Medical Science: Updates and Prospects Vol. 10

Digital technologies have fundamentally transformed orthodontic diagnosis, treatment planning, and appliance fabrication over the past two decades. Intraoral scanners now provide three-dimensional digital impressions that rival and, in certain contexts, surpass the accuracy of conventional alginate and polyvinylsiloxane impressions, whilst simultaneously improving patient comfort and clinical efficiency. Computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing systems have enabled the production of clear aligners, custom-milled brackets, thermoformed retainers, and three-dimensionally printed auxiliaries with previously unattainable precision. Concurrently, virtual treatment planning platforms integrate cone-beam computed tomography data, digital dental models, and facial photographic records into comprehensive patient-specific simulations that support both routine malocclusion management and complex orthognathic surgical planning. Artificial intelligence algorithms now assist clinicians in cephalometric landmark identification, treatment outcome prediction, and automated appliance design. This narrative review synthesises the current evidence base underpinning each of these domains, evaluates clinical efficacy and accuracy data, and critically appraises integration challenges, interoperability limitations, and unresolved questions concerning treatment outcomes. A structured search strategy was conducted for literature published between January 2000 and March 2026. Search strings combined Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms and free-text keywords using Boolean operators. The literature consistently demonstrates that digital workflows confer measurable clinical advantages in impression accuracy, chair time, and patient satisfaction, yet significant evidence gaps remain regarding long-term orthodontic outcomes compared with conventional approaches. The review concludes by identifying priorities for future clinical research, including the need for large-scale prospective trials and standardised reporting frameworks for digital orthodontic interventions.