Periodontal health in teenagers treated with removable aligners and fixed orthodontic appliances.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to explore the microbiological and periodontal changes occurring in adolescents during 12 months of orthodontic therapy with removable aligners and with fixed appliances.


METHODS
During the years 2012-2013, 50 teenagers aged 10-18 years with similar initial orthodontic conditions participated in this trial in a university clinic in northern Italy. After receiving professional oral hygiene and instructions on a standardized oral hygiene protocol, the adolescents were randomly assigned to either orthodontic treatment with traditional fixed brackets (n = 25) or to treatment with Invisalign® aligners (n = 25). Subgingival microbiological samples, probing depth (PD), plaque index (PI), and bleeding on probing (BOP) were obtained and documented from the mesiovestibular subgingival sulcus of the upper right first molar and left central incisor at the beginning of treatment and 3, 6, and 12 months later. Compliance with oral hygiene procedures, full mouth plaque score (FMPS), and full mouth bleeding score (FMBS) were assessed at the beginning of treatment and 12 months later. Two sample independent t-tests and the χ(2) test were used to study whether the indices of periodontal health differed in the teenagers due to the experimental conditions.


RESULTS
None of the patients was positive for the periodontal anaerobes analyzed. The PI, PD, BOP, FMPS, and FMBS scores were significantly lower and compliance with oral hygiene was significantly higher in the group treated with Invisalign® than in the group treated with fixed brackets.


CONCLUSIONS
Teenagers treated with removable appliances display better compliance with oral hygiene, less plaque, and fewer gingival inflammatory reactions than their peers with fixed appliances.
Faculty of Dentistry and Oral Hygiene, University of Insubria, Via Piatti 10, 21100, Varese, Italy, gmabbate@me.com.
Gian Marco
GM
Abbate
Maria Paola
MP
Caria
Paola
P
Montanari
Carla
C
Mannu
Germano
G
Orrù
Alberto
A
Caprioglio
Luca
L
Levrini
D000293:Adolescent; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009909:Oral Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009968:Orthodontic Appliances, Removable / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016910:Orthodontic Brackets / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D010512:Periodontal Index; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome