Microplastic Exposure From Clear Aligner Wear (MPE) (MPE)

September 17, 2025 updated by: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Microplastic Exposure From Clear Aligner Wear: An In Vivo, Longitudinal Study of Orthodontic Patients

An observational longitudinal study measuring microplastic exposure and physiologic uptake in orthodontic patients receiving clear aligner treatment.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This study is investigating whether orthodontic patients already scheduled to receive clear aligner treatment have changes in their microplastic exposure and physiologic uptake pre- and post-treatment. Consented and enrolled participants will provide unstimulated saliva and urine samples at three timepoints before regularly scheduled orthodontic appointments: Pre-treatment (Visit 1), 6-12 weeks post-treatment (Visit 2), and 16-24 weeks post-treatment (Visit 3). The saliva and urine samples will be filtered and then analyzed for microplastic content using mass spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy approaches.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
150

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • North Carolina
      • Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States, 27599
        • Recruiting
        • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Laura A Jacox, DMD, PhD, MS

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population includes patients identified from UNC orthodontic clinics who are scheduled (prior to study engagement) to receive clear aligner treatment.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Individuals (all sexes, genders, races, and ethnicities) aged at least 10 years (in adult dentition) and at most 75 years
  • Receiving comprehensive, Phase II orthodontic treatment with clear aligner therapy
  • Stable physical health (ASA I or II), as determined by study coordinator or PI
  • Able to comprehend and follow requirements of study (including availability on scheduled visit dates)
  • Patient and parental consent (and assent for minors) for participation in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Receiving orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances
  • Receiving hybrid treatment with fixed appliances and aligners
  • Receiving Phase I orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances
  • Established history of severe xerostomia (dry mouth), severe periodontal disease with actively bleeding gums, significant oral abrasions/ulcers or growths, current alcohol abuse, and/or recreational drug abuse
  • Other severe acute or chronic medical or psychiatric condition or laboratory abnormality that may increase risk associated with participation
  • Drinking, eating, or brushing teeth within 1 hour of study visit
  • Removing aligners within 1 hour of study visit
  • Developmental or cognitive disability such that the patient cannot self-consent, comprehend, and follow the requirements of the study based on research site personnel's assessment

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Clear Aligner Treatment
Orthodontic patients already scheduled to receive clear aligner treatment at UNC Orthodontic clinics.
Other: Clear Aligner Treatment
This study is observational. Only patients who are previously scheduled to receive clear aligner treatment from their orthodontic provider will be recruited.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in salivary microplastic abundance over time.
Time Frame: Pre-treatment through 16-24 weeks post-treatment.
Differences in microplastic abundance in saliva collected pre-treatment with clear aligners, 6-12 weeks post-treatment, and 16-24 weeks post-treatment.
Pre-treatment through 16-24 weeks post-treatment.
Change in urinary microplastic abundance over time.
Time Frame: Pre-treatment through 16-24 weeks post-treatment.
Differences in microplastic abundance in urine collected pre-treatment with clear aligners, 6-12 weeks post-treatment, and 16-24 weeks post-treatment.
Pre-treatment through 16-24 weeks post-treatment.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in salivary microplastic size over time.
Time Frame: Pre-treatment through 16-24 weeks post-treatment.
Differences in microplastic size in saliva collected pre-treatment with clear aligners, 6-12 weeks post-treatment, and 16-24 weeks post-treatment.
Pre-treatment through 16-24 weeks post-treatment.
Change in salivary microplastic composition over time.
Time Frame: Pre-treatment through 16-24 weeks post-treatment.
Differences in microplastic identities in saliva collected pre-treatment with clear aligners, 6-12 weeks post-treatment, and 16-24 weeks post-treatment.
Pre-treatment through 16-24 weeks post-treatment.
Change in urinary microplastic size over time.
Time Frame: Pre-treatment through 16-24 weeks post-treatment.
Differences in microplastic size in urine collected pre-treatment with clear aligners, 6-12 weeks post-treatment, and 16-24 weeks post-treatment.
Pre-treatment through 16-24 weeks post-treatment.
Change in urinary microplastic composition over time.
Time Frame: Pre-treatment through 16-24 weeks post-treatment.
Differences in microplastic identities in urine collected pre-treatment with clear aligners, 6-12 weeks post-treatment, and 16-24 weeks post-treatment.
Pre-treatment through 16-24 weeks post-treatment.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Laura A Jacox, DMD, PhD, MS, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
August 8, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
July 1, 2035

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
July 1, 2035

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 11, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 11, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
April 18, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 19, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 17, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 25-0426

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Deidentified individual data that supports the results will be shared beginning 9 to 36 months following publication provided the investigator who proposes to use the data has approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB), Independent Ethics Committee (IEC), or Research Ethics Board (REB), as applicable, and executes a data use/sharing agreement with UNC.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

Beginning 9 and continuing for 36 months following publication.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Investigator has approved IRB, IEC, or REB and an executed data use/sharing agreement with UNC

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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