Oral Hygiene in the Presence of Orthodontic Therapy

Orthodontic treatment offers great advantages in improving facial and smile aesthetics, self-confidence and the function of the stomatognathic apparatus. The pursuit of these advantages makes use of orthodontic appliances that could be fixed or removable. However, it’s worth stating that these appliances interfere with tooth brushing, making it more difficult to brush teeth effectively. Orthodontics appliances therefore promote the accumulation of dental plaque, which results in both quantitative and qualitative changes in the oral microbiota, hence, exposing patients to several adverse effects such as White spot lesions, dental caries, periodontal pathologies and halitosis. For this reason, oral assessment of patients before, during and after treatment is necessary as well as oral hygiene instructions and motivation. Orthodontists therefore, should educate patients on oral and periodontal hygiene in order to control dental and periodontal complications. Prescriptions of plaque control materials adapted to each patient are done in order to optimize the final result and minimize unwanted complications.

The effect of chlorhexidine on plaque index and mutans streptococci in orthodontic patients:A pilot study

Aim: The purpose of this study was to assess chlorhexidine effects on plaque index and salivary levels of mutans streptococci (MS) when used as the immersion solution for removable orthodontic appliances and added to their acrylic resin composition. Methods: Forty-five patients (6 to 12 years old) were randomly assigned into three groups with 15 patients each. Group I (control)—without orthodontic appliances disinfection;Group II—removable orthodontic appliances which had been immersed in 0.12% chlorhexidine digluconate overnight (8 hours), and Group III—orthodontic appliances in which 0.12% chlorhexidine digluconate solution had been incorporated into their resin composition. Saliva was collected for quantification of MS and evaluation of plaque index was performed before and after installation of orthodontic appliance at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 weeks. Data were analyzed by using analysis of variance. Results: Number of MS colonies in saliva and plaque index showed no statistically differences among groups at the different periods (p > 0.05). Conclusions: It could be concluded that chlorhexidine incorporation into the acrylic resin of removable orthodontic appliances at 0.12% concentration and immersion of the appliance into 0.12% chlorhexidine solution were not effective in reducing plaque index and the number of MS in saliva.

Colour stabilities of three types of orthodontic clear aligners exposed to staining agents

The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the colour stabilities of three types of orthodontic clear aligners exposed to staining agents in vitro. Sixty clear orthodontic aligners produced by three manufacturers （Invisalign, Angelalign, and Smartee） were immersed in three staining solutions （coffee, black tea, and red wine） and one control solution （distilled water）. After 12-h and 7-day immersions, the aligners were washed in an ultrasonic cleaner and measured with a colourimeter. The colour changes （△E＊） were calculated on the basis of the Commission Internationale de I＇Eclairage L＊a＊b＊ colour system （CIE L＊a＊b＊）, and the results were then converted into National Bureau of Standards （NBS） units. Fourier transformation infrared （FT-IR） spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy （SEM） were conducted to observe the molecular and morphologic alterations to the aligner surfaces, respectively. The three types of aligners exhibited slight colour changes after 12 h of staining, with the exception of the Invisalign aligners stained with coffee. The Invisalign aligners exhibited significantly higher AE＊ values （ranging from 0.30 to 27.81） than those of the Angelalign and Smartee aligners （AE＊ values ranging from 0.33 to 1.89 and 0.32 to 1.61, respectively, P〈O.05）. IFT-IR analysis confirmed that the polymer-based structure of aligners did not exhibit significant chemical differences before and after the immersions. The SEM results revealed different surface alterations to the three types of aligner materials after the 7-day staining. The three types of aesthetic orthodontic appliances exhibited colour stability after the 12-h immersion, with the exception of the Invisalign aligners stained by coffee. The Invisalign aligners were more prone than the Angelalign and Smartee aligners to pigmentation. Aligner materials may be improved by considering aesthetic colour stability properties.

Insight into orthodontic appliance induced pain:Mechanism,duration and management

Most of the orthodontic patients experience pain during treatment and this significantly influences their attitudes and the approach towards treatment. A number of factors that influence pain response include age, gender, personal pain threshold, mood and stress level of the person, cultural differences and types of orthodontic treatment. Pain is a often overlooked subject by orthodontists, it is nevertheless important to understand the source and mechanism of the pain that occurs during treatment, as well as the methods for managing and controlling this pain. This review attempts to overview the mechanism, duration and current management strategies of orthodontic treatment.