Influence of Multimedia Reminders on Oral Hygiene Status During Removable Orthodontic Treatment: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Introduction: Orthodontic appliances complicate daily oral hygiene maintenance and enhance the formation of microbial biofilm on tooth surfaces and orthodontic appliances. Objective: This trial was conducted to assess the effect of reminders on oral hygiene of patients during removable orthodontic treatment. Methods: In this 2-arm parallel randomized controlled trial, 66 orthodontic patients with removable maxillary appliance were randomly allocated with 1:1 ratio to message reminders and the control group. The patients in the messaging group received one or two message reminders and educational videos weekly during the course of treatment. A single blinded examiner measured the plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), and dental caries index of patients in both groups at baseline (T0) and one (T1), three (T2), and six (T3) months after the first day of treatment to assess their oral hygiene status during treatment. Results: A total of 30 patients in control group and 28 in reminder group completed the study. The PI and GI scores were increased neither in control group nor in message reminder group during T0 and T1, significantly. The PI and GI scores in message reminder group were significantly lower than those in the control group at T2 (PI: P = 0.001, GI: P = 0.003) and T3 (PI: P = 0.024, GI: P = 0.022). Slight significant increasing in the PI and GI score were found during T2 and T3 in message reminder group. Caries index showed no significant difference between two groups during study. Conclusion: It seems that reminders can efficiently promote oral hygiene of patients undergoing removable orthodontic treatment.

Associations between malocclusion and self-esteem among Persian adolescent papulation.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the effect of malocclusion on the self-esteem of adolescents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study evaluated 496 student aged between 12 and 14 tears old living in Shiraz city. The level of self-esteem was determined using the Rosenberg self-esteem scale (RSES). To assess the degree of malocclusion, Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need- Dental Health Component (IOTN-DHC) was used. The Spearman's correlation coefficient was calculated to assess the correlation of malocclusion and self-esteem. The mean of IOTN-DHC and total score of RSES in different age groups were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test. The mean IOTN-DHC and total score of RSES were compared between the two municipal districts and males and females using the Wilcoxon test and independent t-test, respectively. RESULTS: A significant but weak correlation was noted between IOTN-DHC and self-esteem (r = 115/0, P = 04/0), while IOTN-DHC subscale: space shortage, dental missing, overjet, overbite, and crossbite had nonsignificant correlation with self-esteem. The socioeconomic status of adolescents significantly affected their self-esteem (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Weakly significant correlation between mild malocclusion and dental self-esteem.