OREANDA-NEWS Scientists from Saratov State Medical University (SSMU) named after V. I. Razumovsky investigated how the brain activity of patients changes after braces and aligners are installed. According to them, the results of the work will help to better assess the need for teeth alignment. The results are published in The European Physical Journal Special Topics.

The university noted that in patients using braces or aligners for orthodontic correction, the configuration of the dental system changes significantly during treatment, there is a partial change in the soft tissues of the face, nerve fibers and related structures.

"Teeth alignment and bite correction not only make our smile beautiful, they change the structure of activity of the cerebral cortex. These changes are due to the powerful effect of braces and aligners on the sensors and bone structures of the face and oral cavity," said Anastasia Runnova, Head of the Department of Biophysics and Digital Technologies at SSMU.

According to her, today most researchers in this field are focused on finding neural correlates related to the assessment and treatment of pain after orthodontic correction.

SSMU scientists studied changes in brain activity before and after the start of tooth alignment in patients without severe pain syndromes. They were the first to compare the effects of aligners and braces on brain activity and found that their effects differ, and this difference can be objectively confirmed by independent digital methods.