[Aligners: review of their chemical components, recycling, mechanical properties and therapeutic needs - Part 1].

INTRODUCTION: The aligner is a thermoformed plastic device composed of various chemical components: polyurethane, polyethylene terephthalate glycol, polypropylene… All these plastics must be sufficiently resistant to abrasion and translucent for aesthetic purposes, but their solubility to salivary enzymes, insertion-disinsertion fatigue and recyclability vary according to material. From an orthodontic point of view, they must facilitate tooth movement. However, their behavior differs from that of orthodontic archwires: their Young's modulus, resilience and unloading curve are distinct, resulting in mechanical properties that fall significantly below the orthodontic requirements of multi-bracket systems.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article was to review the chemical composition, recycling and mechanical properties of aligners, and to put them into perspective with therapeutic indications.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Literature data were approximated to orthodontic needs.

RESULTS: Neither plastic nor direct printing can match the mechanical properties of our archwires or the procedures of a reliable vestibular multi-attachment appliance.

DISCUSSION: Aligners remain an interesting tool in targeted indications.