The Importance and Possibilities of Proper Oral Hygiene in Orthodontic Patients

The number of orthodontic treatments has been increased nowdays (Silva & Kang, 2001; Thilander et al., 2001; Ciuffolo et al., 2005; Mtaya et al, 2009; Bittencourt & Machado, 2010). The most important motivation for orthodontic treatment is to achieve an improvement in appearance and the fact that in connection with this change some psychological problems could be decreased. These factors are contributed not only to the position but the esthetic appearance of the tooth itself. In some cases orthodontic treatments can attribute to caries preventive intervention, when tooth movements may reduce crowding or other anomalies, thus can contribute to the effectiveness of proper oral hygiene. On the other hand, orthodontic treatments may cause or aggravate plaque accumulation and in this way the development of caries and periodontal diseases which are basically caused by dental plaque. It is suggested that the information about both benefits and risks of orthodontic treatment should be sheared with potential patients.