Clinical Assessment of Pain Levels and Debonding Forces Using the Damon Clear Debonding Plier: a Split-mouth Controlled Clinical Trial

This clinical assessment of pain levels and debonding forces using the Damon clear debonding plier was designed as a split-mouth controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and comfort of two orthodontic debonding methods. Pain is a significant concern during orthodontic treatment, often influencing patient compliance and overall satisfaction. While research has focused extensively on pain during active treatment, less attention has been directed toward discomfort associated with the removal of orthodontic brackets. Debonding, an integral step in concluding orthodontic treatment, should ideally be painless and harmless to the enamel. However, the discomfort experienced by patients during this process remains a largely underexplored domain. This study sought to fill this gap by comparing pain levels and debonding forces between two types of pliers: the traditional bracket remover plier and the Damon clear debonding plier, the latter featuring a third wedging arm.

The study included 40 orthodontic patients aged 17 to 25 years who had completed comprehensive treatment with metallic brackets. A split-mouth design was utilized, where the right side of each patient's mouth, including the upper and lower quadrants from the central incisor to the second premolar, was treated using the traditional bracket remover plier, categorized as Group A. The left side of the mouth, comprising the same set of teeth, was treated with the Damon clear debonding plier, categorized as Group B. Each plier was modified with a strain gauge load cell and connected to a digital weighting indicator scale, creating a force-sensitive prototype capable of precisely measuring the forces applied during debonding.

Participants were screened for eligibility based on strict inclusion and exclusion criteria to ensure standardization. Inclusion criteria required patients to have a full set of permanent teeth (excluding third molars), no significant dental restorations, no psychological conditions, and an ability to comprehend and respond to anxiety and pain assessment questionnaires. Patients with missing teeth, craniofacial abnormalities, mobile teeth, or a history of recent medications that could influence pain perception were excluded. Prior to the procedure, participants' anxiety levels were assessed using two validated tools: the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD-7) and the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS). Those with high anxiety scores were omitted to avoid potential bias.

Pain perception was measured immediately after the debonding procedure using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), chosen for its reliability and preference among patients. The force applied during bracket removal was recorded for each tooth. The debonding process targeted the first five teeth in each quadrant, ensuring uniformity in the procedure. A blinded statistician analyzed the collected data using the T-test, with statistical significance set at p<0.05.