The incidence of enamel demineralization after treatment with fixed orthodontic appliances
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| Year of publication | 2015 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
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| Description | Introduction: Enamel demineralization manifesting itself by white spot lesions and occurring as a result of treatment with fixed orthodontic appliances is a significant clinical problem. The aim of the present study was to assess the incidence of white spot lesions in patients treated with fixed orthodontic appliances and find out whether the frequency of their occurrence depends on sex, patient’s age and treatment duration. Material and methods: The retrospective study comprised 106 randomly selected patients (35 males and 71 females) who had completed treatment with fixed orthodontic appliances. The presence of white spot lesions was assessed before placement and just after removal the fixed orthodontic appliance. Classification after Gorelick was used for the visual assessment of the severity of enamel demineralization. Results: Signs of enamel demineralization after the removal of fixed orthodontic appliances were recorded in 44 (41.5 %) patients, i.e. 23.9 % of teeth. The frequency of occurrence of enamel demineralization was the same in males as in females (p>0.05) but the number of teeth with white spot lesions in males was significantly higher than that in females (p<0.05). The highest incidence of demineralization was found in the first molars and maxillary incisors, the lowest in the mandibular incisors. The statistically significant difference in the incidence of enamel demineralization depending on the patients’ age at the start of treatment with fixed appliances was proven (p<0.01). However, dependence on the total treatment duration was not found (p>0.05). Conclusion: The enamel demineralization incidence in patients treated with the fixed orthodontic appliances was high, particularly in younger patients. Therefore, patient’s age should be considered carefully before fixed appliance orthodontic treatment. Besides preventive measures, complex enamel demineralization care includes methods for remineralization of existing lesions. |