Oral hygiene condition in orthodontic patients treated with fixed appliance

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The foundation of excellent oral health is proper oral hygiene, especially in patients with fixed orthodontic appliances (devices) where regular oral hygiene may be difficult to maintain due to the device. The objective of this study was to assess oral hygiene and gingival health in patients undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment at four different time points, with repeated oral hygiene guidance provided during each visit. In this prospective study, 41 patients between the ages of 18 and 22 were divided into two groups, one of which had just begun fixed orthodontic treatment (New) and the other have passed five months from the beginning of the treatment (Old). All patients got traditional oral hygiene training with oral hygiene kit and (SENSODYNE) toothpaste. The plaque index (PI) and Marginal bleeding index (MBI) were measured. Both groups showed increase in plaque values without statistical differences. Whereas MBI showed statistical differences (P=0.010) at new group only after 4 weeks. We think that oral hygiene enforcement at each visit not enough to improve oral hygiene status and need to seek for other strategies to enhance oral health like using software reminders.