Does the planned miniscrew position reflect the achieved one? A clinical study on the reliability of guided miniscrew insertion using lateral cephalogram and maxillary stereolithography file for planning

Introduction: The anterior area of the palate is widely used as an insertion site for orthodontic miniscrews. These temporary anchorage devices can be placed either directly or using an insertion guide, and various kinds of digital planning and guides are currently available. This study aimed to verify if the guided procedure can guar-antee the correct position of the miniscrews on the patient compared with the digital project. Methods: Twenty-five consecutively treated patients were included in the study. Angular and linear displacements of the miniscrews were evaluated among 3 groups: the planned position, the model position, and the achieved position. Results: The median achieved angle between 2 digitally planned screws was 6.22 degrees (interquartile range: 4.35 degrees, 9.08 degrees) and the difference between the angles in the planning and the achievement groups was significant (P \0.001). Lateral and vertical differences were also found among the 3 groups. Conclusions: Results show that the examined workflow is clinically efficient. Differences between the digitally planned position of the orthodontic miniscrews, the control position, and the achieved position were detected both for angular and linear measurements but were not clinically significant. (Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 2022;162:e312-e318)