Assessment and Evaluation of Oral Health in Orthodontic Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND

The management of good oral hygiene during fixed orthodontic treatment is crucial to avert the occurrence of problems like plaque formation and gingival inflammation. Fixed appliances promote plaque retention and thus predispose the patient to periodontal disease that may negatively impact the outcomes of the treatment.

AIM: This study aimed to evaluate changes in gingival bleeding, gingival inflammation, and plaque accumulation during the first month of fixed orthodontic treatment.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

A total of 43 patients who received orthodontic fixed appliances at a tertiary healthcare facility in Chennai were selected. The patient's gingival health was measured three times, i.e., prior to the beginning of treatment (T0), during the setting of the appliance (T1), and one month into the treatment (T2). Gingival index (GI) and orthodontic plaque index (OPI) were used to assess the gingival health and the level of plaque. The analysis was done through IBM SPSS version 21.0 with a p-value set at 0.05, where the chi-square and Fisher's exact test were used.

RESULTS

The GI scores before treatment and at the time of placement of appliances were stable, but showed a significant increase in inflammation within one month after initiation of treatment (p=0.004). The significant decline of gingival health in the first month compared to the baseline and the start of treatment was established by pairwise comparisons (p=0.017). The OPI scores showed a great increase in the amount of plaque accumulation after one month (p=0.039). These findings indicate the presence of plaque retention and early gingival inflammation in cases of fixed orthodontic appliances.

CONCLUSION

Fixed orthodontic treatment causes a considerable deterioration of gingival health and oral hygiene during the initial month of appliance placement. The prevention of periodontal complications and the optimization of orthodontic outcomes depend on early and continuous oral hygiene education, which reduces periodontal complications.