Potential Cytotoxicity of Orthodontic Aligners in the Oral Environment: A Scoping Review.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Potential Cytotoxicity of Orthodontic Aligners in the Oral Environment: A Scoping Review.
Authors: Laskowska, Joanna1 (AUTHOR), Paradowska-Stolarz, Anna1 (AUTHOR) anna.paradowska-stolarz@umw.edu.pl, Mikulewicz, Marcin1 (AUTHOR)
Source: Materials (1996-1944). May2026, Vol. 19 Issue 9, p1774. 11p.
Subjects: Biocompatibility, Three-dimensional printing, Cytotoxins, Thermoplastics, Physiology, In vitro studies, Orthodontic appliances
Abstract: Background: Clear aligner therapy (CAT) is increasingly popular due to aesthetic and functional advantages. Recent advances allow direct 3D printing of aligners, raising questions about their cytotoxicity and biocompatibility under intraoral conditions. Objectives: To review and synthesize current evidence on the cytotoxicity and biocompatibility of 3D-printed and thermoformable orthodontic aligners, and to identify factors affecting cellular responses. Eligibility criteria: Original research published from 2021 to 2026 evaluating the safety of orthodontic aligners; conference abstracts, editorials, and review papers were excluded. Sources of evidence: Medline (via PubMed), Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library; search terms "aligner" AND "biocompatibility"; last search conducted on 31 January 2026. Charting methods: Data on authors, publication year, material type, experimental model, cytotoxicity assessment (extraction solvent, incubation period, cell line, and cell exposure), and main results were extracted independently by two reviewers. Results: Fourteen in vitro studies were included, seven on thermoformable aligners and seven on directly 3D-printed aligners; no clinical trials were identified. Material composition, post-processing, and oral environmental factors influenced cytotoxicity. Some materials exhibited acceptable biocompatibility, whereas others showed varying cytotoxic effects, indicating inconsistencies across studies. Conclusions: Directly 3D-printed and thermoformable aligners show potential for safe intraoral use, but evidence is limited to in vitro studies. Further standardized in vitro and in vivo research is needed to reliably assess cytotoxicity and ensure patient safety before widespread clinical implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Materials (1996-1944) is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Engineering Source
Full text is not displayed to guests.
FullText Links:
  – Type: pdflink
Text:
  Availability: 1
Header DbId: egs
DbLabel: Engineering Source
An: 193715580
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Potential Cytotoxicity of Orthodontic Aligners in the Oral Environment: A Scoping Review.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Laskowska%2C+Joanna%22">Laskowska, Joanna</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Paradowska-Stolarz%2C+Anna%22">Paradowska-Stolarz, Anna</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> anna.paradowska-stolarz@umw.edu.pl</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mikulewicz%2C+Marcin%22">Mikulewicz, Marcin</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Materials+%281996-1944%29%22">Materials (1996-1944)</searchLink>. May2026, Vol. 19 Issue 9, p1774. 11p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subjects
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Biocompatibility%22">Biocompatibility</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Three-dimensional+printing%22">Three-dimensional printing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cytotoxins%22">Cytotoxins</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Thermoplastics%22">Thermoplastics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Physiology%22">Physiology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22In+vitro+studies%22">In vitro studies</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Orthodontic+appliances%22">Orthodontic appliances</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Background: Clear aligner therapy (CAT) is increasingly popular due to aesthetic and functional advantages. Recent advances allow direct 3D printing of aligners, raising questions about their cytotoxicity and biocompatibility under intraoral conditions. Objectives: To review and synthesize current evidence on the cytotoxicity and biocompatibility of 3D-printed and thermoformable orthodontic aligners, and to identify factors affecting cellular responses. Eligibility criteria: Original research published from 2021 to 2026 evaluating the safety of orthodontic aligners; conference abstracts, editorials, and review papers were excluded. Sources of evidence: Medline (via PubMed), Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library; search terms "aligner" AND "biocompatibility"; last search conducted on 31 January 2026. Charting methods: Data on authors, publication year, material type, experimental model, cytotoxicity assessment (extraction solvent, incubation period, cell line, and cell exposure), and main results were extracted independently by two reviewers. Results: Fourteen in vitro studies were included, seven on thermoformable aligners and seven on directly 3D-printed aligners; no clinical trials were identified. Material composition, post-processing, and oral environmental factors influenced cytotoxicity. Some materials exhibited acceptable biocompatibility, whereas others showed varying cytotoxic effects, indicating inconsistencies across studies. Conclusions: Directly 3D-printed and thermoformable aligners show potential for safe intraoral use, but evidence is limited to in vitro studies. Further standardized in vitro and in vivo research is needed to reliably assess cytotoxicity and ensure patient safety before widespread clinical implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Materials (1996-1944) is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=egs&AN=193715580
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.3390/ma19091774
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 11
        StartPage: 1774
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Biocompatibility
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Three-dimensional printing
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cytotoxins
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Thermoplastics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Physiology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: In vitro studies
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Orthodontic appliances
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Potential Cytotoxicity of Orthodontic Aligners in the Oral Environment: A Scoping Review.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Laskowska, Joanna
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Paradowska-Stolarz, Anna
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Mikulewicz, Marcin
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 05
              Text: May2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 19961944
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 19
            – Type: issue
              Value: 9
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Materials (1996-1944)
              Type: main
ResultId 1