Passive Self-Ligating Bracket Systems: A Scoping Review of Their Claims Regarding Efficiency and Effectiveness in Orthodontic Treatment

Abstract

Passive self-ligating bracket systems (PSLBs), such as the Damon® system (Ormco, US) and SmartClip (3M Unitek®, US) claim advantages over other types of brackets regarding efficiency and effectiveness. However, some studies have questioned their qualities, particularly during the alignment stage, in arch development, and regarding stability of results. This article aims to conduct a scoping review from the past decade’s literature (2013–2023) regarding these assertions about PSLBs. A comprehensive search was performed on several databases. With at least one comparison between PSLBs and the other two bracket types, the inclusion criteria were restricted to English-written randomized controlled trials and split-mouth design studies involving patients receiving orthodontic treatment using PSLB, active self-ligating bracket systems (ASLBs), or conventional/traditional bracket systems (CBs). After screening and manual analysis of the selected studies, only 39 were chosen for the review. Most of the efficiency and effectiveness results from research conducted in the past ten years did not indicate any appreciable differences between the three different types of brackets; therefore, the evidence on whether PSLB is better than CBs and ASLBs is equivocal. Further research is necessary to understand the distinctions between passive self-ligating and other bracket systems and establish the optimal utilization of each system in clinical settings.