Prevalence of White Spot Lesions during Orthodontic Treatment

Abstract

Prevalence of White Spot Lesions during Orthodontic Treatment with Fixed Appliances By Julian Spencer Dixon IV, DMD A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Dentistry at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2009 Thesis Director: Eser Tufekci, D.D.S., MS, Ph. D. Associate Professor, Department of Orthodontics The reported prevalence of decalcification in orthodontic patients varies from 2 to 96% mainly due to the lack of a standard examination technique. The aims of this study were: 1) to determine the prevalence of white spot lesions around brackets using visual examination and the DIAGNOdent; 2) to determine which teeth were the most susceptible to decalcification; and 3) to test the accuracy of the DIAGNOdent by comparing to the visual examination. The presence of white spot lesions was determined in two groups of patients who were 6 and 12 months into orthodontic treatment, respectively. The control group consisted of patients who were examined for white spot lesions immediately after having their braces placed on their teeth. The prevalence of white spot lesions was 38%, 46%, and 11% for the 6-month, 12-month, and control groups, respectively. There was a statistically significant correlation (r = 0.71) between the DIAGNOdent measurements and the visual examination.