSN: 1434-5293; 1615-6714
• DOI: 10.1007/s00056-011-0014-7

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.