Abstract
Time-dependent force reduction may affect the biomechanical performance of thermoformed clear aligners. This proof-of-concept in vitro study compared initial and 7-day system-level 3D resultant forces of DURAN, ZENDURA FLX, and MESHEET under attachment-free and attachment-integrated conditions. Thirty independently fabricated aligners (n = 5 per condition) were tested on a rigid resin model with FDI tooth 11 positioned at 5° of labioversion. Forces were recorded at 1 Hz for 168 h under dry room conditions and summarized at 12 h intervals. Temporal series and group-level normalized decay were evaluated descriptively; no longitudinal inferential analysis was performed. Separate 3 × 2 two-way ANOVAs assessed absolute resultant force at 0 and 168 h. Higher endpoint forces were observed under the attachment-integrated condition in this experimental setup at 0 h [F(1,24) = 24.510, p < 0.001, partial η2 = 0.505] and 168 h [F(1,24) = 7.175, p = 0.013, partial η2 = 0.230]. However, because testing followed a fixed, nonrandomized sequence, the observed difference cannot be attributed exclusively to attachment condition. Material and interaction effects were not significant at either endpoint. Under the attachment-integrated condition, normalized decay was 51.4%, 48.2%, and 44.5%, while 168 h mean forces were 1.415, 1.664, and 1.558 N, respectively. These findings do not establish decay-rate differences, material superiority, equivalence, or clinical efficacy.