Variations in bracket placement in the preadjusted orthodontic appliance.

This study was conducted to determine the accuracy of bracket placement with the direct bonded technique. Ten orthodontic faculty members bonded a preadjusted orthodontic appliance on models of five cases of malocclusion in a simulated clinical situation (mannequin). A total of 50 sets of models served as the population of the study. Photographs of the models were measured to determine vertical and angular discrepancies in position between adjacent bracket pairs from a constructed reference line. Variations are evaluated with respect to the classification of malocclusion, specific tooth type, and intra/inter operator differences. A mean of 0.34 mm for the vertical discrepancies and a mean of 5.54 degrees for the angular discrepancies are found in placement of the orthodontic brackets.