No randomised trials of interventions to manage relapse of lower incisors after orthodontic treatment.

DATA SOURCES: The Cochrane Oral Health Group's Trials Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Medline and Embase databases were searched with no language or date restrictions. Handsearching of a number of orthodontic journals was undertaken. STUDY SELECTION: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing fixed and removable treatment options for the management of relapsed lower front teeth after orthodontic treatment were to be considered. RCTs involving patients with craniofacial deformities/syndromes or serious skeletal deformities were excluded. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Two review authors, independently and in duplicate, assessed the results of the searches to identify studies for inclusion. The Cochrane Collaboration statistical guidelines were to be followed for data synthesis. RESULTS: No trials were identified. CONCLUSIONS: This review has revealed that there was no evidence from RCTs to show that one intervention was superior to another to manage the relapse of the alignment of lower front teeth using any method or index, aesthetic assessment by participants and practitioners, treatment time, patient discomfort, quality of life, cost-benefit considerations, stability of the correction, and side effects including pain, gingivitis, enamel decalcification and root resorption. There is an urgent need for RCTs in this area to identify the most effective and safe method for managing the relapse of alignment of the lower front teeth.