ESTIMATION OF EFFICIENCY OF PROFESSIONAL ORAL HYGIENE METHODS DURING ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT

Abstract

Orthodontic treatment can successfully correct a number of dento-facial anomalies in children and adults by applying customized orthodontic treatment systems of braces. But poor access to certain areas of oral cavity as well as some anomalies of tooth position typical for incorrect bite, patients’ insufficient knowledge and lack of manual skills can result in inappropriate individual oral care and the development of caries in the area of brace fixing. Reports on the impact of modern orthodontic appliances on the state of hard dental tissues testify the high relevance of this issue. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of professional oral hygiene methods to clean areas around the braces. We compared two methods of professional oral hygiene elaborated for patients wearing orthodontic appliances. 42 participants of different age groups underwent clinical examination and additional laboratory investigations. Then they were divided into 2 groups. The patients of the 1st group had procedures of ultrasonic tooth cleaning with a particular attention to supragingival areas and additional cleaning in the near-brace areas by applying 10% higher power of the scaler; they also performed mechanical tooth brushing using toothpastes for professional dental cleaning, flossing of contact surfaces, polishing of the dental surfaces, especially in the areas of cervical and near-brace areas. The patients of the group 2 received the same oral care procedures with additional AIR - FLOW cleaning in all areas, and especially in the area of ​​orthodontic appliance fixation. Comparing the effects of applying professional hygiene methods to the patients wearing orthodontic appliances, we have found out the highest efficiency was obtained by using ultrasonic cleaning, the Air-Flow system, mechanical brushing, flossing and polishing. The use of the Air Flow system by itself enabled us to clean hard-to-reach areas around the braces and, as a result, to perform better polishing of the dental surfaces preventing further adsorption of pathogenic microflora and the formation of dental plaque.