Efficacy of professional hygiene and prophylaxis on preventing plaque increase in orthodontic patients with multibracket appliances: A systematic review

Background: Plaque increase is a troubling side-effect of fixed orthodontic therapy. This generally arise as a consequence of long-term difficulty in maintaining adequate oral hygiene while wearing multibracket appliances. Demineralization, also known as white spot, causes particular concern as it spoils the aesthetic outcome of the treatment itself, not to mention the integrity of the enamel.

Objectives: To collate the existing literature by evaluating the efficacy of dental hygienist intervention on plaque increase in fixed orthodontics patients.

Materials and methods: A targeted search of the Medline database (Entrez PubMed), EMBASE, and CENTRAL using relevant Medical Subject Headings was performed. The articles selected were all published before June 2013 and comprised randomized clinical trials, prospective longitudinal controlled clinical trials, and before/after studies onto the plaque increase of fixed appliances.

Results: The search strategy yielded 630 articles. Following the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 10 articles qualified for the final review.

Conclusion: The quality of the retrieved researches ranged from low (one study) to high (one study). Six controlled trials were considered at unknown risk of bias. Data showed that regular patient motivation sessions and mechanical tooth cleaning by a professional dental hygienist help maintaining good oral hygiene during fixed orthodontics.