Transfer Accuracy of 3D-Printed Customized Devices in Digital Indirect Bonding: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Aim: To evaluate in vitro and in vivo the accuracy of 3D-printed customized transfer devices during indirect bonding technique (IBT).

Methods: A search for articles published in the English language until April 2022 was carried out using PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases and by applying a specific search strategy for each database to identify all potentially relevant in vivo or in vitro studies. After the removal of duplicate articles and data extraction according to the participants-intervention-comparison-outcome-study design schema scheme, the methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Swedish Council on Technology Assessment in Health Care Criteria for Grading Assessed Studies.

Results: The initial search identified 126 articles, 43 of which were selected by title and abstract. After full-text reading, 15 papers were selected for the qualitative analysis and seven studies for the quantitative analysis. The evidence quality for the selected studies was moderate.

Conclusions: Except for the bucco-lingual direction, the 3D-printed customized devices have a transfer accuracy within the clinically acceptable limits established by the American Board of Orthodontics. Therefore, 3D-printed transfer devices may be considered an accurate method for bonding position during IBT, both in vitro and in vivo. Additional randomized clinical studies in vivo should be suggested.