Background and Aim: Fixed orthodontic APPLIANCES usually include brackets, bands and archwires made of Stainless Steel, Nickel-Titanium or Nickel-Coballt alloys that can release metal ions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of metal ions in ORAL mucosa cells.Materials and Methods: Sixty subjects were included in this study. The study group consisted of 30 orthodontic patients (age range, 18±2 years) with fixed orthodontic APPLIANCES in both arches. The control group was composed of 30 subjects with an age range of 20±2 years who were not undergoing orthodontic treatment and had no dental restorations. Mucosa samples were collected by gentle brushing of the internal part of the right and left buccal mucosa of all subjects. Nickel, Chromium and Cobalt cellular content was quantified by atomic absorption spectrometry varian and analyzed using Mann Whitney-U and t-test.Results: Nickel ion concentrations in the control and study groups were 12.26±12.9 ppb and 21.7±11.4ppb, respectively. A statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups (p<0.003). There was no significant difference in the concentration of Chromium ions, between the two groups.Conclusion: Nickel is a strong immunologic sensitizer and chromium and cobalt ions can also cause hypersensivity, dermatitis and asthma. Because of possible adverse biologic effects, scientific research should be directed toward dental materials that not only require mechanic resistance to wear and tear, but also are safe for patients.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 30 children aged between 8-12 years old who were treated with removable orthodontic APPLIANCES and 30 healthy children in the same age range as control group were selected. One month after giving instructions on ORAL hygiene, samples were taken from patients’ ORAL mucosa. The specimens were assessed by colony formation and germ tube tests. Statistical analysis was performed using Chi-square test with 95% confidence to compare the study groups.Findings: There were significant differences between two groups regarding the redness, soreness, and inflammation which were more frequent in orthodontic patients (p=0.03). Colony formation was significantly higher in orthodontic patients than control group (P<0.001). In addition, germ tube was more obvious in samples of orthodontic patients than control group (P=0.045).Conclusion: Despite the practice of good ORAL hygiene, application of removable orthodontic APPLIANCES leads to an increase in prevalence of Candida albicans.

Background: Dental malocclusion is one of the most common developmental anomalies. Fixed orthodontics as one of the treatments of malocclusion are referred to as mechanical devices that are attached to the teeth. This study assessed quality of life (QOL) based on ORAL health impact profile (OHIP) amongst Iranian patients undergoing fixed orthodontic APPLIANCES in orthodontic center of Sari, Iran. Materials and Methods: This is a prospective controlled longitudinal study on 14-19 year-old patients with fixed orthodontic APPLIANCES in orthodontic centers of Sari, Iran, in 2018. The 4th and 5th grade of orthodontic treatment need (IOTN) subjects were enrolled in the study. QOL was assessed based on OHIP questionnaire at the beginning of the study before placing braces (T0), a day after placing braces (T1), and three months after placing braces (T2) for all subjects. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 24. 0. Results: The number of 290 patients (145 male and 145 female) were investigated. The average age of participants was 17 ± 1. 94 years. The average QOL at three T0, T1, T2 times showed that the QOL of patients in T0 (19. 66 ± 10. 19) was at the lowest value, in T1 (29. 53 ± 15. 14) it was moderate and in T2 (17. 84 ± 9. 22) it was good, and these changes were statistically significant (P <0. 05). The results of correlation test showed that age had no significant correlation with QOL at any stage of measuring QOL (T0: r=-0. 008, P=0. 89; T1: r=0. 031, P=0. 6; T2: r=-0. 007, P=0. 91). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that QOL increases after orthodontics. The average score of the QOL in T1 was at its lowest value, but T2 had a good QOL. The QOL of men and women was not different in any of the three measuring stages.

Introduction: Orthodontic APPLIANCES increase the risk of dental caries and gum disease. Since it is rather difficult to maintain ORAL hygiene in patients with fixed orthodontic APPLIANCES due to the presence of brackets, bands, and arch wires, they should be persuaded to take care of their ORAL cavity. Therefore, the present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of an ORAL and dental health educational intervention using motivational interviewing in adolescents with fixed orthodontic APPLIANCES. Materials and Methods: Thirty adolescents with fixed orthodontic APPLIANCES aged 12-16 years presenting to orthodontics departments of school of dentistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, received individual counselling, verbal guidelines, and training for correct brushing and flossing techniques by a senior student of dentistry during a 20-minute motivational interview. To evaluate the effect of the intervention, ORAL health behaviors including brushing, flossing, and consumption of sugary snacks were collected in a self-report manner. Moreover, plaque and gingival indexes were measured before and one-month post intervention. The SPSS software version 23 was used for data analysis. Results: Among ORAL health behaviors, optimal frequency of brushing increased after the intervention (p=0. 002). The mean plaque index was 0. 99±, 0. 43 before and 0. 37±, 0. 16 after the intervention, indicating a significant difference (p<0. 001). Moreover, the mean gingival index (average inflammation) was 0. 99±, 0. 56 before the intervention, which improved to 0. 30±, 0. 20 after the intervention (p<0. 001). Conclusion: Educational intervention based on motivational interviewing reduced dental plaques and gingival inflammation and increased the frequency of brushing in the short term among adolescents with fixed orthodontic APPLIANCES.