Oral Hygiene Practices Among Orthodontic Patients in Tertiary Hospitals

Abstract

Background: Orthodontic brackets and wires provide extra surfaces for plaque and calculus accumulation, and can alter the balance of the oral microbiologic ecology thus making maintaining a good oral hygiene a challenging task.These alterations may in turn lead to gingivitis, gingival bleeding, gingival enlargement around the brackets, dental caries, as well as white spot lesions. Maintaining high levels of daily plaque removal by effective tooth brushing and other adjuncts, is therefore very important in patients undergoing
fixed orthodontic therapy.

Objective: The aims of this study were to assess the oral hygiene practices of patients undergoing fixed orthodontic therapy, as well as identify any pathological oral changes among such patients.

Materials and methods: This was a cross sectional study conducted via self-administered questionnaires. A total of 114 patients  undergoing orthodontic treatment at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, and the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital were recruited for this study.

Results: About half (57.6%) of the participants in this study brushed twice daily. Only 3 remembered to brush after every meal, 26.3% flossed and 37.7% used mouth rinses as an adjunct to tooth brushing. Majority (64.9%) reported episodes of bleeding gums during orthodontic treatment. Majority of the respondents were fully aware that tooth brushing is very important during orthodontic  treatment, but only half knew that braces could lead to tooth decay.

Conclusion: The participants in this study appear to have a good knowledge about general oral hygiene practices, but not of the peculiarities of wearing braces, nor the changes to the oral environment during orthodontic treatment. Orthodontists should therefore properly educate their patients on the importance of maintaining an excellent oral hygiene while undergoing orthodontic treatment.

Keywords: Oral hygiene, orthodontic treatment, fixed appliance therapy.