Is systematic mandibular retention mandatory? A systematic review

Out of the 1055 references, only 19 studies met our inclusion criteria. The factors addressed by these studies are: extraction or non-extraction treatment, residual growth, facial divergence, periodontium, type of retainer, incisor morphology and quality of dental occlusion. Divergence in female patients, thin cortical bone and treatment using aligners were associated with a higher rate of mandibular anterior crowding relapse. However, due to the low level of evidence of the included studies, as well as the heterogeneity of protocols between the studies, it was not possible to determine factors truly involved in mandibular crowding relapse. Future reliable prospective studies are required to provide unbiased and quantifiable results.