The importance of oral health education in patients receiving orthodontic treatment

Abstract

Introduction: Evaluation of the effectiveness of a well-targeted educational campaign specially designed toward the improvement of oral health and maintenance of removable orthodontic appliances should be considered during an orthodontic treatment. Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the impact of the oral hygiene protocol on oral health through assessing plaque accumulation on the removable orthodontic appliance, to establish the impact of oral hygiene protocol on oral health through assessing the patients plaque accumulation on the tooth surface and gingival bleeding, and to evaluate the degree of halitosis between the intervention and control groups. Materials and Methods: The study involved 80 patients who were equally assigned to the intervention and control removable orthodontic treatment groups. Data were collected by means of questionnaires, soft-tissue examination, breath checker, and staining the appliance with methylene blue disclosing solution. Results: The plaque score of both groups at Review 2 emphasized a significant difference (P = 0.021), yet neither differences at baseline (P = 0.989) nor Review 1 (P = 0.786) were found. The odor score of both groups at Review 2 showed a significant difference (P = 0.012). All interventional patients and only 10% of the control group patients were aware of appliance removal during sport. There was no significant difference (P = 0.211) between the responses of patients concerning the cleaning method of the appliance. The patients showed a higher user rate of mouthwash, and they were more successful with respect to when it should be used. Conclusion: The effectiveness of an educational session has been demonstrated in some aspects of the research.