Effects of fixed orthodontic treatment on gingival health: An observational study

Objective: To evaluate the effects of fixed orthodontic treatment on gingival health. Materials and methods: In the present study 30 orthodontic patients under fixed mechanotherapy mean aged 19.82 years were selected. The selection criteria were: Treatment that consisted of full-mouth fixed orthodontic appliances. Exclusion criteria included patients with systemic disease, are on antibiotics or mouth rinses and uncooperative patients. Information about the patient’s oral hygiene practices was obtained using a validated questionnaire designed to be comprehensive for all patients. Results: The clinical examination of their oral health status showed that the mean value of the plaque index (PI) was 65.24 (SD 16.43), while the gingival bleeding index (GBI) was 19.14 (SD 7.95) and the ortho-plaque index (OPI) was 53.56 (SD 8.74). Limitations: The sample size selected was small. Conclusion: Patients wearing orthodontic appliances were having high plaque index, gingival bleeding index and ortho plaque index scores therefore, educating and motivating these patients remains the cornerstone for achieving optimal oral hygiene results.