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Objectives <p>More and more patients choose clear aligners to improve their appearance and masticatory function. However, there is no study on whether clear aligner treatment affects the microecology of oral mucosal plaque. Therefore, we analyzed flora changes in different parts of patients’ mucosa at various time points during the early stage of clear aligner treatment.</p> Methods <p>Plaque samples were collected from the buccal, palatal, and dorsal lingual mucosa of 10 subjects before and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post clear orthodontic treatment. Microbial community changes were analyzed by 16&#xa0;S rRNA gene sequencing.</p> Results <p>At 6 months, buccal plaque showed a significant decrease in alpha diversity and distinct microbial separation. By 12 months, diversity had recovered, and the community structure had returned to baseline levels. Genus-level changes varied by site: the periodontal pathogen <i>Fusobacterium</i> increased at 6 months and declined at 12 months; the periodontally relevant <i>Prevotella</i> showed a temporary increase at 3 months (palatal) and 1 month (dorsal lingual).</p> Conclusions <p>The clear aligner altered the microbial community of buccal mucosal plaque by 6 months, and the microbial community returned to the basal composition by 12 months.</p> Clinical relevance <p>This study highlights that clear aligner treatment transiently disrupts the oral mucosal microbiome, with a significant but reversible shift toward periodontal pathogen-associated flora within 6 months, suggesting the need for enhanced oral hygiene monitoring during early orthodontic therapy to mitigate potential periodontal risks.</p>

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Microbial changes in different parts of the oral cavity during the early stage of clear aligner treatment: a preliminary study

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年11月15日

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  • Yao Jiao,
  • Yan Xu,
  • Yitong Liu,
  • Xiaoyan Li,
  • Xue Li,
  • Siyan Liu,
  • Yi Liu,
  • Yanan Hou,
  • Lijia Guo

摘要

Objectives

More and more patients choose clear aligners to improve their appearance and masticatory function. However, there is no study on whether clear aligner treatment affects the microecology of oral mucosal plaque. Therefore, we analyzed flora changes in different parts of patients’ mucosa at various time points during the early stage of clear aligner treatment.

Methods

Plaque samples were collected from the buccal, palatal, and dorsal lingual mucosa of 10 subjects before and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post clear orthodontic treatment. Microbial community changes were analyzed by 16 S rRNA gene sequencing.

Results

At 6 months, buccal plaque showed a significant decrease in alpha diversity and distinct microbial separation. By 12 months, diversity had recovered, and the community structure had returned to baseline levels. Genus-level changes varied by site: the periodontal pathogen Fusobacterium increased at 6 months and declined at 12 months; the periodontally relevant Prevotella showed a temporary increase at 3 months (palatal) and 1 month (dorsal lingual).

Conclusions

The clear aligner altered the microbial community of buccal mucosal plaque by 6 months, and the microbial community returned to the basal composition by 12 months.

Clinical relevance

This study highlights that clear aligner treatment transiently disrupts the oral mucosal microbiome, with a significant but reversible shift toward periodontal pathogen-associated flora within 6 months, suggesting the need for enhanced oral hygiene monitoring during early orthodontic therapy to mitigate potential periodontal risks.